Ganryu
Your Lovable Jackass GM
The Hidden Leaf Village
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Fandom Naruto: Rain of War
- Thread starter Ganryu
- Start date
The Hidden Leaf Village
CaughtInTheRiddle
The Goddess
Katsuo Shimizu - The 4th Hokage
The atmosphere was dense, clouds overcast the blue skies, forbidding any rays of illumination to flicker through – though all ascertained that the sun still shone here. Konohagakure was awake full of splendour and excitement – all traces of sadness and despair left over from the Nine-Tails attack had seemed to be eradicated with the Chunin Exams drawing so near. Even though the weather decided to grey itself and mourn for unknown reasons, the extravaganza would light the town up that night.
Katsuo Shimizu stood before the Genin; his warm stare taken over by the coldness that had resided in him since the attack; it had festered in his mind like a plague, and many were beginning to realise that the Villages downfall had affected him most of all.
The crowds had come to gather to watch the opening of the festival the Hokage had thrown in honour of this years Chunin Exams - and many had come to bask in what felt like the former glory of the once still great Leaf Village.
In the Hokage's building, he had called a small gathering for the rookies who would take part in the unrelenting exams to come.
They all watched intently as he gave a warm smile, betrayed by the harshness of his brown eyes; those who knew better, would have picked up that this celebration wasn't for the reasons he had originally stated. He wanted the other villages to know that the Leaf was strong.
"Congratulations to the Genin who have had the honour of being selected to participate in this years Chunin Exams!" and as he looked into the eyes of every single one of them, they would know the hidden message behind his words.
"I know you're all confident in your abilities, and that's what I look for, but know this," his voice grew dark, "These Chunin exams not only bring the villages together, but this year, I can't express how crucial your success is,
"The rest of the world is looking to us... to our strength... to our welfare. And should we show any signs of weakness, they will crush us with the wave of a hand,"
He stood straight, his grim expression pulling into a small smile once more, "But alas, you know these things, and I just know, you wont fail your village, your teams, your friends or families..."
And with that he turned away to exit the room, calling one more thing over his shoulder as he was shrouded in darkness by the corridor he entered, "Good luck, and try to enjoy the festivities while you can!"
And with that, he was gone.
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Pentagon
Newtype Magic
Jiro wondered how many expert young chuunin stood with him, in the Hokage's building. How many ANBU plants were within the small crowd, already placed to ensure that any genin picked to be 'interrogated' would not be able to be used as diplomatic casus belli by the other nations. He guessed there'd be quite a few, given the timbre of the speech, the desire for the Leaf to look powerful, the threat of the other villages. They weren't all ringers, he could say that for certain. His own team was there, next to him. The reassuring presence of Tsukiko and Tsukiashi radiated into him, silently seeping confidence into his psyche. It was strange, how odd it seemed to be alone, since spending most waking hours with his team. He wondered idly how he would feel when he made chuunin, and the bonds of camaraderie were loosened with the influx of new responsibilities.
Jiro thought he should feel different, somehow. The weight of history should be palpable, on a day so important to his coming life. At least, the memoirs he'd read said so. He was beginning to think they were all victims of rose-tinted nostalgia, or at least conforming to some unwritten standard. Jiro felt no different than any other day. He was anxious, certainly. Excited to be progressing, despite all his conscious efforts to loosen his immature affection for rank and titles. But he had woken like any other. Later, in fact, thanks to the lack of early-morning training scheduled. He'd greeted his parents, with whom he still lived, and eaten an average breakfast, and left home at a normal hour. At no point was he taken with a feeling of serene importance, or a clutch of purpose as he made the short walk to the Hokage's building. It almost left him disappointed.
The Hokage's words troubled the young man, that was certain. For the military dictator of a village to tell his youngest, most promising aspirant soldiers that a losing war was on the cards? It seemed surreal. Jiro tried to guess the political reason, perhaps the Hokage was trying to ensconce himself against a coup? Or was he already laying the groundwork for a hearts and minds campaign to ensure loyalty? After all, the most effective propaganda always painted one's own side as the noble underdogs. Despite the proximity of his teammates, Jiro wondered how many in the room would end up dead. He made a mental note to look at the average peacetime genin mortality rate, allowing himself the indulgence of such superfluous information. It'd be the most dangerous thing he or any of his comrades had done, he'd be willing to bet. Of course, that left the unfortunate corollary in Jiro's mind: that he and his comrades were being placed on the chopping block to play brinkmanship with the other villages. Him sent to die while a squad of prodigious young ANBU, the specialty of the Leaf if history was to be believed, butchered a generation of prodigies from the other villages under the pretenses of examination. Or, alternatively, more frighteningly, did battle with the other villages' ANBU plants. Jiro mentally chastised himself for his puerile foolishness. This was the life of the ninja these days, to be used up in pursuit of goals much larger than him or any other individual in the village. A quiet voice in the back of his mind told him to change professions, and was quickly silenced. Nothing would change if he dropped out now, after all.
The Hokage quit the room, no doubt busy with other matters. Jiro wondered if it was a clone of some sort, but realized he had no real way of knowing. He briefly considering answering with a bow, or a 'Yes, Lord Hokage!', but the stillness of the room as the Fire's Shadow left it rebuked him. His eyes instead flicked left, then right, to the two women who had taken up, in such a short time, such a large part of his life. He was happy to be set with them, he thought. He'd been dealt a good hand, better than some he knew. Reliable, powerful, amicable; blessed with a good teacher and a happy friendship. His light, common smile brushed his face, in consideration. To his left, the ever-loyal, ever-rebellious paradox of Tsukiko. To his right, the heel-digging, hopeful Tsukiashi. Once the murmuring started, he spoke quietly, adding his voice to the soft din.
"So. Does Bokuto have any training scheduled for us today? Or will we be following Lord Hokage's last order?"
Jiro thought he should feel different, somehow. The weight of history should be palpable, on a day so important to his coming life. At least, the memoirs he'd read said so. He was beginning to think they were all victims of rose-tinted nostalgia, or at least conforming to some unwritten standard. Jiro felt no different than any other day. He was anxious, certainly. Excited to be progressing, despite all his conscious efforts to loosen his immature affection for rank and titles. But he had woken like any other. Later, in fact, thanks to the lack of early-morning training scheduled. He'd greeted his parents, with whom he still lived, and eaten an average breakfast, and left home at a normal hour. At no point was he taken with a feeling of serene importance, or a clutch of purpose as he made the short walk to the Hokage's building. It almost left him disappointed.
