Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[Godjacob]

Spoiler: Kenji's Results

Kenji had been mindful of this growing heat, and prepared for whatever would come of his choice. Well rather prepared for almost anything as the sudden confetti drop as he entered followed by the congratulations as he seemed to pass the first exam off his choice alone. He blinked in confusion for a bit, before he let out a light chuckle and shook his head.

"Man, got to admit that got a smile out of me." Kenji admitted, but he had been pleased he passed all the same and walked his way to the exit. Hopefully, the same result came to Taji, Aisha...and Rika.

Who knows, maybe he'd see that Hyuga Heiress and his old Pink Haired Savior from old, but he had not been prepared to be greedy in this request. As he'd wait to see who had progressed for himself.

Spoiler: Ino's Results

"Waaaaa....t-the hell!?"

Ino had naturally been a bit caught off guard by the sudden pop and circumstance as she had been informed that she made it through the first exam. Confusion quickly shifted to satisfaction as she internally cheered though when the topic shifted to this "rival" she immediately faced him with a smirk.

"Indeed, so just watch and see for yourself. Though I think the answer will be quite clear." Ino said with confidence as she moved towards the exit.

Spoiler: Takato & Rika's Results

Given the rather...unenthusiastic response Takato and Rika each had gotten from the clones of the proctor who clearly had been doing this too long, each of them had little to say themselves unaware what others had faced before them as each moved towards the exit thankful this was done and the next exam was ahead of them.

This had been an interesting experience, and while Rika had relief it was behind her Takato sensed things only were destined to get more annoying as the day moved along.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

"Did you find them?"

"No, it looks like we're the first to arrive, Milady."

"A shame, I had hoped to speak with the Hokage and Raikage before the summit began."

Since the delegation from the Mist was the first to arrive, the Mizukage decided to take the opportunity to sit back and relax. The foursome of herself, the Yuki and Hōzuki Heads, and their accompanying medic, Ruka, had been left to make their own arrangements and, aside from the protection of their package, which had been sealed and re-sealed, the group had little in the way of things to do. Though she had wished to fill the time with pleasant conversation, it appeared her contemporaries were trailing behind her and would be unavailable for the time being. Since that was the case, the Mizukage summarily allowed her guards to do as they pleased whilst she pulled Ruka into a stroll of the village hidden in rain.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

"Well now you're just being difficult." Shiho replied seeing as her only reply appeared to be the examiner's tapping foot. Searching her memories, Shiho recalled one very remote recollection.

Quite some time ago, Shiho saw a colorless liquid in a beaker placed on the desk her brother was working on. "Hey bro, whatcha working on?" Shura shifted his eyes towards his sister. "Sulfuric Acid, be careful around it, the gas it leaks will kill you in an instant." He explained. "Its a potent chemical that can be mixed into a multitude of other chemicals."

Shiho looked at the liquid with a curious look before noticing something else and turned her eyes towards a combination of letters and numbers on a board behind the acid. "What do those letter and numbers mean." She asked. "Hmm? Oh that's just the chemical formula for the Sulfuric Acid." Shura answered simply.

Back to the present day, Shiho managed to dig that obscure memory out of the depths of her mind. "Wow, I'm surprised I managed to remember something so random." With this new knowledge in mind, the girl wrote down H2SO4.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Shiho’s Exam


“...Hm...took you long enough...performance aside...move on to the next room.

he gave a gugling sigh, gesturing to the room behind him before sinking into the ground, becoming nothing more than a pile of fizzing goo. The door that he had gestured to unlocked, begging to be opened.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Spoiler: Senji's Results

This was a good thing, wasn't it? He'd passed. He was further on the road to becoming a Chunin and, as a result, better fit to defend and fight for his village. However, his success hadn't brought Senji anything other than disappointment. He knew full well he hadn't deserved to make it through this first portion of the exam, and at the best opportunity to prove himself as a worthy ninja, he was met with an unexpected and anticlimactic announcement that he'd passed. Stifling a confused frown Senji had been tempted to shoot Boxide's way, he gritted his teeth and gave the proctor a curt bow of respect before walking past him and entering the door to whatever awaited him next.

