Private/Closed Minato's Survival: A New Naruto AU RP

[Stadium]

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground
Akumo followed their individual reactions and which way they used to get out of the introductory attack. All three used cover, and were keeping their senses peeled for another attack. Their choices made a certain amount of sense. "Staying in place can be dangerous as the enemies encircle your positions and launches multiple attacks." The aged ninja didn't attempt to hide his gestures this time as he released the another series of traps on his genin. A demonstration rather than a real attempt, meaning none of them should any issue dodging the kunai.

"Even if they miss, an attack's primary purpose can be to draw one of your allies away from the others." This time one of the seals released, burning up within a second after catching. The earth quaked as a wall rose between the ninja. One on one side, two on the other. Several trees toppled and fell over. Either Akumo had predicted which path they would take or mined the entire place and simply chose which trap were more convenient in the moment.

The old man chuckle resembled the quaking ground from earlier. "Continuous movement and staying close enough to lend support to each other is key for any infiltrating ninja team. Mission specifics will differ and you will be forced to make judgments about priorities while in the field..." Akumo pause hung in the air for, "even taking a step back if it means gaining a more advantageous position can be ideal. Lesson is over for the moment, if you'd like to take five minutes. Use it well enough and they won't be wasted in your attempt to reach the mountain peak."


Miko Rinha – Maze
Miko followed her teammates based on the sounds of their footsteps while neither were speaking. She couldn't see anything so stumbled on the occasional rough patch.

But, having an idea, she caught up with them, and fumbled for a moment before she found and tugged on their clothing. The girl had less issue as she rooted through her upper arm satchels. In the palm of her hands lay an uneven number of silver bells. Would help her tell the difference between them as they walked. Used together with senbon, they could disorient an opponent, but here she had planned for them doing the opposite.

Although Clover was deaf, she hoped he would understand that she wanted him to split them with Toko. "Can hear you better... if you wear them. Don't think anyone else here will car–" The blind genin glanced in the direction where a woman was suddenly screaming for her life. "Not our... mission. But want to help."

 

[Shikowara]

(Ah-ha, we have made our way to page 2!)

The ground shook, making the tree Yoshi was in start to fall. She screamed, jumping off and landing on the ground.
Akumo chuckled. She looked at him. Was he laughing at them? He explained what they should have done, making Yoshi feel like an idiot. Was I really that stupid? Was it selfish to hide when I could've helped my teammates? I'm a bad person, aren't? I'm useless... She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, hanging her head. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry! But she started tearing up. I'm such a baby!
===================
Toko looked at the bells Miko held in her hand. She explained why she took them out. Toko took about half of them.
He heard a woman screaming and turned toward the sound immediately. Miko also heard it, saying she wanted to help. He wanted to tell her no because he wanted to stay on this mission they were given, but he couldn't. He was mute at the moment. He just hoped that she wouldn't run off or anything.

 

[Gamingfan]

Four-Leaf Clover
So far so good, Clover though as they walked. No threats have been sighted, though he wasn't sure if that was luck or not.
Sigh
A tug from behind brought him from his thoughts. Clover blinked at the bells before Toko grabbed a few, and he Ohhhhhh'd in understanding, muttering a small "sorry" as he grabbed a few of his own.
As he adjusted them, he noticed his team suddenly face the same direction. Did they hear something? Miko was looking expectantly, and he didn't see a sign of argument on Toko's side, so he motioned where they were looking.
"Lead the way."

Secret Uchiha
Zeren remained grinning, even though his Sensei's preaching was getting irritating. He expected to learn how to ninja, not how to be a chummy idiot! Of course, he didn't have time to respond, as the floor began shaking intensely. Zeren leapt sideways, dodging the the tree he was hiding behind before it landed on him.
Eventually all was quiet, and Zeren was left with a wall and a laughing sensei.
Zeren leaned on said wall, looking up it and thinking. Man, his Sensei was really into the whole "friendship" business.
"If the next lesson is doing a trust fall, I'm quitting." Zeren sighed.

 

[~Nilion~]

There was a long moment of awkward silence as no one did anything. Had they heard him correctly? Hit him?

“Yes, Sensei!”

Not wishing to appear cowardice; Sachi quickly slipped the simply made, wooden Bō Staff from his back. It was sanded to the point of being impossibly smooth, and had clearly been treated in some form of chemicals; increasing its durability while also darkening it’s natural color.

“Oh, Makoto...you should watch where you step. Don’t wanna fall and get hurt.”

After the small jab at his new ‘teammate’ in an effort to relieve the tension, Sachi charged forward, with his Bō Staff raised above his head for a downward strike.
Just a few feet before his staff was in reaching point, the young Mud-Nin quickly withdrew a kunai from his pouch and launched it towards Keito’s right shoulder to act as a distraction. After doing so, Sachi would swiftly spin on his heel, shifting from a downward strike to a side-swipe, aimed for the back of Keito-Sensei’s knees.

 

[DarkHydraT]

Sorako looked down at Byukia's eyes before signing again. "Whilst I appreciate you talking in sign language, I am not mute. I only have dysphonia, which makes my voice unpleasant to listen to. I was unaware of the healing properties of the water, perhaps I should bring some on my next mission. Being prepared never hurt anyone. Where's your team? I was informed by Hokage-sama that you are teaching a Genin team this year, I assume that they are in this maze?"

After asking Byukai the question, Sorako's eyes locked on the maze. It was a nasty piece of work, but it would definitely make their teamwork better. If only someone was willing to go that length with her, but most people were turned away by her usage of sign language and silence.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Hisato gato...~

"Hahahahahahhahahahahaa!!! Bring it on nature!! I'll kick your ass too!" Hisato said stomping on the dirt beneath his feet. He looked over at Akumo with a bewildered expression before running to his team mates. Hisato looked at Yoshi and figured something was amiss, "Yoshi! Wake up! You got this! Your on the best team in all Konoha" Hisato paused as he saw the wall rise. He looked back at Yoshi and held fist out, "Let's show Fossil Sensei why were the best genin in Konoha" Hisato said with a grin.

Hisato was concerned about the wall that rose, but in the back of his mind he kinda already knew it was likely the least of his concerns. If team 12 golden, baby was gonna succeed, it would need to be at full strength.