The Hokage's words troubled the young man, that was certain. For the military dictator of a village to tell his youngest, most promising aspirant soldiers that a losing war was on the cards? It seemed surreal. Jiro tried to guess the political reason, perhaps the Hokage was trying to ensconce himself against a coup? Or was he already laying the groundwork for a hearts and minds campaign to ensure loyalty? After all, the most effective propaganda always painted one's own side as the noble underdogs. Despite the proximity of his teammates, Jiro wondered how many in the room would end up dead. He made a mental note to look at the average peacetime genin mortality rate, allowing himself the indulgence of such superfluous information. It'd be the most dangerous thing he or any of his comrades had done, he'd be willing to bet. Of course, that left the unfortunate corollary in Jiro's mind: that he and his comrades were being placed on the chopping block to play brinkmanship with the other villages. Him sent to die while a squad of prodigious young ANBU, the specialty of the Leaf if history was to be believed, butchered a generation of prodigies from the other villages under the pretenses of examination. Or, alternatively, more frighteningly, did battle with the other villages' ANBU plants. Jiro mentally chastised himself for his puerile foolishness. This was the life of the ninja these days, to be used up in pursuit of goals much larger than him or any other individual in the village. A quiet voice in the back of his mind told him to change professions, and was quickly silenced. Nothing would change if he dropped out now, after all.
The Hokage quit the room, no doubt busy with other matters. Jiro wondered if it was a clone of some sort, but realized he had no real way of knowing. He briefly considering answering with a bow, or a 'Yes, Lord Hokage!', but the stillness of the room as the Fire's Shadow left it rebuked him. His eyes instead flicked left, then right, to the two women who had taken up, in such a short time, such a large part of his life. He was happy to be set with them, he thought. He'd been dealt a good hand, better than some he knew. Reliable, powerful, amicable; blessed with a good teacher and a happy friendship. His light, common smile brushed his face, in consideration. To his left, the ever-loyal, ever-rebellious paradox of Tsukiko. To his right, the heel-digging, hopeful Tsukiashi. Once the murmuring started, he spoke quietly, adding his voice to the soft din.
"So. Does Bokuto have any training scheduled for us today? Or will we be following Lord Hokage's last order?"
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NekoQueen49
女王の猫
Throughout the Hokage's lecture, Tsukiko resisted the urge to yawn. It wasn't that it was boring. Well, no, it was, but more that she didn't get much sleep last night. Tsukiko was more used to the howls and screams of young children due to background at the orphanage and so when she recently moved out, the noise was missed. The result was not hearing a frickin' word the Hokage said. Well, she assumed she would get the low down from someone on her team. Probably either Jiro or her sensei. Tsukiashi was more like her in the personality department. The Tsu-Tsu combination, she thought, amused.
After the lecture- er, speech ended, Tsukiko chanted, "Yes, Hokage-sama," along with the rest even if it came a little late. At Jiro's voice, Tsukiko glanced over.
"Last order?" Tsukiko tilted her head. It was probably expected by now that she wasn't listening and so asked the question without any shame. "Oh, so you were listening? What did he say?"
@Pentagon
After the lecture- er, speech ended, Tsukiko chanted, "Yes, Hokage-sama," along with the rest even if it came a little late. At Jiro's voice, Tsukiko glanced over.
"Last order?" Tsukiko tilted her head. It was probably expected by now that she wasn't listening and so asked the question without any shame. "Oh, so you were listening? What did he say?"
@Pentagon
Pentagon
Newtype Magic
Jiro was used to Tsukiko's inattentiveness. He was used to just about all the idiosyncrasies of his team, by now, or at least he hoped. A year of sweating, working, moaning, it had a way of forming adamant friendships. That, at the live combat, of course, but Jiro still hadn't had enough time to think about those terrifying, horrible, occasional hours with anything besides revulsion. Jiro couldn't fault her for it, really. Every great ninja had their strange ways. In fact, the more powerful they were, the stranger they got. It never stopped Tsukiko from doing her job, so he didn't care. He found it somewhat charming, after all these months. He flicked his light smile to the younger, taller, woman.
"Of course I was listening" the words came without rebuke, spoken as a statement of mundane fact. "He ended the speech by telling us to enjoy the festivities while we can."
His emphasis on the last three words was heavy and intentional. He'd be at it all day, peeling apart the Hokage's brief speech, trying fruitlessly to peel back some of the layers of deception masterful politicians employed. "He started by congratulating us for being selected, and told us without subtlety that we need to perform to exacting standards or martial consequences will follow. He made no special note of clans" and Jiro's eyes flicked back to Tsukiashi, "which probably means something. I need to speak with Bokuto at some point about all of this, I'm not sure what exactly to make of it."
Jiro maneuvered out of the way of a passing leaf ninja, clearing a path to the door. Jiro paid the soldier no mind. "So I asked: are we training, or are we enjoying ourselves?" The young man's dirt-shaded eyes cast about for his teacher, through the mixing whorls of ninja.
"Of course I was listening" the words came without rebuke, spoken as a statement of mundane fact. "He ended the speech by telling us to enjoy the festivities while we can."
His emphasis on the last three words was heavy and intentional. He'd be at it all day, peeling apart the Hokage's brief speech, trying fruitlessly to peel back some of the layers of deception masterful politicians employed. "He started by congratulating us for being selected, and told us without subtlety that we need to perform to exacting standards or martial consequences will follow. He made no special note of clans" and Jiro's eyes flicked back to Tsukiashi, "which probably means something. I need to speak with Bokuto at some point about all of this, I'm not sure what exactly to make of it."
Jiro maneuvered out of the way of a passing leaf ninja, clearing a path to the door. Jiro paid the soldier no mind. "So I asked: are we training, or are we enjoying ourselves?" The young man's dirt-shaded eyes cast about for his teacher, through the mixing whorls of ninja.
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NekoQueen49
女王の猫
Tsukiko pursed her lips at Jiro's explanation. She thought it odd that he was putting emphasis on 'while we can' but then she fully recognized that the boy was smarter than her. Instead, she turned to Tsukiashi. "Did you get any of that?" Tsukiko asked the other female. Hopefully she was paying more attention than her. Besides, Tsukiko knew she could rely on Jiro to sort out the details.
@Hanarei
@Hanarei
Hanarei
Rawr-ness
Silence had filled Ashi's lips as Tsukiko had directly questioned her. She was normally known as the rather energetic type, usually having difficulty not opening her mouth at times or making some comment. It was a bit unusual for her to be so focused on the speech at hand, there was plenty for her to get in a silly mention about. She looked to be in thought only for a very soft sound could be heard. It sounded hushed... rhythmic in its sounds. Her eyes appeared rather vaguely opened, her head tilted down as if having been in thought the entire speech. The noises only grew louder with the sound in the room becoming less prominent. It sounded like... breathing?
Ashi's head suddenly shifted as she jumped. Her head turned back and forth looking rather lost. The girl rubbing her eyes. A yawn escaped her lips as she shook her head out as if trying to make any debris that had found its way into her hair to fly off like mud. She looked to the others as her eyes seemed still a bit drowsy.
"Huh? Wh... what? What happened?" She spoke out with another yawn following quickly behind. Ashi had managed to find a way to fall asleep standing at the meeting.