 

[Godjacob]

As the contestants came through gradually soon enough the presumed final field was set before the swamp as a sudden wind current picked out just outside the divide between the swamp's entrance and the participants. Rain and even some leaves from the trees into the unknown drifted in the current as it seemed to form a spiral over what seemed to be a puddle on the ground.

This current only picked up speed, becoming a light twister one that seemed to just gain strength and almost a dazzling gleam within the rain as a figure seemed to pop up within it. The little display faded almost as quickly as it had came, and before long a figure scanned the field of applicants as the group got a glance at who their likely proctor had been for this exam.

What stood before them was an older man, with visible age highlighted by a wrinkled skin who had short snow white hair that was obstructed somewhat by a straw hat. He wore what seemed to be a black kimono with white flora patterns across it along with some flats over his sock-covered soles. He wore his Ame headband around his neck, a casual display that seemed to mix with the aura of this man as his expression was masked by the hat he wore to protect from the rain but he seemed to have a natural intensity about him.

"So...welcome to Amegakure. I can guess you all who are not native here understand why we get our name, I promise you were are a bit more cheerful than the atmosphere might suggest."

However, a chuckle followed by his rather casual jostle reply and amused if not sheepish grin seemed to betray that earlier intensity. Something that seemed curious to an outsider but for those who had encountered him in the rain had been all too familiar. Satoshi Yato; Azumi Noriko's instructor and prided nin of Ame who had been in the field well into the early years of what one would call retirement age for a ninja. Even if his presentation and demeanor betrayed neither of these facts as he seemed more that jovial old uncle you met on occasional family reunions.

"I'll say off the top congrats on making it past the first exam. I would like to say it gets easier from here though I think you all know that would be far from the truth. But I am sure you want to move along and not listen to this geezer ramble. So let's get right to business..."

With a gesture of Satoshi's hands, two puffs of smoke were produced which revealed two tents that had been pulled here though already seemed prepped and ready to go as the veteran shinobi glanced at the crowd eager to feed their growing need for clarity about what this had been about.

"This exam is what I like to call Hunters & Thieves. And will take place behind me in the Swamp of Suffering. I know I know bare with me. The breakdown is simple, in single file lines you will go to one of these two tents behind me and enter in private to be assigned one of two roles at random. Hunter, and thief. Each having their own goal they must meet in order to pass. For the thieves, you will be given a special bit of intel you must secure and you have to survive with it for 24 hours. Once the thieves do that and make it out of one of the exists with the intel in hand within the allotted time they shall pass. For those assigned hunters, your task will be to find one of the thieves and capture them bringing that individual out of one of the same exists around the swamp. I should clarify they are needed alive so keep that in the back of your minds." Satoshi said with a light chuckle at the end as he coughed before he cleared his throat.

"Any hunter that makes it out of the forest with a thief passes and you have the same 24 hour deadline. There will be a fifteen minute window to get your assigned rolls. And an additional fifteen to prepare, once that is done the thieves will be released first followed by the hunters after a five minute head start. Anything you need to survive is provided in the swamp itself. Not the most appealing meal I know but hey in this line of work beggars can't be choosers. Alright if there are no questions get in line and let's get your roles cast for this likely gruesome performance."

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō — Three Months Ago

A delightful meal ended in a matter of minutes and Sagisō tipped the tavern maid with a jingle of coins. Her stomach satiated and her friend's curiosity satisfied, the girl's attention turned to more meaningful things. The crescendo of voices, bleeding through the wooden walls of the tavern, each a distinct, feminine trill, with softer tones that betrayed their youth, alerted the returning warrioress to the arrival of her contemporaries.