~Byukia Katzuke...~

Byukia tilted her head and looked at Sorako with a puzzled expression. She smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "Thankyou for bringing this to my attention. If you ever need someone to communicate with, I'm all eyes and ears, and hands too! I know your not mute, but I like to keep my sign language from getting rusty. Your gonna do great!" Byukia said.

 

[Shikowara]

Chishima Toko - Maze

Lead the way?! Dude, we have to stay on-- Oh, whatever. Toko decided he was curious enough to actually go and look for who had screamed.
He started walking toward direction they originally stared at. Looking back to see if the Clover and Miko were following, specifically Miko.

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Grounds

She heard Hisato's words. Yoshi lifted her head and loosed her fists. Not caring about the wall that just came up, she looked from his eyes, which she now knew were pale blue, to his fist. She let out a weak chuckle and pumped her fist out as well. "We're golden, baby." She wiped her eyes with her other small hand.
She felt somewhat ridiculous because of how fast she changes emotions. It felt unrealistic and unnecessary. She tried to keep her thoughts positive.

 

[Stadium]

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground
Akumo paused, deciding to interfer as Hisato comforted Yoshi. Even if the action recieved his silent approval. Being brash and impulsive, didn't mean you didn't have the qualities of a good team leader as well. Though it was too early to tell.

He did snort, amused, however, at Zeren's comments. "Such a useless bonding technique." Blood, sweat, and tears built lasting relationships. And while friendships certainly made things easier, Akumo wanted to create a familial bond between the genin. Family you could violently argue with, share few interests, yet still be there when needed without complaint. That was the first Hokage's Will of Fire. "But I suspect before the day is ov–."

A wolf howled in the distance. Soon joined by a second. A third. A fourth. Each were coming from slighly different directions as if they were setting up an ambush. "Hooh...," Akumo seemed entierly unconcerned behind his red cowl as he schemed the potential death of his students, "we've kept the wolves in this training ground underfed. But their hungry has made them desperate. Outrun them, scare them away, or kill them. So long as you keep moving."

Miko Rinha – Maze
Following was easier now with the bells chiming every so often. Not perfect by far as sharp turns left her momentarily confused and disorganized. Miko continually brushed away broken sticks and leaves from her white and blue outfit. While having her sight taken away hadn't made her remaining senses sharper, it allowed her to focus on them more. Plants, probably allowed to grow nearly completely wild by Byuki, were filling her nostirls with their mixed scents. And, although muffled by the walls, she could still hear the water fall somewhere in the distance.

"Can't hear her voice. Maybe... Byuki sensei saved her." She sounded hopeful, but they couldn't be certain.

 

[Shikowara]

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Grounds
"Oh, come on!" Yoshi said as she heard the wolves. "Wait...under...fed? Are you insane?!" She turned to Akumo. "Feed them, dang it! They're going to kill us! Do you want us to die?!" She exclaimed, looked distressed. "Because it sounds like you do!"

Chishima Toko - Maze
"Mm," was all that came out of his mouth in reply. He was unable to hear her as well. He turned around and realized he hadn't been keeping track of where they were going. Aw, great.

 

[Pinch]

Ignoring Sachi's remark, Makoto quickly jumped back toward the bushes and activated his dojutsu. Despite Sachi's attempt at angering him, he needed to keep a level head here, he'd deal with him later, he told himself. Although it did make him slightly uneasy about where he was stepping.

"Black Mist Technique."

As Makoto lay in the bushes, he quickly activated one of his Genjutsu following Sachi's attack on Keito, as he attempted to cloud his vision in a dark mist.

"If this is successful, I can distract him using my chakra ghosts and go in for the hit."

All Makoto could do at this point was lie in wait and hope he was successful as he waited for Keito-sensei's reaction.

 

[EnviousWorm]

'That's good,' Keito thought to himself, 'They didn't hesitate.'

Not surprising, for a group of genin that seemed so ready to get down in the dirt. Even less surprising were his team's opening gambits. Of course Sachi charged on ahead; Keito had given them minutes to prepare, but maybe that instruction hadn't registered. He'd have to keep an eye on the Aburame girl's insects -- just based on their size alone, a shinobi could lose sight of even a small group or two if their attention had to be diverted elsewhere. But if he could stave off those insects and handle the other two, Keito imagined Shin wouldn't be a problem. And that Makoto...Konoha's Genjutsu Jonin would have to see just how good that boy's own genjutsu could be.

The Mud Release genin rushed forward, shifting one hand from his staff to grab a kunai. Without hesitation, Sachi hurled the kunai at Keito's right shoulder, instantly following the projectile attack by swinging his staff - from the left - at the back of Keito's knees. A nifty move, though the jonin could tell the boy needed some work.

Moving his right shoulder out of the way at the last moment to avoid the kunai, Keito levied his backward momentum into a full backflip, spinning away just before Sachi's bo-staff could connect with the back of the jonin's knees. But even as he landed on his feet, Keito felt his vision turn dark, hazy -- like a Kirigakure Silent Mist technique, though something felt off about the black mist that started to fill his vision. It wasn't just his sight that was obscured; it felt more like a mental blocking than anything else.

'For a genin,' Keito admitted to himself, 'I can't say I'm not impressed.'

Keito dropped to one knee, pulling his wazikashi from its sheath hidden under his coat, and started looking around furiously in all directions like a child lost in the market.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

Hisato grinned, "That's right. Team 12 is golden, baby!" Hisato cheered. Soon enough Akumo Sensei came over and started talking, but was interrupted by howling. One, two, three... no four howls!

"Wolves..." Hisato muttered.

Hisato was surprised to hear the wolves were starved. Regular wolves seemed like they'd be just fine, but starving wolves? Unusual and kinda cruel.

"Can we even outrun desperate starving wolves? Fighting seems inevitable if we're gonna avoid them without conflict, we need distance, trees to climb... We should have a battle plan... One wolf per person. Wolves are sneaky little mongrels that'll bite you in the back so don't look away from them! We should also stay close so we aren't seperated" Hisato said.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Hmm." Sorako hummed as she looked at the maze, not paying Byukia a lot of attention. Flexing her fingers, she turned to the Jonin she was supposed to serve under for the next three months. "What's the estimated time for this exercise? Let's say it's been an hour, when should we enter and make sure they are not dead from chakra depletion? Three dead genin during a training exercise won't be a flattering addition on your ninja file, would it? How are we going to make sure that these children are going to be okay? You did have a fail-safe in place, right Katzuke-san?"