Tsukiashi had always a poor attention span. The wait for the meeting had all but worn her out until she passed out standing up. It was a trait she leaned as her time as a Genin getting into trouble napping in random places in the middle of some long talk. She had grown to learn to sneakily do so in other ways when something felt as if it was taking forever. It was something she had gotten better at not taking so many naps during important (boring) events but she was extra tired and extra bored of the long wait for anything to even happen.
She stretched suddenly, yawning a bit more. The girl's energy seemed to pick up quickly as she stretched a bit. "Ah! Let's go do something! We can go train or go do something fun! Ooo both could be fun, what do you guys want to do? If you don't want to I suppose i could do something else alone, up to you." She spoke with a shrug followed by an excited smile, unaware she had recited her other team mate's suggest almost exactly. She had gotten a bit more use to the two... at least to the point of being more comfortable suggesting to do things (even if its repeating something she missed) or at least offering to do it so long as she played it off as if she didn't care if they wanted to or not and she could do it on her own.
@NekoQueen49 @Pentagon
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Pentagon
Newtype Magic
Jiro made a mental note to learn how to fall asleep like that. He'd seen it more than enough times, and had made the same resolution upon each, but had never acted upon it. This time, Jiro chiseled it into his psyche, indelibly. Then again, he said the same each time he saw the miracle of somnambulism after the first. He wondered if it was an Inzauka thing. Maybe it was a trait they shared with dogs, he'd never paid much attention to the animals, never spent much time around them. He processed the excitable girl's barrage of conversation as quickly as he could, racing to keep up with her quicksilver train of thought. He answered the question gladly, once again finding himself uncharacteristically glad to be of use to his team. It seemed to be a rare and rarer phenomenon, these days.
"The Hokage gave a speech. War is on the cards, and we are expected to perform to the best of our abilities in the coming chuunin exams. I need to speak to Bokuto at some point. But, it seems like we don't have training scheduled, so Lord Hokage ordered us to enjoy the festivities. If we're voting, I am in favor of 'doing something fun'. Together, of course. I don't think Lord Hokage would think it appropriate, us having fun on our own before our team is examined for chuuninship."
He tried, rather poorly, to match the mercurial cadence of the wolf-woman, and immediately regretted it. It seemed strange, falling back on puerile jokes in the halls of such an esteemed building, with such a somber subject so recently spoken of. Jiro swallowed, and fixed his faltering half-smile. "I would like to spend some of our mission money: the food should be excellent, given the scale of the festivities." Jiro clawed at his memory, trying to remember what he had eaten before he had become a ninja, attending these festivals when he was young, before the Nine Tails. A small shiver passed up the boy's back as he remembered the beast, only for a moment.
"The Hokage gave a speech. War is on the cards, and we are expected to perform to the best of our abilities in the coming chuunin exams. I need to speak to Bokuto at some point. But, it seems like we don't have training scheduled, so Lord Hokage ordered us to enjoy the festivities. If we're voting, I am in favor of 'doing something fun'. Together, of course. I don't think Lord Hokage would think it appropriate, us having fun on our own before our team is examined for chuuninship."
He tried, rather poorly, to match the mercurial cadence of the wolf-woman, and immediately regretted it. It seemed strange, falling back on puerile jokes in the halls of such an esteemed building, with such a somber subject so recently spoken of. Jiro swallowed, and fixed his faltering half-smile. "I would like to spend some of our mission money: the food should be excellent, given the scale of the festivities." Jiro clawed at his memory, trying to remember what he had eaten before he had become a ninja, attending these festivals when he was young, before the Nine Tails. A small shiver passed up the boy's back as he remembered the beast, only for a moment.
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NekoQueen49
女王の猫
Resting her arms above her head, Tsukiko looked off to the side with pursed lips. Her thoughts on festivals usually revolved around food so as such, her mind went to sweets. More specifically, her favorite, ichigo ame. Or, Karumeyaki. Or maybe dango. "I wonder if dango comes in purple," she thought aloud. Tsukiko honestly didn't know how her mind came up with that, but she could roll with it.
Tsukiko looked over at Tsukiashi. "Want to make the training into a game?" She asked. Tsukiko had learned of the other female's fear of judgement when she made a thoughtless comment before and so didn't add, 'Otherwise I don't count training as fun'. Of course Tsukiko respected and admired the Inuzuka's love of training, if not a little flabbergasted at it. However, Tsukiko didn't possess a love of training.
@Hanarei @Pentagon
Tsukiko looked over at Tsukiashi. "Want to make the training into a game?" She asked. Tsukiko had learned of the other female's fear of judgement when she made a thoughtless comment before and so didn't add, 'Otherwise I don't count training as fun'. Of course Tsukiko respected and admired the Inuzuka's love of training, if not a little flabbergasted at it. However, Tsukiko didn't possess a love of training.
@Hanarei @Pentagon
Pentagon
Newtype Magic
"Give me a moment..."
Jiro trailed off, a task set before him spurring his mind into action. He'd always been drawn to things like these, little puzzles to solve. Make a fun training game, a noble enough task. He didn't answer the question on dango, and he told himself it was because it didn't matter. It was, of course, because he didn't know. He hoped that Tsukiko didn't notice, or that she would chalk it up to his laconic nature. He formulated ideas, then threw them each away, melting them down into the first workable composite he could drum up.
"We could always... hmm..." Jiro quickly threw away the idea he was about to suggest. It irked him, slightly, when asked to train with his particular brand of combat. It was difficult to fit into sparring, difficult to fit into anything besides real combat. He envied silently the martial arts experts who could just 'not punch things very hard'.
"How about this: we try and learn something interesting. An interesting secret. We could do it, working together, and it'd be good practice with the festival going on. Nothing classified, something civilian. Seems innocuous."
It seemed like something Jiro would not be humiliated in, but they didn't need to know that.
Jiro trailed off, a task set before him spurring his mind into action. He'd always been drawn to things like these, little puzzles to solve. Make a fun training game, a noble enough task. He didn't answer the question on dango, and he told himself it was because it didn't matter. It was, of course, because he didn't know. He hoped that Tsukiko didn't notice, or that she would chalk it up to his laconic nature. He formulated ideas, then threw them each away, melting them down into the first workable composite he could drum up.
"We could always... hmm..." Jiro quickly threw away the idea he was about to suggest. It irked him, slightly, when asked to train with his particular brand of combat. It was difficult to fit into sparring, difficult to fit into anything besides real combat. He envied silently the martial arts experts who could just 'not punch things very hard'.
"How about this: we try and learn something interesting. An interesting secret. We could do it, working together, and it'd be good practice with the festival going on. Nothing classified, something civilian. Seems innocuous."
It seemed like something Jiro would not be humiliated in, but they didn't need to know that.
NekoQueen49
女王の猫
Tsukiko~ Team 2
Tsukiko grinned. "Sounds devious. Somewhat," she added as an afterthought. "Sounds fun." Truthfully, she was thinking more along the lines of tag, but this sounded much better. As always, Jiro was much smarter than she. After all, tag would help them in the their physical training but their mental training was just, if not more, important. Plus her skills in tracking could come in handy in a game such as this. Of course, Tsukiko's nosiness definitely had nothing to do with her support in this training.