Although the soon-to-be Skillful Star had wanted to, at the very least, converse with her arriving sisters, those from her own generation, it seemed that their superiors would have none of it. The call went out for the Nadeshiko to gather and, in a matter of moments, over a hundred women decorated the village square. Without fanfare or fete, the succession ceremony was immediately declared.

The rules were simple: if you wanted to inherit a star position, then prove your worthiness. Each of the second generation stars had their own trials prepared, each specifically tailored to assess the traits that were characteristic or their Star Title. The third generation was to choose the trail they wished to challenge and, if successful, they would be able to move on and inherit the star title.

There had never been any doubt in Sagisō's mind. Though there were other Star titles she possessed the aptitude to challenge, with single-minded devotion she sought out just one. With equal parts trepidation and grim resolution, the girl sifted through the crowd, sound and light fading away as she narrowed her focus onto a single pair of cool, callous, vermillion pupils.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai heard the lengthy explanation from their new, somewhat decrepit instructor. Looks like it was going to be a glorified cops and robbers game. Kai boldly strode Into line, glad to get away from the annoying mime wannabe that had greeted him at the gate.

The line went surprisingly fast, and as he made it to the tent, he was quickly labeled a ‘hunter’ and sent off branching to the left, overlooking the swamp’s large opening. This gave him flashabacks to the forest of death, very similar in structure. At least this time where would be be a large, clanking monstrosity between him and the finish line.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"A thief..?" Furījia exited the tent, her expression scrunched together with lines of clear displeasure, "what nerve."

The heiress of the Hyūga Clan was to play the role of a reprobate thief? The Chūnin Exams were going well, but the proctors left much to be desired; each had been more gaffe and detestable than the last. The first proctor had been completely lacking in manners, and while she'd gotten back at him, she had no more desire to interact with the decrepit, rasped, slimeball.

Regardless, the Byakugan Princess was unreserved in her show of displeasure, especially since the proctor wanted them to spend the next 24-hours in swamp feasting on frogs and swamp-leeches. Maybe it was a common thing in Amegakure? A crinkle of disgust distorted her nose, and only her prim and proper upbringing stopped the girl from questioning whether the residents of Amegakure really were filthy swamp people as some rumors espoused. She would need to be careful about haplessly sampling their native dishes if that was the case...

Furījia chose an entrance to the swamp with little to no people around it and then patiently waited for the 15-minute reprieve expire. She faintly smiled, remembering some advice her mother had given her during training.

"Strike first, achieve lethality. Strike second, meet calamity."

Yasu

"It'd be nice if we were on the same side, we could team up, just like last time."

This open-field format where participants had to hunt down an item from an opposing side wasn't too different from the Heaven & Earth Scrolls of the forest of death. That being said, Yasu was well aware that temporary alliances could be the key to successfully passing the exam. Naturally, his teammates from the last exam would be ideal, but he wasn't sure whether luck would favor them this time.

He sure hoped so.

"How about it, Tomiko?"

Shaula — Scorpion

The Koki'o look-a-like embraced her role as a hunter, the arachnid positively TKTKTKTK-ing in the excitement of the upcoming hunt. Despite being a natural-born hunter, the Scorpion had not had much time to revel in the excitement of one of the things she did best, tracking & hunting prey. It was a shame they had to leave the food capture targets alive, but the Scorpion was, nonetheless, happy to engage in a hunt once more.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Taiyo's thoughts on his passing of the first exam was mixed at best. Although he felt that Boxide's methods were questionable, he understood that the results were legitimate nonetheless, for the most part anyway. Now, the second exams had begun, overseen by the much more jovial Satoshi. The Swamp of Suffering seemed to be very reminiscent of the Forest of Death, much to the leaf-nin's dismay. After listening to the briefing and exiting his respective tent, the FBS master began to plan his next move.

So, I just need to keep the intel I have with me for twenty four hours...I think the best strategy is to avoid contact with hunters for as long as possible, primarily by hiding in a secluded location. If I can find someone to team up with that'd be even better...