Sorako wasted no time in tearing apart the exercise and the preperation that Byukai had gone through. If she was here to learn, she was not going to pull any punches in her interrogation. Katzuke Byukai seemed like a kind soul, but her strength was still unknown. The only benchmark that Sorako had was her Jonin rank, and that didn't say a lot.

 

[=Nightshade=]

All Keito-Sensei had done so far was dodge, which didn’t give Shin much material for observation. So the guy could do a backflip, so could she. That wasn’t necessarily a Jonin-specific technique. His hand was on his sword now, so at least she knew he wasn't just going to dodge the whole time… theoretically.

As the black mist genjutsu fell to cloud Keito-Sensei’s vision, Shin stretched an arm forwards, causing insects to burst from her skin and fly towards the Jonin. They flew clustered in a large, fairly loud group before it branched off into two groups that flew circles around Keito-Sensei’s head. She figured she likely wouldn’t be able to hit him this early in the game—not that she wasn’t going to try to sneak a few kikai past his defenses, mind you—but with the mist clouding Keito-Sensei’s sight and the insects’ buzzing around him, Sachi might have an opening…

 

[~Nilion~]

Sachi quickly regained his footing, as hitting dead air with his attack had caused him to overstep.
After taking a moment to locate his Sensei once more, the Mud-Nin instantly knew what was going on- Makoto had activated his ‘Black Mist Technique’.
It was a move Sachi had seen a few times; usually when they’re little arguments got a bit hairier than usual. Sachi had never been much a Genjutsu expert, and this was no exception. To date, he hadn’t found solid way to see through the move. Sure, he’d gotten a lot better at avoiding it, but he still couldn’t quite counter it.

“Impressive, Makoto. I admit.”

It appeared even Keito-Sensei had been briefly thrown off by the little move; a feat in-of-itself.
Sachi knew he couldnt waste the opportunity, quickly withdrawing a shuriken from his pouch as he quietly approached Keito-Sensei from behind.
He aimed low this time; launching the shuriken so it would graze the earth to the right of Keito-Sensei’s feet. Sachi would then use this brief moment of distraction to bank-in from the left and go for a heavy strike.

“Best chance I've got!”

As the shuriken struck the earth to the right of Keito-Sensei, Sachi entered melee range from the left. The dust-coated warrior reeled his staff back and planted his right foot to halt his forward momentum. He followed this up by quickly pivoting at the waist; driving his residual speed into the head of the staff, which was sent careening towards Keito-Sensei’s left arm in the form of a high-speed side-swipe.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Ugokasenai Keito - Riverbank Training Ground

'Yes, yes, just a little bit more everybody," Keito thought with quiet confidence; his students were acting smart, if not as a team -- but that didn't mean he was on the ropes as easily as they might expect. In spite of his obstructed sight, his ears worked great, his reaction time not altered. Shin's kikaichu buzzing around his head proved to be an added difficulty, however.

A shuriken planted itself in the ground to his right; intuitively, Keito twisted his body around to the left, allowing him to parry Sachi's swinging bo-staff with the blade of his wazikashi. Holding for a moment, Keito chose to address his student directly.

"Your instincts are correct, but you didn't execute correctly" The Worm Sage advised; Sachi would be able to see that his sensei's eyes were closed, "Your shuriken might have hit me, had you aimed for me; your teammate's bugs buzzing in my ear, genjutsu messing with my eyes. But then the shuriken on my right, alerted me to an attack on my left. To put it simply: never aim to miss, or merely to clip a body part. When you aim center mass, you force them to move. If you've observed your opponent, you'll know which side they favor. And if you know that, you can influence them in whatever direction you please. Then they've not only got to dodge your first attack, but anticipate, react and dodge a second. Got it?"

Finished with his lesson, Keito reached out with his left leg, trying to kick off of Sachi's chest -- although he couldn't see, exactly, where Sachi's chest was, the jonin attempted to guess its location just off of the positioning of his bo-staff. The kick would send Sachi flying into the river, while the Worm Sage would use the shared momentum for another flip, this time to face in the direction he'd seen Makoto retreat before casting that dojutsu.

As Shin observed the brief interaction between sensei and teammate, she'd notice the few kikai she'd sent in to plant themselves on Keito land, immediately starting to absorb chakra -- an Aburame's first step to a victorious fight.

Makoto - given the sense that his sensei was affected by the genjutsu, if not immobilized by it - would feel the timing right to unleash his chakra ghost technique.

@Nilion @=Nightshade= @Pinch

 

[Gamingfan]

Secret Uchiha
Zeren looked each way a howl came from. Oh great, wolves? He didn't understand how fighting off feral animals would deepen their relationship, but it's not like he had time to argue.
With the wall in his way, it wasn't like Zeren could help his teammates or vice-versa, so he simply called out.
"Don't be so pessimistic you two. Just keep a distance and don't die. Seriously, I'll kill you if you ruin this for me."
With that, Zeren proceeded to make some hand signs, at a somewhat slower pace since he needed to add more chakra to deal with the ferocity of hangry dogs. Despite his earlier words, he didn't feel right killing the wolves just for not being fed, so he decided he should simply immobilize them, then dip. Luckily, he had just the right jutsu.
Of course, that was assuming he could take more than one wolf at a time, but whatever happens, happens.

Four-Leaf Clover
Despite coming to a stop, Clover didn't see any sign of knowing or certainty from his teammates. He blinked in confusion. Clover didn't expect bring unable to hear to be so detrimental. He felt completely locked out of the loop. Still, he shouldn't get discouraged. At least they probably knew something he didn't by now.
" So...now what? Any ideas?" He asked, hoping they could at least gesture to communicate.

 

[Stadium]

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground
The wall was short, and with broken roots and uneven rocks pointing out, easy enough to climb over or circle with only a little investment in terms of time.