@Hanarei @Pentagon
Tsukiko grinned. "Sounds devious. Somewhat," she added as an afterthought. "Sounds fun." Truthfully, she was thinking more along the lines of tag, but this sounded much better. As always, Jiro was much smarter than she. After all, tag would help them in the their physical training but their mental training was just, if not more, important. Plus her skills in tracking could come in handy in a game such as this. Of course, Tsukiko's nosiness definitely had nothing to do with her support in this training.
@Hanarei @Pentagon
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Hanarei
Rawr-ness
Ashi nodded in response to Jiro. It sounded like the usual mumbo jumbo war stuff. She nodded through almost looking as if she would fall back into her sleep in what seemed so stock of a response to her. Then again... Ashi seemed always so distant when it comes to things. Even the Nine-tail the girl vaguely recollected the event much at all. Perhaps it was her own mind working to protect her from just how horrible it was of an event. The aftermath of the attack was the part that truly stuck in her mind and changed things so much.
She looked to Kiko, blinking as she looked up in thought. She heard Jiro speak up quietly rolling her eyes a bit. He found his quickness to throw together thoughts a little annoying, although perhaps it was in part due to her own desire to throw things up quickly. The time she spent with them had at least left her blurting out a bit less quickly and being a bit more thoughtful with her words... at least a little bit. She found the idea boring... secrets weren't very fun and never prompted much interaction... however...
"A prank! Why just test our ability to gather information when we can see about pulling a stunt on someone and making an escape and not being caught!" She spoke finding such glee as it wasn't hard to tell how energetic she was about it. "We go all quiet like sneaking around to someone... not just anyone, we gotta do someone good!" She spoke shifting in the middle of her words to emphasize the target a bit. She fell forward onto all fours, suddenly starting to mimic the idea of slowly walking forward.
"Then! Then... we.... go... " She spoke looking down in thought. She scratched her chin looking in thought. Truthfully... most of her 'pranks' or attempts to prove herself over people was to simply sneakily jump them and get on top. Perhaps a bit of her more 'doggy' tendencies coming out. Still she didn't want to sound boring. Her own little stubborn desire to jump in with her own idea had left her struggling for an answer she didn't have. Fortunately, the girl snapped back too, smiling brightly.
"We nab their headband! Yes yes! Nothing says awesome like snagging it from their heads!" She spoke out nodding a bit, moving a bit on all fours instinctively. Ashi very easily could stay in her four-leg technique without thinking much about it. It was practically instinctual to her with how much she grew to use it.
@NekoQueen49 @Pentagon
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CaughtInTheRiddle
The Goddess
Hana Sasaki
Team 3
“Can we stop?”
“No.”
“But-”
“Do it again.”
“I can’t! I’m so tired.”
“If you can still stand, you can still fight, now do it again.”
Hana groaned as she got back to her feet and faced her opponent with a small frown. His blue eyes stared into her hazel ones with boredom, he always looked bored - then again, he was always bored. He advanced on her and she quickly sidestepped him, throwing a punch as he darted past her, she didn’t even get close to landing it when his leg connected with her ribs with a sickening crack, sending her sliding across the clearing. Tears welled up in her eyes from the pain as she managed to push herself onto her hands and knees. She inhaled a deep breath, only to wince as a sharp pain ran up her torso; that was definitely a broken rib.
“This isn’t even fair,” she whined, and the man rolled his eyes, his stance casual as he lazily glanced at her, “You’re not even fighting me… how is that supposed to make me feel?” she asked, her eyes looking up at him as tears spilled out of them.
“Don’t do that,” her head snapped to the real version of the man who was lethargically sprawled out on a tree branch, “Don’t do that whole crying thing - it won’t do any good and it makes you look ugly,”
Hana lifted her blistered hands to her cheeks, angrily wiping the tears away from the blood soaked skin, but they still wouldn’t stop falling. She took a few calming breaths, but the tears still ran down her cheeks. She had been training with him since dawn, per her Father's orders. Every morning, before she met with her team - she was to meet and train with him.
“You won’t even fight me yourself,” she whispered,
“Because you’re too weak.” he replied, jumping off the branch and walking towards her, his blue gaze was still bored as he sighed, “How do you expect to make Chunin if you can’t even beat a clone?” his voice was void of emotion as the clone who stood across the clearing disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Hana pulled her hands away from her face as she looked up at him, “Pachid, please... please don’t give up on me,” she begged quietly.
“It’ll be easy, he said… she’s a fast learner, he said,” he muttered to himself, the words of Hana's father replayed in his mind. She shot him a confused glance but he shrugged it off, crouching to her level; he didn’t bother to wipe any tears away or make an action to comfort her, he simply sighed, “There’s nothing more I can do for you, Hana without killing you...” he stated , “your Chakra is next to non existent, you have trouble with the most basic of Jutsu, and no matter how many people try to lift that level, it just doesn’t happen.”
Hana’s eyes cast downwards, she didn’t even want to look at him, she knew how terrible she was, and she had been trying,
“Not to mention, your agility and stamina are lacking too - you’re not fast enough to keep up with an enemy, and your hand to hand skills are clumsy and you don’t put any thought into what you’re doing,” he ran a hand through his long black hair as he looked down at her, “The only thing you have going for you is your strategic planning and your incredible intelligence, but at the end of the day - your brain isn’t going to save you from a Jutsu.”
Hana stared up at him with a sorrowful gaze, he could tell she didn’t want to hear it, but it needed to be said. He lifted a hand and she flinched away from it until he placed it on her head,
“Have you ever thought about just living a life a civilian? If you continue down the path of a Shinobi, you’re going to die - I can guarantee you that, and if you don’t, a whole lot of people will, because of your weakness.”
She closed her eyes in attempt to stop the tears, and Pachid didn’t see the point in continuing the lesson, he simply stood and walked away, throwing one last comment over his shoulder, “Good luck in the exams - you’re going to need it.”
- - - - - - - - -
She hurt.
Hana had managed to clean all of the blood, however; unfortunately for her, the gashes, bruises and blisters stayed behind. Pachid’s words ran through her mind as she stood with her team as the Hokage spoke his words of “encouragement”.
Of course she had thought about dropping out of the system, but her father would never allow it - he would hunt her down and most probably kill her for disgracing the Clan. Her eyes stung with threatening tears, but her sweet smile hid her anguish; she wished she could just be normal. She sucked in a big breath and blinked the tears away... as Pachid told her - crying wouldn’t solve anything.
A small frown tugged at her brow as she heard the voices erupted through the hall - whispers of the Hokage’s hidden threat. It was unfair to put that on the Genin, the thought - if anyone was to be held accountable for a war, it would be him, as their leader… but she kept that to herself; after all, thoughts like that were essentially, treason.