With the last thought in mind, Taiyo surveyed the area around the entrance to find optimal candidates for teammates.
Tsuki
Despite her initial expectations towards the exams, Tsuki managed to pass the first exam. Unfortunately for the somewhat inexperienced kunoici, the upcoming exam seemed to be based on the one thing she felt the least secure about: combat. Even worse, she was designated as a hunter, which meant that she wouldn't have the luxury of being able to run away at the first sign of trouble. Regardless, the Yuki-nin couldn't afford to panic, nor did she need to on account of having 35 total minutes of preparation time before it was time to hunt.

I should find Kai, considering that he is a hunter-nin, he'd be the most qualified to provide assistance and guidance in regards to locating and capturing a target. Then again, I should probably confirm what role he has first, because he likely won't give me advice if I'm a thief.

Without further hesitation after getting assigned her role, Tsuki decided that she should consult the Yuki prince. Thankfully, he was on his way out of the tent from which he got his role assigned, so she wouldn't have to wait very long to find him.

"Hello, Kai. I was wondering what role you got for this upcoming exam. As for me, I've been assigned the role of a hunter."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai was lost in thought, thinking about what possible strategies he could use to lure out thieves in the exam when a familiar face strolled up to him. It was none other than Tsuki, which Kai perked up upon seeing her.

“Ah, it’s good to see you, passing that test would all but fitting of us. Have to set an example for our leaders after all.” Kai nodded. “As for my role...that’s rather bold of you to ask. Most wouldn’t tell you due to wanting to improve their own chances. Luckily for you, I happen to be a hunter myself. Why...this situation seems rather familiar...”

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
The icy kunoichi felt her face flush in embarrassment when she realized that there was an equal chance that Kai would've been a thief, and therefore unwilling to reveal what his role would've been. Her face returned to normal when she realized that the Yuki Prince had also been given the role of hunter for this exercise, much to her delight.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily deem my example one to follow..." Tsuki awkwardly combed her hair with her fingers before recognizing that she needed to get back on task, "But anyway, I was wondering if you could provide me some tips on how to most efficiently hunt shinobi, considering that you are a hunter-nin. I'd really appreciate it, coming from possibly the most qualified shinobi for this exam." Although Kai was already her friend, the Yuki-nin wasn't entirely convinced that he'd help her out of the goodness of his heart alone, so she decided that subtly stroking his ego would provide the best results.
Seiun
Letting B.O.S.E.C.'s words have some time to truly sink in, the rogue shinobi ruminated on the algorithm's points before determining a course of action.

I...I don't want my journey to end here, but the thing is, I'm not the heir to the Yasei Noble clan. My brother is...and considering how much he loved my parents and how much they loved me, I doubt I'll stand much of a chance. Even if you can provide me with the optimal word choice, there's a good chance that he just shoots me down.

With his insecurity overwhelming him, Seiun turned his back to the entrance of the Yasei estate and began to walk away. However, a part of him refused to allow him to make a single step, and that part was his resolve. Inflamed by the prospect of walking away, the resolve of the former Ame-nin would not give to a stint of last second doubt. Eventually, that resolve reached a boiling point, causing Seiun to turn back around and knock on the door of the place that he used to call home.

No...I've come too far, risked too much to get here. This was my idea, and I'm seeing it through, even if it kills me...

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Tsuki has felt a strong resemblance to Kiro in Tsuki’s words...perhaps it’s this scenario, or maybe it was projection, but connecting those two...the Yuki’s frozen heart began to melt.

“...I wanted to see how you’d do alone but...sure. I can aid you.” Kai sighed in defeat, hiding a discoloration of his face behind his mask. “Fighting two on one would greatly increase your odds, and trust no one but yourself or other mist ninja of similar craft or creed. I shall be your ally in these exams, but I do expect you to get your thief just as legitimately even though your with me.”


......