Hearing the accusation coming from Yoshi, the large ninja turned toward the genin. "No." The answer to her question was short. He walked over to her, kneeling one knee beside her and Hisato. "I expect you to survive. By working together to solve this and other issues that arise when trying to complete a mission. In the field, the wolves will be ninken like the dogs used by our Inuzuka clan and others, bandits, or even enemy ninja sent to hunt you down by a rival village. Today is to see how you perform under similar pressure so I can better train all of you." He turned his cowled face toward Hisato next. "Hoooh...," his eyes gleamed, "wolves are quite poor at climbing. Good, take advantage of the enemy's weakness." He rose.

That only left his traps for as long as they traveled among the treetops, but they had shown skill enough to dodge them. Not that they had encountered the worst yet, and by paying careful attention never would. This was meant to be as difficult as they made it. Travelling to the mountain took time, and focused attention was mentally tiring. Even the most perceptive of them would fail if they tried to do everything at once.

Akumo joined Zeren next. He could sense the gathering chakra, not to any greater extent but felt its tendrils gathering around the genin. He was preparing for combat. "Your hand seals are precise. Impressive." There was no need to hurry yet, so being careful about their jutsu couldn't hurt.

Another set of howls showed how much closer the wolves had reached. The time they had to make decision about their approach was about to soon be cut short.


Miko Rinha – Maze
Oh, right. Clover couldn't hear as they discussed the screaming woman.

Miko reached up with her hands as she mouthed a shout for help. She lolled her head with her tongue hanging outside her mouth. For usually speaking with such a flat voice, her facial expressions were quite expressive. Then she pointed at where she roughly guessed where the three of them were supposed to stand before turning her finger straight into one of the maze's walls. She was quite insistent they were supposed to walk into it. Although Rinha probably meant to continue forward.

 

[Shikowara]

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Grounds
"If you kill me, you're going down with me." She said to Zeren, not in the happiest mood.
She wanted to kick Akumo-sensei's leg as he kneeled down next to her and Hisato. But as he spoke, she calmed down a bit. She had a love-hate relationship with her quickly changing emotions.

As the wolves grew closer, their howls louder, Yoshi thought of something. "Hide in the trees and jump 'em when they get over here?"

Chishima Toko - Maze
Toko just watched Miko as she tried to explain to Clover what they were doing.
He wasn't sure what to do. He just wanted to get back to getting out of here. He sighed through his nose, looking around. He kinda just wanted to leave them and find his own way out. He'd probably activate one of the traps and not be able to escape ot call for help, so he'd be stuck there.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

Byukia began humming too while trying to match pitch with Sorako. Byukia was now sitting on her staff again. Byukia was fixated on a cherry blossom petal floating in front of her. She turned and looked at Sorako, "Have faith, friend. At their level, I suspect it will take them four hours at most. Three if they get really lucky. Plus at their level it would likely take five hours to kill them" Byukia said in an emotionless deadpan tone.

She silently watched the exit. Byukia's friendly gentle smile reappeared "I have hope for them Sorako-kun" Byukia said in her usual soft tone. Byukia was curious if some of her non-lethal traps would get set off.

~Hisato Gato...~

Hisato reached for the top of his shoulder blade and the skin on his shoulder stretched as he pulled a bone out his shoulder. Hisato now had a blade sticking out his arm and a blade in his hand. Twice the cutting power. "Nobody is dying until this mission is over! We need to focus on the wolves" Hisato yelled. Hisato ran near the trees. He could run up the trees at a moments notice or counter strike when the wolves come. Hisato main concern was the wolves and helping his team given the opportunity. Hisato began thinking of ways team 12 could combine their strength to be extra effective at taking the wolves down.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"So after four hours, we should check from above. I would like to consider myself capable of aerial reconnaissance, with or without external aid." Sorako signed, her feet beneath her shoulders as she looked at the petal. It was a pretty little thing, but the cherry blossom was notorious for its short lifespan. Not unlike some of her former classmates, who tragically became another statistic of Konoha's shinobi registration. It was not unheard of for shinobi to die young, but it still stung when that person was close to you. Letting out a sigh, Sorako turned to the maze. May you all live to see your children grow up.

It was an odd wish, especially given that some people don't want children or can't get them, but it was more likely to occur than dying of old age. Turning to Byukia, she asked a silent question. "How long have you been an active shinobi?"

 

[~Nilion~]

Instinctually, Sachi wanted to immediately retreat. Instead, he hesitated for a moment, listening to what Keito-Sensei had to say. Before having much of a chance to form a response, the young Ninja was roughly shoved back by the sudden impact of feet on his chest.

“Wha-“

Sachi was almost immediately greeted by the sensation of weightlessness as Keito-Sensei pressed off his chest, causing him to be roughly knocked backwards towards the water. But thanks to Sachi’s above average size and slightly beefy build, he weighed a decent bit more than your standard, scrawny twelve-year old. Because of this, the partially incapacitated Keito-Sensei’s kick didn’t provide as much air as he’d probably wanted it to.

“So fast!”

Whilst violently stumbling backwards, the Mud-Nin swiftly jammed his staff into earth behind himself; preventing him from toppling over right into the river. Upon glancing over his shoulder, it became apparent to the Bōjutsu user that if he’d taken just one more step, his Bō Staff would’ve went right in the water.

“This your way of trying to make me take a bath?”

 

[Pinch]

Seeing that his Genjutsu had a clear effect on Keito, Makoto felt the time was right to activate his signature technique. If he could pull off the plan he had in mind, he'd be able to end the fight pretty quickly.

"Alright, Chakra Ghost Technique!"

As soon as Makoto had cast his Genjutsu, creating about three chakra ghosts within the vicinity of the black mist, he quickly unsheathed his Kusarigama's and leapt out of the bushes. He knew Sachi was already fighting with the Jonin, keeping him busy, so the plan was to simply take him by surprise using his Genjutsu and then hopefully strike him from a distance using his weapons.

Now within striking distance of Keito, about one meter, Makoto swung his Kusarigama one after the other at him. One sideways slash toward the Jonin's feet using his left one, and another downward swing closer to his back with his right.