Her hazel eyes glanced towards her Sensei for a moment, as she awaited an order, or to be dismissed. She was in no mood for festivities - she only wanted to go home and lie in her bed to rest her aching body while reading up on some Medical books.
“Orders, Sensei?” she asked, her signature closed eyed smile never faltering as she clasped her hands behind her back.
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PewpewLaser
Newly appointed soul-cleaving Ginger ´･ᴗ･`
• Makoto Orumasu •
Team three
Makoto liked the tone of the Hokage's speech. Well, more specifically the turmoil it seemed to cause among the other children in the room, the hysteria, the whispers, the silent judgers all moving about uneasily and unsure, it made her grin just a little bit wider then necessary.
Her eyes hadn't left the village's kage long, only to glance at her teammates and other students. His last words gave her chills.
"While you can."
But she knew if she didn't bring her train of thought somewhere else she would most likely never leave the room she was standing in, she did that sometimes, got lost in thought that intrigued her or gave her a warm tingly feeling and she'd freeze for some minutes before breaking out into grins and giggles, she'd scared a few more people then needed like that, but who was she to complain.
She finally broke her stupor though and sighed. "Everyone needs to learn to breathe softer or not breathe at all, their making the room stuffy." She muttered to herself as she stretched her arms above her head, suppressing the urge to crack her knuckles afterwards-- and her back, and hips, and knees and just about any bone that connected to a socket she resisted the itching to crack.
She didn't want to enjoy festivities, it meant she would have to put up with the childish antics and noise of other lesser people and their common games and comments and silly tales, she'd rather be the one causing the mischief and chaos herself on a day like this, overcast and gloomy, apparent demise from the exams just ahead for more then half of the people around her and the other misfortunes just previous to the village.
It made her in a very happy gaming mood.
Which game she didn't know yet, but that was half the fun.
Looking over to her teammates she could see Hana's sorry weary state and she rose a brow, she seemed to come to gatherings and training half-battered to death before they even did anything as a team. But really, Makoto couldn't muster any sorrow for the girl, what she did wasn't Makoto's problem. Even if it was, Makoto couldn't really see any reason in caring anyway. Hana seemed to be training or practicing, and Makoto wouldn't get in the way. As far as Makoto knew, Hana needed it.
"Hana, your not planning on heading home already, are you? Don't be a bum, the Hokage gave us special permission to have some fun." Makoto spoke up with puppy-dog eyes--more of eye, seeing as she had one covered with a patch-- as she spotted Hana go to their Sensei for orders. If Hana was heading home that meant Makoto didn't have anyone to pick on besides Mizuno, and that was no fun at all.
@CaughtInTheRiddle
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Pentagon
Newtype Magic
Jiro Tanega: Team 2
Jiro raised an eyebrow at the energetic Inazuka. He tried to put himself in the shoes of a Chuunin, who has just had his headband removed. Confused, certainly, and irritated. Dangerous? Would they be scared of hostile intent? Jiro puzzled, and eventually figured not. One did not become Chuunin without self-restraint, at least according to the library, and he found himself hoping that his friends had learned that particular lesson. He gave a soft laugh, more like louder breath than any grand expression of mirth, as he watched the young woman begin to pad along the floor in anticipation. His tone was even, his timbre sardonic.
"If you're so enthusiastic, I can't do anything but agree. Do you have a particular target in mind? And do I have time to eat before we go about it? I crave grilled squid."
Jiro raised an eyebrow at the energetic Inazuka. He tried to put himself in the shoes of a Chuunin, who has just had his headband removed. Confused, certainly, and irritated. Dangerous? Would they be scared of hostile intent? Jiro puzzled, and eventually figured not. One did not become Chuunin without self-restraint, at least according to the library, and he found himself hoping that his friends had learned that particular lesson. He gave a soft laugh, more like louder breath than any grand expression of mirth, as he watched the young woman begin to pad along the floor in anticipation. His tone was even, his timbre sardonic.
"If you're so enthusiastic, I can't do anything but agree. Do you have a particular target in mind? And do I have time to eat before we go about it? I crave grilled squid."
Hanarei
Rawr-ness
Ashi was a little surprised hearing her idea being accepted as much as it was. She blinked seeming to question it a little. She shook her head out a bit, not thinking much more of it as her idea being accepted was far to much for her to squander. Not having a squad leader around was likely a very dangerous thing for someone like Ashi who would take a silly game and go to far feeling the need to top someone off with a 'better' idea, even if she knew it wasn't a good idea. She was much to stubborn to ever just drop something.
"Mkay... mkay!" She spoke, nearly bouncing a bit in place as she stretched. She tapped her chin as her eagerness to show off how brave she was grew larger. "Jonin! Not a Chuunin. If we want to show we are Chuunin material, what better way then doing one better and doing it to a Jonin! That way, they know we are more then good enough for it!" She spoke giving an enthused nod in response. The wild haired thirteen year old grinned, her fangs poking a bit from her lips as she smiled brightly.
A loud growl echoed out at the mentioning of food. She blinked, looking down at her own loud stomach. She gently rubbed it before looking back up letting out a light laugh. "Ah... mmm... some food could be good... mmm... some steak... something nice and bloody on the bone... nnn... they must be serving a lot of tasty food now..." She spoke as her attention had quickly shifted away from her game as the idea of food overwhelmed her mind.
@NekoQueen49 @Pentagon
Upton O Goode
Catastrophic Success
Hideko Hyūga
Team 3
Today was a day for festivities, but Hideko did not feel festive today. There was so much riding on this year's examinations that it was impossible for her to forget that much. The Hokage's words only served to reinforce that reality. Hideko had never been much for great power politics, but she could appreciate that a village that appeared to be weak might be taken advantage of. She could only hope that today was the day that all the scheming shinobi of the world had decided to take a break. But she couldn't imagine a world where that was the case. She knew that if her father numbered among the Leaf's enemies, he would have taken this opportunity to attack and gain 'glory' for the Hyūga....and to a lesser extent the village. She wondered for a moment if the village shouldn't focus on actually regaining strength rather than putting on a show.
The one thing Hideko could look forward to was witnessing the performance of her students. It had been a year since they had been given to her, and now was the time to see if she was doing her job right. Her greatest concern was one Hana Sasaki. The Sasaki family was a wealthy clan with pretensions to nobility, which was something Hideko was more than familiar with. The unfortunate truth was that Hana was not much of a shinobi. In spite of having a whole year with her, Hideko had yet to see any real development from the girl. Hideko was not someone to give up on her student so easily, but she had to admit she harbored doubts about her ability to perform in the exams. However, Hana kept on smiling in the face of all this failure, which was perhaps one strength she could lay claim to.