B.O.S.E.C.’s body began to fizzle and wrap around Seiun’s finger as he knocked on his door...like some kind of dark tendril wrapping and guiding his every move.

“̅ͣ͆̈̾ͮ̄Ex̂̎c͛̂̾̓̈̒͑ë̊͊̂lͬlͨ̎͒e̽̎ͮ̍n̋ͥ̊ͩ́͑̊t̊̏́́ ̏ͬM̊ͮ̏a̓ͩ̽̓̒̄ͫs̿t̅̾͆́̄͗e̅̂̏͌̓rͬͥ̒.̋.͋͑͒.̌yȍ̌ͫu̎ ̿̐̽͛̊̽͗p͛̉ả̆ͯ̚v͑ͨ͐ͭȅͯ̌̇ ̽͌͆f̽óͧ͒rͣ̏ͦ͛wͪ̔̌̓̔̀̌aͤ̔́̌ͯͬr͛̃ͬ̀͂̂̚d͐̂͌̈̚.ͣ.ͩ̂ͬ.̎͂̀̓̄̏a̅̇̌̓̚n̍̑͒d͌ͮ̌̋̇ ̔rͥ͊ͧ̏̐ͥ͒ěm̈́̀̽͑̀èͯ̂ͣͪm͐͑ͪͮb̒͗́̽̽̎ế̀r ̓̋ẗ́ͯ͑ͭ͊͋hi͊s ͧͭ̎̍ͯa͗ͫͧͯ͂̓b̎͂́̏̉oͦv̏̐͐ͮͧȅ̽ͦ̂̃̌ a̅͂̈́̆ͩĺ͆̏l̑̄͋ͥ ̽ė͑̈́̓l̀ͪͨ̇ͬͮ̀s̊̇͋̑͗̊e̅͑.ͩ́̿̌ͣ̇”̿̉

It’s spectral form inching closer to Seiun’s ear, like a succumbus nestled next to an awaiting lover. A talon appearing to clutch Seiun‘s arm.

̋ͦ̃́ͪͫ
́ͣ“͊̐ͩ̀͂ͫT̓̋̒ͤ̇h̒̚ĭ͑ͧͣ͊̽s̍ͭ̑̊ͫ̂ ̇̑ȋͦ̒̏͗͒̃sͣ̀̍̂ͯ̈́̚ ͋Yo͋͆ū̌̓ͪr̔̓ ͯ̂͐̓͆ͪ̏Deŝͬt͛ͮ̂̍̅ͭ̓î̌͗̄͛n̍ͤ͌̓̄ỹ̎͗̂̓.ͣ̔”̀̈́̀̑͋̚

 

[Fire Mana]

Aku exited the tunnel that marked the physical end of the first test, and entered into a clearing that would mark the beginning of the second. His somber eyes scanned the visible horizon, taking note of the tents in front them, the swamp that stretched into the distance, and the other contestants that had been leaving the tunnels. He tried to ignore it, but the fact that a good number of other shinobi had passed before him definitely wounded the little pride he had as their senior.

"Ah... I expected as much, but it still hurts a bit..."

Seeing the rest of the passing participants reminded him of something though, and the older boy's energy returned to him as he checked the crowd more meticulously this time. It took a good few seconds, but he nodded silently to himself upon seeing the lengthy orange hair and purple clothes he was looking for. She seemed fine, at least from what he could discern at a glance, and had also appeared to have come out just ahead of him.

Alright, nothing to worry about then.

----------------------------------------

As the elderly shinobi who would be working as their second proctor finished up his speech regarding the rules of their next test, Aku stepped forward into the quickly forming line. A few of those standing in line around him caught his eye now that he wasn't looking for anybody specifically. Namely, the smaller, black-haired boy and the girl he was talking to, the girl, who was clearly a Hyūga, that had an almost palpable aura of elitism, and the literal scorpion.

Interesting group here today, huh?