 

[Shikowara]

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Grounds
So we are doing my plan. Okay, then. She quickly followed Hisato. She always thought his Kekkei Genki was super cool. A little disturbing, but still cool.
She took out a couple kunai and waited for Hisato to say when or just for him to start moving. She could just attack on her own accord but she wasn't the best at timings.

 

[Gamingfan]

Secret Uchiha
As the genjin had his jutsu prepared, he turned to look at the wall behind him, taking note of any footholds and way too pull himself up. Sure his hands were busy at the moment, but once he released the jutsu...
Well, he felt ready. Zeren already had a plan in mind, so he simply waited, darting his eyes to catch the sight of any fur.

Four-Leaf Clover
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Clover repeated as Miko gestured. He understood...more or less.
"I guess we're not solving anything just standing here." He glanced up at Toko, seeing how still and unresponsive he's been. "Toko, you got anything to say? Well...more like act out for me." he couldn't help joking.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Ugokasenai Keito - Riverbank Training Grounds

The jonin let out a small, frustrated sigh when he realized his kick had been a little off; but he also had to hand it to the young genin, for having the reaction time and concentration to essentially catch and steady himself flying through the air with the leverage of his staff and momentum of his body. In spite of Keito's imperfect kick, it was still a nice move for someone only twelve years old.

“This your way of trying to make me take a bath?” Sachi quipped, unphased.

"Somebody on this squad will have to-" Keito shot back with a smile, trying to find his young student through the thick, black haze, only to be cut short by the sudden appearance of three very odd forms of life; he could sense chakra like he might in humans, but like the haze these forms felt far from natural.

'Makoto must be making his move,' Keito thought to himself, trying to drown out the noise to find the signal; a new sound, unlike Shin's buzzing kikai, the flowing river or Sachi's running mouth and other movements -- the rustling of a bush, near where the boy had initially retreated to cast his first genjutsu.

Then the jonin heard the rattling of a pair of weapons, confirming to him that Makoto was on the attack. The genin's first attack, Keito hopped over, like he'd been expecting it. Keito prepared one hand to swing his wazikashi around to catch the second attack but - shockingly - the kusarigama blade sunk into the jonin's back. Sachi could see his new sensei's eyes growing wide in a surprise for a split-second. But then, a disarming smile, and:

Poof! A cloud of smoke enveloped his body, slowly dissipating to reveal that Makoto's blade had struck a thick, wooden log instead of the sensei's body. Keito had pulled one of the oldest tricks in the shinobi book; a classic that even the genin had in their repertoire, though its timing was quite tricky indeed.

"If these are the genin we have leading us into the future, Konoha is in good hands."" Keito said from high above, sounding a mix of impressed and worried, planted firmly on the large branch of a tree trunk on the edge of the riverbank, equidistant to both Sachi and Makoto. Calmly, the jonin formed the Tiger Seal with his hands, first disrupting the flow of chakra to his brain, before re-opening the floodgates in full force, "Release!"

With his sight returning from the Black Mist, the Chakra Ghosts receding as well, Keito said:

"Were I any other shinobi in the village, Makoto, and your genjutsu would have worked. But I don't think there is a soul in Konoha quite so proficient in genjutsu as I," The not-so-humble Worm Sage admitted with a shrug, "But in time, you'll have me. You'll all have me, I think. Individually, you're close as it is. Where I have age, experience, the prior knowledge a teacher is afforded of their students' abilities. The odds are quite stacked against you, no doubt, as they will be time and time again in our shinobi world. But you have your team. As a trio, your skills compliment each other perfectly, it seems. You didn't even have to communicate to be on the same page right from the jump. With a little bit of time and training, this will be the top unit in all the Leaf!"

Keito, unconvinced at his own reassurance performance, offered a thumbs-up to try and solidify his shaky attempt at mentorship.

"Now that you three know I'm a genjutsu specialist who possesses basic knowledge of your skills, and is capable of reliably dodging attacks from a single point of origin," He pointed out, trying to sound teacherly and live up to his Sage title, "What do you do to win? As a team?"

Throughout the exchange, Shin could feel her kikai digging in under her sensei's clothes to find the flesh. But when they got there, they found his flesh blockaded by a mesh-like armor of wriggling worms, each infusing their own chakra into Keito's. Even as the kikai tried to take hold and begin to siphon, To the young Aburame, she couldn't tell if her sensei truly didn't notice, or didn't care about the presence of her kikai.

@Pinch @Nilion @=Nightshade=

 

[Stadium]

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground
Seeing his genin make their various preparations, Akumo retreated out of the way of the inevitable melee. His hulking presence disappeared with the jonin, releasing a grip around the air. There was a minute for everyone to make final preparations when everything was silent, even the winds and the birds had stilled their songs. Then the howls returned, breaking the spell and the rustling fire returned to the leaves.

At first, all three could see grey shadows that retreated out of sight as soon as they spotted one of the genin. Even with their hunger apparent in their emaciated frames and patches of rough grey-white fur, the four legged hunters stalk slowly around the trees to encircle first the pair, then another group going for the lone Zeren appeared from the trees. Their golden eyes shone with their hungry. Curling their lips as they growled, it was possible to see the row of sharp fangs and pointed incisors. And with their prey aware and knowing they couldn't ambush, they were cautious about approach, choosing instead to try and unsettle the three kids.

They were five and three, double that of the howls they had heard. The five formed a wide circle around Hisato and Yoshi. While the tree fanned out to either side of Zeren, with one advancing straight on. That one showed little of the wear the others had suffered under their prolonged period of starvation.

Perhaps hoping to catch him off-guard with the frontal threat, or driven by the hunger, those to Zeren's sides leapt into actions. Broken branches, leaves, and vegetation was crunched under their leaping paws. Three broke away from the other group, their jaws hungrily snapping and yelping.

Miko Rinha – Maze
Miko cocked her sightless head, turning it toward Toko as if asking if he did. Otherwise she was prepared to continue on. Although not like she'd notice if they led her away. While the lasting silence from the woman irked her, she couldn't put her finger on it. If someone was fearing for their life they should be more... noisy. Her voice had also been strong enough for it. But she also couldn't be sure of the circumstances still she decided to voice her thought. "Anything weird about.. the scream?" Best she could do for Clover was enunciate the words slowly.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Hisato Gato...~

Hisato looked at Yoshi s who was armed with her kunai ready to strike. Then there was the wild card Zeren. Hisato wasn't sure what to tell Zeren. Soon Akumo Sensei disappeared. Hisato was soon confronted with wolves. Hisato put the blade in his off hand. He lunged out towards one of the wolves. His wrist blade extended towards the beast's mouth to prevent it from being able to bite Hisato. Hisato struck two legs on the right side of the beast. Another wolf was on the other side of him.