Then there was Mizuno. It was something of a shock to Hideko to find out the two of them were actually related, if perhaps only legally. Hideko had not heard of his existence until recently, having spent so long isolated from her family, but it seemed he was the child of her father's second wife. His lack of Hyūga features suggested he was not actually her father's biological son, but Hideko couldn't help but think of him as her half-brother in spite of that. In spite of being outcast from the Hyūga clan, he had grown to be quite the arrogant child. Hideko wondered if, had he been a legitimate son, he wouldn't have fit in quite well with his family. Regardless, he was a perfectly talented shinobi, and Hideko felt it was all too possible he might make Chunin. Only time would tell.
Makoto was Orumasu, though Hideko would never say it aloud, perhaps her least favorite student. When the team was still fresh, Makoto was highly manipulative and all too smug. Hideko had to admit she had tested her patience many times. But while she could be quite testing, she was strangely dedicated to the team, and had managed just fine up till now. Perhaps the best way to put it was that Hideko did not fully understand Makoto, though it was more than likely that she did not fully understand any member of the team just yet. Much like Mizuno, Hideko felt that Makoto had a good chance of success in this year's exams.
Thoughts of who would do well and who wouldn't would have to wait as Hana piped up. Once again she was covered in bruises and cuts. Hideko didn't need the Byakugan to tell there was something wrong here, but Hana had never spoken of whatever was going on with her. Hideko had considered prying into it, but half of her still thought it was best not to stick her nose into Hana's life. "At ease, Hana; use the day as you see fit." She told her. "That goes for all of you." Effectively she had given them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. Hideko wouldn't have minded giving them extra training, but she figured she would leave it to their volition to choose whether to relax or get the most out of the day. She had a feeling they were all likely to go off and do their own thing, however. Hideko for one was going to relax at home if she wasn't needed.
@JustJazzy @CaughtInTheRiddle @PewpewLaser
Team 3
Today was a day for festivities, but Hideko did not feel festive today. There was so much riding on this year's examinations that it was impossible for her to forget that much. The Hokage's words only served to reinforce that reality. Hideko had never been much for great power politics, but she could appreciate that a village that appeared to be weak might be taken advantage of. She could only hope that today was the day that all the scheming shinobi of the world had decided to take a break. But she couldn't imagine a world where that was the case. She knew that if her father numbered among the Leaf's enemies, he would have taken this opportunity to attack and gain 'glory' for the Hyūga....and to a lesser extent the village. She wondered for a moment if the village shouldn't focus on actually regaining strength rather than putting on a show.
The one thing Hideko could look forward to was witnessing the performance of her students. It had been a year since they had been given to her, and now was the time to see if she was doing her job right. Her greatest concern was one Hana Sasaki. The Sasaki family was a wealthy clan with pretensions to nobility, which was something Hideko was more than familiar with. The unfortunate truth was that Hana was not much of a shinobi. In spite of having a whole year with her, Hideko had yet to see any real development from the girl. Hideko was not someone to give up on her student so easily, but she had to admit she harbored doubts about her ability to perform in the exams. However, Hana kept on smiling in the face of all this failure, which was perhaps one strength she could lay claim to.
Then there was Mizuno. It was something of a shock to Hideko to find out the two of them were actually related, if perhaps only legally. Hideko had not heard of his existence until recently, having spent so long isolated from her family, but it seemed he was the child of her father's second wife. His lack of Hyūga features suggested he was not actually her father's biological son, but Hideko couldn't help but think of him as her half-brother in spite of that. In spite of being outcast from the Hyūga clan, he had grown to be quite the arrogant child. Hideko wondered if, had he been a legitimate son, he wouldn't have fit in quite well with his family. Regardless, he was a perfectly talented shinobi, and Hideko felt it was all too possible he might make Chunin. Only time would tell.
Makoto was Orumasu, though Hideko would never say it aloud, perhaps her least favorite student. When the team was still fresh, Makoto was highly manipulative and all too smug. Hideko had to admit she had tested her patience many times. But while she could be quite testing, she was strangely dedicated to the team, and had managed just fine up till now. Perhaps the best way to put it was that Hideko did not fully understand Makoto, though it was more than likely that she did not fully understand any member of the team just yet. Much like Mizuno, Hideko felt that Makoto had a good chance of success in this year's exams.
Thoughts of who would do well and who wouldn't would have to wait as Hana piped up. Once again she was covered in bruises and cuts. Hideko didn't need the Byakugan to tell there was something wrong here, but Hana had never spoken of whatever was going on with her. Hideko had considered prying into it, but half of her still thought it was best not to stick her nose into Hana's life. "At ease, Hana; use the day as you see fit." She told her. "That goes for all of you." Effectively she had given them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. Hideko wouldn't have minded giving them extra training, but she figured she would leave it to their volition to choose whether to relax or get the most out of the day. She had a feeling they were all likely to go off and do their own thing, however. Hideko for one was going to relax at home if she wasn't needed.
@JustJazzy @CaughtInTheRiddle @PewpewLaser
PewpewLaser
Newly appointed soul-cleaving Ginger ´･ᴗ･`
Makoto Orumasu
Team three
If Makoto could show how often she thought of causing trouble for her teams sensei, Hideko Hyūga, people would need a lot of medical attention and a top-rate psychiatrist. Though of course Makoto couldn't carry out nearly any of her mental plans and enjoyed just feeling the temptation of it instead, being able to build up behind the scenes and watch her manic plans bloom in the opportune moments. Spectacular really.
She didn't really have anything against her sensei, or her team, or the people around her, she just happened to think of things others didn't want to. Makoto had never pushed her team into a situation they couldn't handle per-say, mostly because she actually deep, deep down, liked her team. Shocking isn't it. From all the nit-picks and little manipulative tugs, Makoto actually liked them.
Not like she would say it that way any time soon.
"Hideko Sensei! Not you too!" Makoto finally spoke out, rather breathlessly, as she put on a face of surprise as she sensed her sensei's need for a day of relaxation. Was no one going to have some fun? they were told to celebrate for once and they could only think of sitting down.
"We were given.. orders! Yes orders to have some festivities and you are going to abandon me to other competent teams and terrible wannabe students. Kill me now." She groaned out a little resentfully as she thought of having to listen to other students at the festivities go about their droll boring little day as if they actually knew something more then she did. But her raised emotions were quick to pass as she returned to her calm albeit very knowing attitude, like a cat that just caught the mouse, very simple, very plain but something else always seeming to lurk behind it.
"Is nobody going to join me on a stroll through the cheap vendors and vagabond civilians? I'd enjoy the company."
The thought crossed her mind of finding a person from another team to possibly tag-along with if her team decided to jump ship and scoot. It wasn't like she didn't know anyone else, she just didn't want to associate with them unless absolutely certain she couldn't get at least one person from her own team to pull along into some chaotic crisis or not terribly friendly game among the festival, really if they wanted to leave she wouldn't stop them, she was entirely fine on her own if she so pleased, but pushing limits was something Makoto always did. The situation just seemed like an absolute waste of opportunity.