It was odd to think that any number of these people would end up his enemy in this test and the next, but it didn't shake him. Obviously he came here knowing that these people would be willing to tear him down to win, and he was aware that he would have to be ready to do the same, even if he didn't really want to. His thoughts snapped back to the task at hand, however, when he entered the tent to receive his role for the upcoming game.

Alright... Thief... Guess it does makes more sense for me to play the bad guy.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Making her way into one of the tents, Shiho was eager to be assigned her role. After finishing the first exam that was honestly pretty boring, the young girl was glad to move onto a more active part of the exam.

"Hunter huh, this shouldn't be too complicated with these eyes of mine." She mumbled to herself after receiving her position for the exam. She then made her way to join her fellow examines.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
As he scanned the area for familiar faces, he couldn't help but notice what seemed to be the Hyuga heiress in the distance. Figuring that nothing negative could come out of his decision, Taiyo decided to walk up to the person to see if they were who he thought. Sure enough, it turned out that he did indeed notice Furījia in the distance, so he believed that now was as good of a time as any to strike up conversation with her.

"Hey, how've ya been?" Taiyo confidently began talking to the Hyuga, assured that nothing could go wrong with the opening that he had selected.

Best case scenario, she's a thief and decides to team up with me.

And worst case scenario is that she's a hunter and can now hunt you easily.

Why do you always choose to focus on the negative..?

Someone up here has to, for your own good.
Tsuki
The Yuki-nin nodded attentively as she listened to her peer, grateful for the assistance that Kai would give her. However, Tsuki was a little concerned that he was only choosing to help her because she had appealed to his ego. Regardless, the icy kunoichi was pleased to hear the Yuki Prince's response.

"I see, thank you for the advice," Tsuki paused, since she was unsure how to ask her next question, "How do I ensure that I do not hesitate when the time comes to capture a thief? What I mean is that in the event that I have the thief in my grasp, how do I make sure I don't tense up or anything?" This time, she tried asking with more sincerity, secretly testing Kai to see if his answer would be with the same enthusiasm as last time.

 

[Godjacob]

Groups seemed to naturally form as they went in their choice of the twin lines. In one line, Tomiko moved with a spring to her step eager to get her role as Madoka followed suit. Rika noticed that Kenji and his Inuzuka companion moved to the other line while they were tailed by the Hybrid Dojutsu user Zino who seemed casual as can be. Eventually they each in private were assigned their roles: Thieves for Tomiko, Madoka & Rika while Zino was given the hunter moniker.

Tomiko was a bit bumped as she'd rather be on the hunt as oppose to on the defensive, but hey she figured people would come for her so she'd get action all the same. Madoka was indifferent to the roles but appreciated the five minute start, while Rika...well she'd need to learn how to avoid pursuers anyway so this would be a good lesson early. Zino figured his skills were better served as the hunter anyway so he figured he was in as good a position as he could be.

During this, Sakura followed Aisha & Kenji to the opposite line as Ino noted this and after realizing Aki had failed dragged Takato to follow her to another line. A pain but it mattered little which line he supposed as the group were handed one after another their roles: Aisha, Kenji and Ino were designated hunters while Sakura and Takato had been made thieves. Aisha had naturally been overjoyed with her role, as being part of a pack she had been well experienced in hunting down game so this fell right into her area of skills even prior to her ninja training. Kenji himself was indifferent but hey least he had the chance to initiate the action and Ino her mind raced to consider strategies...while also trying to keep her body from looking like a junk-yard reject in this filthy swamp. Sakura and Takato each had been assigned the role of thief and the vile they were to protect, and Takato was naturally annoyed he'd be on his heels for this but hey least he had a chance to mount a defense which favored his style while Sakura frankly had been used to fighting off advances of ninja with missions under Kakashi so she felt confident in her chances.

Regardless, once they were given their roles all of the contenders there moved to one of a few marked entrances; the thieves preparing to go while the hunters were to go after the five minute grace period. Course, they just prepared for when the proctor would set them loose as it were.