He used his momentum from the lunge to begin rolling. He used his wrist blade to keep the wolf's head away from him, and using his bone sword to cut the wolf's front legs. He then slapped the ground and swung both legs in the air in a rotational movement. He kicked both the wolves with his spinning kicks.

A third wolf was so close to him now. He continued spinning, but the third wolf hopped back. Hisato put the bone sword in his main hand. The wolf lunged forward and Hisato stuck his wrist bone in the wolf's mouth to prevent the thing from biting him. With Hisato's now empty off hand went in for a hay maker, smacking the wolf in the jaw. He threw a crescent kick hitting the wolf in the jaw to ensure the knockout.

"There's no telling how many wolves there are! We should really try advance up the mountain before too many show up!" Hisato said.

~Byukia Katzuke...~

"In four hours we go in and tell them they looooose" Byukia said. Byukia smiled before continuing to hum. She watched the exit of the maze cheerfully.

Byukia stopped humming when Sorako asked her a question. Byukia. She sat there quietly staring into the distance. Memories flooded her head.

~Classic naruto style flashback...~

Loud voice: Byukia!
Byukia: ...
Loud voice: Byukia!!
Byukia: ...
Loud voice: BYUKIAAAAA!!!
Byukia talking to a flower: Your so pretty...
Another voice: What the hell, Byukia? Talking to those stupid flowers again?
Byukia: Says the genin with the lowest test scores in the class...
Loud voice: Both of you stop it! We do this almost eeeevery morning...
Byukia and genin: Sorry sensei....
Sensei(Loud voice): *sigh* Your other teammate is already at the training area. Let's go ahead and head down there as well

~flashback ending...~

"I became a genin at the age of eleven... Became a chunin three years later... Eventually I'm promoted to jonin and here I am years after that... I've been an active shinobi for most of what I can remember..." Byukia said.

 

[Shikowara]

Chishima Toko - Maze
Toko looked toward Clover as he asked. He shook his head, not really caring to explain any of his thoughts. If they failed, he might as well run away and become a missing nin.
But then he came upon the same thought as Miko. Why was the woman so quiet now? She must have died. He thought. He then took his hand and made a throat-slitting motion.

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Ground
Where did Akumo-sensei go? Yoshi wondered. But it was too late to think about that now. The wolves has arrived. She watched as Hisato attacked the first wolf. She was in awe.

She heard a growl behind her and quickly turned to face a wolf of her own to fight. She immediately kicked it in the head quick a spinning kick, throwing a couple kunai at it afterwards. Yoshi wasn’t too sure if she had killed it or just injured it.
It tried to get back up but she did the same kick on it again, only knocking it over. She looked over at Hisato, who was now on his third wolf. Another wolf came up from behind her and jumped her. She screamed but kicked it off. She quickly stood up and back away.
Hearing Hisato’s suggestion, she nodded to him, throwing a few more kunai at the wolves.

(Bad at writing fight scenes, that’s fine.)

 

[Stadium]

Miko Rinha – Maze
The young genin nodded slowly, indicating her agreement as Toko made his grave gesture. Either already dead, or possibly saved by Byukia as the best case scenario since she'd also be in the maze. It tickled her paranoia though. Miko tapped her upper arm satchels, holding a few senbon ready to throw for Clover's benefit. She couldn't fight in a cramped and tight space in the maze without risking hitting one of her teammates. "Let's... go! And be careful, don't want to lose my friends." Her voice was hushed as she motioned for them to continue.

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground
The trio of wolves who engaged Hisato had suffered and been unprepared as they faced both his Kekkei Genkai and Taijutsu. Once the boy had built up some more muscle, he'd be a terrifying opponent if his growth continued at the same pace.

Akumo followed one of the wolves from his hiding place. Its front legs had been fractured by the bone swords. He could hear a pained whine whenever they had to rest their weight on its paw. The wolf was crawling more than walked as it tried to escape. Another, the third, remained limp, bleeding from the wound in its nozzle. Only the last one seemed fine. The kick sending the wolf crashing together with its companion had muted the impact. Although it was wheezing, it stood up again on unsteady legs. Didn't seem to have much fight left, however.

The kunai dug deep into the wolf that first attacked Yoshi. Her spinning kick had exposed its neck, with one lodged in its throat and the other striking a shoulder. It didn't seem like it'd survive without medical attention. The second had more luck, one of the kunais grazing its grey fur, and the other only hit muscle instead of something vital. Its fangs were bared and dripping with frothy saliva but were wisely keeping its distance as it neared the other wolf who had survived Hisato's barrage.

Although not as impressive on its face, the combination of taijutsu and shurikenjutsu follow-up showed immense potential. "Hooh..." That left the young Zeren.

 

[Gamingfan]

Four-Leaf Clover
Clover nodded as they seemed to come to a conclusion. Same thing as last time, just walking more.
"Alrighty then." he announced, moving again. Everyone seemed worried, but they'd barely started, honestly.
"We're probably fine. Nothing's tried to kill us yet. "
Kinda boring though. Wonder if the other teams are having fun. he mused.