@JustJazzy @CaughtInTheRiddle @Tarquin
NekoQueen49
女王の猫
With a grin, Kiko wrapped her arms around her two teammates. "Well, come on then, let's go get some food!" She cheered, leading them away. All of this talk of war was depressing. They could worry about that stuff later as substance was more important.
However, she was a little worried that Ashi's plan was a little... too much. She was worried that a Jonin was going too far. A prank is one thing, but Tsukiko knew that they were no match for a Jonin at their level. But instead of saying any of that, Tsukiko hid it behind her large friendly happy grin. Because they didn't have to worry about training. They could have fun like this instead.
@Hanarei @Pentagon
However, she was a little worried that Ashi's plan was a little... too much. She was worried that a Jonin was going too far. A prank is one thing, but Tsukiko knew that they were no match for a Jonin at their level. But instead of saying any of that, Tsukiko hid it behind her large friendly happy grin. Because they didn't have to worry about training. They could have fun like this instead.
@Hanarei @Pentagon
Pentagon
Newtype Magic
Jiro: Team 2
Jiro felt some trepidation as the Inazuka expressed her ambitious plan, but thought little of it. It wouldn't lead to permanent trouble, and perhaps it'd be a good learning experience for the hyperactive girl. Always look for silver linings, Jiro thought, especially in times of peace. With any luck, food would push the hare-brained idea of stealing from Jonin from the young woman's mind, and Jiro could enjoy his day in relative peace. It seemed to him like a commodity which would soon be unavailable; was it unreasonable for him to want to enjoy it while he could? He alighted on an answer of 'perhaps', and pushed the inquiry from his mind. Languid strides carried him in lock-step with Tsukiko. Them, and the embracing arm, of course. Jiro enjoyed the proximity, and he rested his hands in convenient pockets. He found himself humming an idle tune, and he stopped it before he embarrassed himself or his teammates. Idly, he cursed his hormones for the thoughts which filled his mind, but he swept them away manfully. He focused on his family, and on grilled squid, and on the possibilities for the chuunin exam. He resolved to ask his superiors for examples of their own exams, or to find information at the library. If there was a pattern to be found, besides the final round of eight solo fights, he would find it. Find it, and give it to his team, of course.
He let himself be walked from the room, and towards the promise of food, a small smile on his face.
Jiro felt some trepidation as the Inazuka expressed her ambitious plan, but thought little of it. It wouldn't lead to permanent trouble, and perhaps it'd be a good learning experience for the hyperactive girl. Always look for silver linings, Jiro thought, especially in times of peace. With any luck, food would push the hare-brained idea of stealing from Jonin from the young woman's mind, and Jiro could enjoy his day in relative peace. It seemed to him like a commodity which would soon be unavailable; was it unreasonable for him to want to enjoy it while he could? He alighted on an answer of 'perhaps', and pushed the inquiry from his mind. Languid strides carried him in lock-step with Tsukiko. Them, and the embracing arm, of course. Jiro enjoyed the proximity, and he rested his hands in convenient pockets. He found himself humming an idle tune, and he stopped it before he embarrassed himself or his teammates. Idly, he cursed his hormones for the thoughts which filled his mind, but he swept them away manfully. He focused on his family, and on grilled squid, and on the possibilities for the chuunin exam. He resolved to ask his superiors for examples of their own exams, or to find information at the library. If there was a pattern to be found, besides the final round of eight solo fights, he would find it. Find it, and give it to his team, of course.
He let himself be walked from the room, and towards the promise of food, a small smile on his face.
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JustJazzy
Old soul
no slide
no slide
Mizuno had always hated listening to speeches. On any other day he might've even gone as far vocalize his disdain to one of his teammates, such as Hana for instance. Watching her writhe with evident uncomfortableness would've been a fine way to start off the day. Speaking of Hana, however, Mizuno could tell something was up with the girl behind her usual smile. There were just certain things you could tell about people after spending this much time together. He vowed to inquire of her mental condition at a later time, as the Hokage hadn't yet finished his intonation. The darker connotations of the Hokage's usually schooled facial expressions as well as his tone was enough to let Mizuno know that listening intently would be best for all parties involved.
When the words had finished being uttered Mizuno was quiet briefly, storing up certain bits of the speech in his head for further analyzation at a later time. Hana's words flitted past his ears, Mizuno angling his lithe form to face his two female teammates, in order to catch his more unpredictable teammate's stream of thought. Although he wouldn't vocalize his agreement of Makoto's words, his inclination was evident on his face. It was a common thing for Hana to return from home with these kinds of wounds, and Mizuno was in no hurry for his teammate to return to whatever conditions she faced there whether training or.. worse. Not that it was his business anyway.
Hideko-sensei's words hit the open air and Mizuno was pulled from his thoughts to entertain his teacher's release statement. Relaxing visibly - they'd had the leash removed, why not have some freetime? - Mizuno stole a glance at his teacher, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. And quickly regretted it. He still, even after a year of training, wasn't used to the Hyuga eyes being directed at him so kindly. The fact that she was practically his half-sister - his "father's" spawn wasn't lost on him either. But she was nice enough so Mizuno put some effort in separating his sensei from the hatred he held for the father they.. Sort of shared, for the sake of his mental state at least.
Heading onto more positive subjects, such a namely this free-time they'd been granted, Mizuno pondered on spending it on training rather then the fun that had been suggested. But that would just be so.. Boring, and if he didn't have it by now he never would. Makoto words touched his ears once again, and Mizuno glanced up, deciding now was a good time to exit his thoughts in favor of some sparring with his more unpredictable team-mate.
"Sure I'll join you Makoto. Why not - right? I mean there's really nothing better I could be doing with my day then walking through a smelly civilian-fit market place," the dryness accompanied by the way the words were dead-pained should've been disconcerting, to say the least. Pausing for a moment to adjust his head-band, Mizuno continued the flow of words. "that is if Hana joins us. I'm even willing to pay for whatever we choose to eat."
Added hastily - "that is if we stay within the price range of 2 yen and you guys handle the tips."
Nada
50/50
Suzume Saionji
Team 4
Suzume listened to the Hokage's speech patiently and attentively. She liked the idea that the Chunin Exams brought the nations together, but she was less pleased by all this talk of "strength" and "success". She understooed the concept of showing strength to scare off enemies, but she couldn't help but feel like it was a bad line of thinking to take into the exams. Trying to defeat and shame their opponents would likely make them resent the village, which would make them inclined to act disfavorably towards the Leaf in future. Suzume hoped that the combat section of the exams could be handled with tact, more like a friendly competition than a hostile one. She fully intended to try her best to succeed during the exams, but she didn't want to do so just so she could win, and she definitely didn't want to go to lengths to make herself look strong. If push came to shove, Suzume hoped she could disarm her opponents rather than hurt them.
When the Hokage's speech ended, Suzume turned to her team and said, "What's the plan, everyone?" She could come up with her own ideas, but she wanted everyone else to give theirs first. She was sure Hiro would come up with something amusing. Something weird, probably unhealthily involving knives, but amusing!