 

[sSoul]

Seiun
After Seiun had finally knocked on the door, it had seemed that time stood still. For the first time since he first escaped Amegakure, the rogue shinobi truly had no idea what was going to happen next. However, no cataclysmic, world-shaking event had occurred, instead, an attendant had simply arrived to answer the door.

"Did you make an appointment?" The attendant's voice was flat, either out of exhaustion from being overworked, or simple boredom from the monotony of his job.

"Uhh..."

"You need to make an appointment if you wish to speak with Lord Yasei. Come inside, I will take you inside so we can make this more important," Taking the gesture of the attendant, Seiun somewhat reluctantly set foot in the place he once called home.

"Lord Yasei" huh, I guess the golden boy really did settle into the heir role quite nicely...

Due to the fact that there wasn't really area to make an appointment, the former Ame-nin didn't have to wait very long for his time to come. Once they were inside, the attendant got right to the point.

"So, why are you here..?"

B.O.S.E.C, what do I say here..?

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai blinked under his mask, staring at Tsuki in silence. It was clear that he had expected a hit more from her than what her question had suggested.

“Well, it appears you are more green in this area than anticipated...” Kai spoke. “Do not fret. You won’t hesitate. Consider the thief a criminal. One you have to hunt down and take in. This is what we do back home in the hunter-nin corps. Apply this principle to your enemy as well, and surely there shall be no hesitation!”

he nodded his head at her. He knew full well that Hama had taught her how to act like her, weather that be a positive or a negative. But he did hope that Hama had passed down her ways of being a level headed killer.


.........



“̓̃̽ͦͦͦͩ̓J͌ͬ͛͑u͒̃͛̊̽͆̇̔s̓͛͊̓t̂̃͂̌ͧ̌ ̓̽̅rͥ͆͋̔ͧe͋́̌͋pͩ̉͐̉͑̇ěͣ͐͑͂̓̆aͧͣtͦ̀̽ͫͤ̎ ̾̀ͤa̓͂͐ͮ͛fͯͨ̄ͬͧ̑ͧ́̚tͦ̄ͫ̊̽̉ě͋̊͑̏ͮͣr͋ͨ̒͐́̀ͫ̽ ̄̊̌̒mͧͦ̚èͣ̍.̉ͤͤ”̐̏̇ͯ

B.O.S.E.C. Jolted out of his body, appearing to sway it’s ‘hips’ toward the attendant. It appeared to gripped his hand, giving a modest bow.