Secret Uchiha
Zeren grinned as the bloodthirsty wolves came into visibility. Three feral animals vying for his flesh vs one him didn't appear all that fun, but he'd manage. They've got nothing on his dad.
He whisted, as if calling the wolves. "Here boy! Come here buddy!" he snickered "I have a treat for you!"
Maybe it took offense, he wasn't sure, but it DID run straight towards him thankfully. Zeren stanced up, waiting until the last moment to swing his arm, launching a web of electrified chakra strings he carefully weaved towards the wolf.
Lighting Release: Spider's Web! With amazing electrocution potencial and top tier trapping material, it's the go-to product jutsu for all your immobilizing needs!
With a proud laugh, he leapt, grabbing a jutting rock on the wall and pulling himself up before the wolves got a snap of his heels. With a bit of effort, he climbed to the top of the admittedly short wall. Still, he took advantage of the height to leap and grab onto a nearby tree and shimmy up, standing on the branches.
He took a moment to rest, grabbing a smoke bomb and looking towards his team. He couldn't resist a jab.
"Thanks Captain Obvious. Next thing you'll say is these dogs are hungry." he called out, tossing a smoke bomb at the wolves. With their sense of smell, he doubted losing vision would detriment them too much, but then again who liked sniffing smoke?
"Now move your asses before Fossil's pets eats them!" he commanded, preparing to leap off the tree.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Hisato Gato...~

"Nice one" Hisato said looking over at Yoshi. Hisato took to the trees. Hisato rolled his at the sarcastic comment and continued moving. "I'm curious what Akumo Sensei has up his sleeve next" Hisato said as he continued moving. He made sure to glance back to see if there were any wolves trying to persue him. He also looked over his fellow shinobi to make sure everyone was still moving. As they continued making their way up the mountain, Hisato couldn't help but suspect more traps lie in wait. Though the best thing Hisato could do now was keep his guard up and expect the unexpected. Akumo Sensei was no doubt watching and evaluating their performance.

 

[Stadium]

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground
The wolf struck an interesting sight getting electrocuted, with faint wisps of smoke rising from between the strands of fur standing on edge. The muscle spasms sent them howling to the ground, twitching as the lightning release passed through its body. Pure hatred was visible in its yellow eyes. Raikai had earned himself a mortal enemy today. It recovered with surprising alacrity, even if it could hardly match the speed of Zeren as it tried to join in its fellow wolves snapping at the boy's tender and no doubt succulent legs.

One tried to bite at the thrown smoke bomb, earning a lungful of white smoke for his choice before releasing the exploding weapon from its jaw. It was difficult to see them inside the dome of smoke, but the noises they told its own story. They were scurrying and disorientated, but with the limping lead wolf's howl began to recover.

Those close to Yoshi and Hisato also heard the call and began making their own attempt at a retreat. At least those who could still stand.

 

[Shikowara]

Chishima Toko - Maze
Toko smiled slightly (well, at least he tried to smile) as he started walking again. I have to admit, Miko’s cute—No, that sounds wrong! Shut up! I mean she’s…Oh whatever! Just forget I said that… He blushed a bit as he tried to distract himself from his weird thoughts. He meant she was cute in saying she didn’t want to lose her friends. He honestly admired it.

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Ground
Yoshi followed Hisato silently. She looked back. What about Zeren? I hope he’s okay… She thought. But the sound of the howls made her a little more nervous. Are they gathering more wolves? She didn’t know. She wanted to do something but wasn’t sure what.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"So a Chunin at age 14, how old are you now?" Sorano signed, curious what the requirements were to reach Jonin. She was a Chunin at age 13 and had been this rank for six years by now, eventually she'd have to rank up if she wanted to make a name for her. She was not content with staying a Chunin for her entire life, she did not spend her entire career speaking in sign language just for her to be another face in the crowd. "I intend on becoming a Jonin myself, hence why I am asking these questions. It's nothing more than trying to prepare myself."

 

[=Nightshade=]

Shin peered out from between the tree branches, watching the fight unfold. She chewed her tongue as she waited for her kikai to begin to take hold, and sucked in a soundless breath when she felt them begin to absorb chakra. I got how many to land…? That’s one, two… that’s four… four. Okay. Even as they continued absorbing chakra, though, she had a strange feeling of apprehension. Something wasn’t quite right. She’d never seriously tried to use her kikai in battle before, so maybe it was how it was supposed to feel, but something just seemed off. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Little did she know she was sensing that the beetles hadn’t quite reached their intended target, though they did continue to siphon off chakra.

As Keito-Sensei completed a substitution, he reappeared in the branches of a tree too close to Shin for comfort. She breathed slowly, focusing on remaining quiet and spreading her chakra through her kikai in an attempt to not alert the Worm Sage of her presence not far behind him. The beginnings of a plan formed in her mind; while there was no way she’d do it in a regular combat situation—okay, maybe she would—but either way it was worth a shot.

The beetles she had sent after Keito-Sensei were still hovering in a cloud where the log was now resting on the ground. Shin made a few deliberate hand motions, trying not to rustle the leaves around her as she directed the bugs. In one sudden motion, the group of kikai shot towards Keito-Sensei, as if to attack—but at the last second, the group split in two, rushing around him like a river current and heading straight for Shin. At the same time, she released the breath she didn’t realize she was holding as she leapt off her branch, aiming to land on her sensei‘s back and knock him from his perch.

Her reasoning had been relatively simple; if he dodged to the side, he’d either run into the kikai, she’d miss her chance and end up in the river, she’d miss him completely and have to find a new hiding place, or any combination thereof. If he moved forward, he’d be heading towards Sachi and Makoto. Of course, there was no guarantee that any of those things would happen… even as she hurtled towards Keito-Sensei and the first of her kikai reunited with her bloodstream, she couldn’t help but think that it was a long shot. Then she realized that she didn’t care. “Woo! Let’s go!” she called out, grinning. I was getting tired of hiding anyway…

 

[Stadium]

Akumo Yama – 37th Training Ground, Mountain
The journey through the forest of the thirty-seventh testing ground was lonely and empty. Besides birds and their earlier encounter with the wolves, none of the Genin could see any other animals. No prints, or broken twigs, or other hint as if it the forest was entirely devoid of larger forms of life. It seemed designed to lull the unwary into a sense of false safety. Whenever one of the adolescent felt their attention slip, either through a lack of caution or tiredness, a trap seemed to trigger.

More kunai, mostly. Many of which could be intercepted by those skilled in Taijutsu to let them continue on unhindered. But jutsu, like the earlier wall appearing right before their eyes, or sudden flashes of fire encircling their position, also stood in their way. And all were caught more than once directly in the traps. Though that didn't compare to the number they jointly found and had the opportunity to either disassemble or navigate around. Keeping a straight line would be impossible at times.