@Ganryu @PewpewLaser
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Ganryu
Your Lovable Jackass GM
Hiro Uemura
Hiro listened to the speeching while predictably playing with kunai, constantly flipping them as he listened to the Hokage.
Prove strength? Check. Wealth? Eh, he had enough. If he was a chunnin, he'd make more. So check. Weakness? Nope.
Hiro seemed extremely distracted as his eyes wondered around the room. He didn't see the Hokage talking as a big enough reason to stop his 'training'. Especially something so important, with so many ninja gathered. His 'training' was watching everyone's reaction as the speech went on, amused at how many people seemed uncomfortable. Hiro didn't see what the big deal was. Do good, was it that hard? The Hokage thought they were up to snuff.
His attention did turn to Suzume as she talked to him, the first one to really get it.
"Hehe. Plan? I find another team, drop 3 kunai, and go home. Maybe if they are strong, 4. I'm everybody's H[e]ro. I'm the best there is! You can handle all the smart stuff, all I need, is someone to stalk. Watching people is fun."
With that, he turned to their sensei.
"Hey, Bokuto, how long did the Chunnin exams take for you? You must have breezed through them, right? Me and Suzume gotta have a goal."
@PewpewLaser @Nada
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PewpewLaser
Newly appointed soul-cleaving Ginger ´･ᴗ･`
Makoto Orumasu
Team three
Makoto dropped a little bit of her previous antics as she swiveled her head to look to Mizuno when she saw him start to listen and lean towards their current conversation, eye slightly narrowed but a smile on her face.
"Welcome back to the living Mizuno, you were droning during the speech. Bored too?" She inquired in a jesting manner, giving a light laugh even though she knew he had been paying attention to everything that had been said, she could even go so far as say he was probably still going over the information in his head, she knew she was doing the same thing herself, so why not? But what they were thinking and doing at the time where too complete opposites at the moment. Ah, multitasking at it one of its finest, well one of its finest at least.
She debated whether to continue prodding at her male teammates thoughts and demeanor, but she stopped herself in time as he started to speak up, not concerned in the least with his dry tone, saying he would join in on the festivities with her among the humdrum lives of other lesser people, even thinking about how utterly boring their life must be made her feel, angry? confused? Somewhere in her she was sure she felt utterly sorry for them, but really, wouldn't anyone be with how absolutely dull others lives were at times.
Her thoughts broke when Mizuno continued speaking, mentioning having Hana along with them as well as pay for food. She wasn't sure how she liked the idea of having Hana along, more then likely her female teammate would probably disagree with Makoto's way of having some fun, which was a downer in itself- But she liked the latter idea.
Food, depending on what kind of course, was always something Makoto could enjoy despite the company that came with it. "Whatever we choose to eat, You sure about that Mizuno? There's a lot of strange foods vendors bring in for festivals like this." Crossing her arms she looked between each of her team members rather quickly, giving a Cheshire grin. Unfortunately, the grin was dropped dramatically fast at Mizuno's sudden add on to his speech. "Two yen! That's enough to pay for a half of a bite of food you scoundrel! Might as well not eat at all, give tips anyway and call it charity!" She huffed indignantly, who in there right mind would do that kind of thing, it was such a cheat move. A good cheat move, but a cheat move nonetheless!
Bokuto Aburashi
Team Four- Sensei
Bokuto had stood in the background during the entire speech, hands placed behind his back and eyes set on the Hokage as he spoke. Being a Jonin among all of the students he wondered what was going through their heads, the lingering tone of power, but undeniable dread, from the villages kage's speech left a check in him as he was sure that it did to the people around him as well.
There were times he wished that he didn't have to deal with being an adult in times like this, knowing the reasoning behind such a speech, such a monumental decision of hosting the exams, but at the same time it was his self-appointed job to be someone others could see forging ahead despite of the chaos. And for the sake of the genin around him, his own students not but a foot away, he made the choice to swallow his haunting feelings to put on a good face. Morale could mean everything in a situation like this.
Shifting his hat to its proper place he watched the Hokage leave and managed a pleasant smile as the genin started to interact in both positive and negative ways. Hopefully the festivities would lift a little of the people's spirit in time for the chunnin exams- and also give him some time to think things through properly, because heaven knew he needed some more time alright. He was starting to feel a little like someone gave him a double-espresso with how much he was trying to get himself mentally hyped for things to come.
To distract himself from his own cornering mind, he looked to his students. He was glad, in ways, that he was their sensei. He had certainly learned a thing or two himself from being around them- more patience and commitment being some of a few. And he had learned how to dodge knives better, that was definite.
But they were a good team, he wouldn't deny that they had improved in both ability and teamwork and he didn't doubt they would do well in the testing.
Bokuto blinked out of his internal droning as Suzume spoke up and got straight to the point, she was a sweet girl, but when it came down to it Bokuto knew she wouldn't fool around until she had an idea of how to do things with minor to no injury to her opponents, something he admired but worried about sometimes.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. A plan? They'd have to discuss that among themselves, that was their job as a team. With that in mind he let Hiro answer her, and to say his reply was both amusing and concerning at the same time was an understatement. The boy always had a way of making Bokuto worry and laugh in the same moment, and though he had gotten used to it by now, it sometimes caught him off guard. "Put three in 'em you say? You might want to evaluate their abilities before you decide to stick them first Hiro." Bokuto wasn't going to tell him he was wrong, since he probably had a way of going about it already floating through his head, and he wasn't going to begin on Hiro's tendency to watch people. He didn't have time to correct him about it either since Hiro went straight into asking him a question.
" The exams didn't take too long for me. I had a good team and we worked well together, we listened to each other and watched each others back. As the leader of our team I had to make sure we got through safely, and quickly. So I suppose you could say we breezed through it. " He paused as he thought back to his exams, crossing his arms in a comfortable manner. " The only goal you will need is to make sure you depend on each other. You were put on a team for a reason, there is near nothing you can't accomplish if you think as a team and be willing to maneuver around each others abilities, a'right?"
Nada
50/50
Suzume Saionji
Team 4
Suzume knew the answer would involve knives, and so it happened that Hiro claimed he would win with just 3 or 4 of them. "Hehe, yes, you're the best, Hiro." Suzume tended to play along with his quirky behavior. Although she did like him as a teammate, she had to admit she didn't actually think he was the best. But she wasn't about to burst his buble for no good reason. Their Sensei, Bokuto, was the group's voice of reason. He both cautinoed Hiro and offered them some sound advice. Teamwork was a crucial part of being a team afterall. "I'm sure we'll all do our best, Sensei!" She told him. But she did have her doubts that Hiro would listen to her. She had a bad feeling he would spend his time grandstanding in front of the other teams. Maybe she would just have to go ahead and use her voice to keep everything under control.
"But I was wondering how we would use the rest of the day too. Anyone have any ideas?" Once again, she preferred to let others voice their own opinions before giving hers.
@Ganryu @PewpewLaser