Zeren, as the fastest of the trio, had the opportunity to comfortably scout ahead and relay information without losing much if any time. Or continue ahead without them. Though any attempt at doing so meant taking the brunt of the traps. As would be the same fate for anyone who tried to go at it alone or ahead of the others, a task those capable of protecting themselves could handle better and for longer. Yet it was a slow grind that would test the Genin's stamina as they slowly accumulated nicks and wounds.

The contents of the medkit that Yoshi carried could do wonders to patch everyone up, and was an opportunity to sit everyone down when wounds had to be cleaned and patched up if they took it. Be it shorter or longer periods where they could focus on something other than going forward and breath. And along with Zeren's keen eyes, her hunches seemed to steer them right often enough to be noticeable and make good time. Though the journey was hours long and could hardly encompass everything she or anyone choose to do.

Eventually the test of their stamina was over. Even if it took the better part of the day, they were standing at the base of the mountain. Toward the west, the sky had begun taking on the first shades of orange, red and yellow like some of the leaves in the trees of the forest they had left behind. But sunset wasn't dangerously close yet. Although instead of a gentle slope, they were faced with a steep and uneven cliff-face. Roots in various places had pierced through the rock, though they looked dry and feeble but nothing could before trying things out. The rest of the mountain seemed similarly inhospitable to the very concept of a leisurely hike to the top.

Regardless of when they reached the mountain and how, tied by the red string of fate their stomachs conspired and rumbled together. The result of hours of continuous physical activity. Luckily, Hisato carried enough stale, and dry, food to keep them energized and full for days, and certainly the last few hours they had left. Though it'd be up the boy to share. And they had passed a small stream a few minutes away from the mountain itself that would let them take care of their thirst. And clean up, if they choose to do so.

No signs of Akumo beyond a few flashes of his red cowl. The latest sighting hadn't been long ago, however. On the Jonin's part, the only way he was able to keep ahead of the Genin was knowing the forest and the layout of his innumerable traps and barriers. An impressive feat, no matter how one looked at it.

Miko Rinha – Maze
Oblivious to Toko's glances, and his flushing cheeks, the blind and pale black-haired girl continued to stumble occasionally as she walked while following the ringing silver bells. Not frequent enough that she strictly needed help, even if a few did send her into a light coughing fit, but nothing that a sweet boy prone to fancies of emotion could surely ignore.

Walking without having anything happen did much for her unease as she loosened her grip on her senbon. Pearls of dripping sweat had made the metal needle glisten in the light after holding them for so long. But the sameness of everything, darkness and more darkness, tried her patience. Behind the blindfold, she furrowed her brow. Hopefully they'd receive a break from the endless and winding corridors soon.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Byukia Katzuke...~

Do-do-do do-do-do-doooo do-do-do do-do-doooo... Pyoo pyoo!" Byukia hummed to herself. Byukia looked over at Sorako, "Huh? Ooooh... I was officially recognized as a jonin just a couple months after I became nineteen... hmm,...?" Byuka went. Byukia wiggled around atop her staff so that she would be facing Sorako.

"Have a seat... Sit. Sit somewhere. Take a load off" Byukia said cheerfully. She sat there waiting a few moments. Then Byukia began explaining the complicated process of becoming a jonin. She got very in detail when describing it. She then gave a short simple response afterwards. "It's a lot to take in, but your doing fiiine. The best thing you can do now is focus on being the best you can be!" Byukia said.

~Hisato Gato...~

"Tree tops Yoshi! Tree tops! You can trust ya boi Zeren!" Hisato said now leaping backwards.

Eventually the mountainside was within eye shot. Hisato made a backflip before leaping to the ground. "Team twelve golden, baby! Yessir! Here we are. Did it. Made it. Knew it. Got 'er dooone! This is one big step for Hisato and one bigger step for team twelve golden!" Hisato said extending his leg out as far as he could, nearly doing the splits as he placed his foot on the side of the mountain.

Hisato pulled his other foot on the mountainside. He also leaned all the way back, bending his back so that he might better look at his team mates. "I can't wait to Gato our way to the top" Hisato said before walking up the side of the mountain. He kept his eyes peeled for anything above them like a tree growing along the side of a cliff or possibly falling debris. Hisato walked up the side of the mountain instead of running because if for some reason, they needed to run, they would need to have the energy to avoid it. Hence Hisato thinking to conserve energy.

Hisato kept his bonesword out in case he needed to use it on his way up the mountain. Hisato doubted they'd get into combat on their way up, but perhaps he could use it as a tool of sorts.

 

[DarkHydraT]

Sorano sat down on the ground with crossed legs as she listened to Byukia's explanation on how to become a Jonin. As expected, it was not for the faint of heart or weak of will, but she was sure that she could do it. If Katzuke could do it at age 19, surely she could too with an extra year of experience? That's when a thought crossed her mind, what if this mission was a way of testing her to see if she was ready to become a Jonin? That's why she got it from the Hokage himself! Smiling to herself, Sorano removed her kusarigama and her pan flute from her hips and put them on her lap. They would just be uncomfortable. "Katzuke-san, what areas are you proficient in? If I am under your tutelage for three months, I might as well find out what I can improve under your training." The chunin signed.

 

[Shikowara]

Chishima Toko - Maze
Toko looked over every time he heard something from Miko or Clover, making sure they were okay, especially Miko. Oh, come on! No time for crushes. He thought to himself. Just stick to getting out of here.
He flicked the bells with his finger every once in a while to make sure Miko could hear them better. Stop thinking about her! He didn’t like this feeling. It’s way too early to crush on anyone. He told himself no crushes until he was a chunin. Don’t ask why, that’s just what 8 year old him told himself.

Momo Yoshi - 37th Training Ground, Mountains
“Tree tops?” She mumbled as she watched Hisato, who was jumping backwards somehow.
When they spotted the mountain, Hisato backflipped off the tree. Yoshi decided to copy, but do a front flip instead, seeing as she wasn’t backwards. She followed him up the mountain, making sure her med-kit was secure in her small pouch. She had stocked up on everything before she left that morning. Probably packed way more bandages than needed but better be safe than sorry, you know?

She was a little worried about the fact that she could see other colors in the sky besides blue and white. She wanted to get to their destination before nightfall like Akumo-sensei said. She didn’t want to let him down.