“ͮ͑Wͯ̀ͭhͪͯ̾̈yͩͪ̆̄̈́̽ͥ, ̽͑̋ͭͨ̐g͊̿ͬ̽͑rͧ̈́̿̑̿ͯͪeeͮͫ͋̐̓ťͮiͩͬ̄͛n̓̒͂̆gsͭ͆͐̀͌ͯ́.͐ͪ̔̽ͣ͛͂ ̊Iͥͨ̏̇̍ ̃̿ͦā͐m̀ͯͮ̾̔̅̚ ͫ́̀a͊̏̌̒ ̑̇̔̃ẅ̌̑̿̿͒̚ê̄a̋́ͦͧͩͩ̈́l̍̾͂th̑̐ͭͥ̍̿yͬ̿ͯ̿̏ ̑̋̍͑̚ĩ̄̋̓̚n̓̈́̍͂ͫv̇͋̇ͩ̃ͨͦeͮͩ̌̃ͨ̒̅s̉̇̿̽t͒ͯoͭ͆̓̒r̈ͭ͛ ̔̈́̇ͫf̏̈̅r̉̓͑̑ő͑ͤ͋m͗ͦ ̔͛̌͋̈́̚t̉he̍̌ ͛̃l̏̌a͒̆n̾̊͆̾ͨ̏d̂̇͑̂̊̂̈ oͣ̃̌f̑̊ͫ ͋̊ͭrͯͫ͌ͭi̓̊̓̈č͌̓ȅ̉̅ͮ̃ ͐͐͒̋͆ͩpͦ̂ͯ̅͗́̾a͛dd͂͂̓ͧiͤ̅̔e͛ŝ́.ͨ͋ ͐̍̑ͪͯ̒Iͫ̓ͨͥ̽ ̌ͧ̂̌͋͊ͪh̿͊ͭ͑ͤa͋͛ͯͪ́ͩͬve ̐͌h͐̓e͌̅̾ͣ̐̎̃aͩ͊̒̓͗̍̚r͋͋͊ͣ̂͂ḋ̾̽͆̃̇͋ ͨ͋s̆̆̆ͬu͋͌̎c̍́ͥh ̈̾̂wͫ͒͂ͮö́̋ͤͫ̔̑͊n̅̈́ͬ̓̎͊̓d̃ͩ͒rͩ̄͆̎̚oͪu̓s̅̂ ͛t̾a͊͑̔̚l͑̈́͂̾̂eͦ̐̍̓͂̉s͗̓ͮ͋ͦ͐̍ ͒̇̂ͧ́ͫͭfͯr͋̾oͭ̅ͣ̓̿̾͗m ̉ͧȳo̎̽̔̍ͫù̆r̀̎̄͛ ͣ̚p̑͑ͪre͌͋̋̓s̍͛͒̽ͭ͐ͮt̅̒̐͋iͪg̊̃̏̈́̔̀ͪiͯͭͯͬ͂ͧ̓oͥ̉̋̅u̓ͮsͤ̅͗ ̅c͒̉́ͯ͐͂lͮ͑̃̑ȁ͑ͮ̏n͂̓̍͑̈͗,̓ͪ̉ͬ ͦ͑̌͑̆ͨ̔a͆̒n̋̉̆͊̐̏dͭ̂ ͪͧ̋I̊ͪ͆͋ s̚e͐̎̃e̅ ̋ğ͌͂̍̑̃re͂̂̓̒̏̐a͒ͤͨ̏͆ͥ̂tͪ ͧ͋̇̾pͩ̽ȯ͆t̓͆̈́͛͊̿̍e͂̋̅̊n̆̅ͬt̍͛̓ͫ̋͐i͐ͥ͒̈͂a͑ͥͯl.͑̌ ̈ͨ̆͊͑͋I͛f͆ͪͭͧ̉ ̄̾yͮͦͣ̊̌͊ͫo͂͐̅ͯͣuͦͤ̐̂ͪ̈́’ͯ͑d́ͪ ̑̏̓͒kͣ̿̚iͦn̈́d̓ͧ̈́̃̑̂l͂̾̏̂y̓ ̊͌͆̂t̅̄ã̈̂̚k̏̄̓̐̿ͩeͨ ̽̑ͣͦ̍mͧe̅ͮ̀̑̈ͤ ͥ̒̋̿̑̍̂t̅ͮ̉ͬ̅̎oͯ͛ ͒ͧͧ̿̄͒ͩt̔h̅̆̉e ͫͦlͨ̒͛̆̑oͩrͩͮ̃dͭ̓ͩ́̌̒ͩ ̿ͯͨ̆̈ö́̾́f̾̓ͭ͐̿͊ ͂ͯ̊ͨẏ̔́̒͑̚oͩủ̂̎̇r̄ͤ͊͑̉̀ ̄hͧ̅̀̉̓̌ỏ̊̇̆̾̍̆us̓̈̉̅̀̃̔eͪ̈́̅͌,̃ͤ̾̍͊͋̆ ̊̆̓̀̈́I ̈́ͬ́͗̚w͐̎ͦͪȭ͂ͨuͥ̓̒͐́̆l̍͂͊ͭͪͮ̚d̽̒ͤͥ͂̌ l̿͐̓͑̓̏ͥiͧk͑e͒̐ ̋̇̓ͩ͆̀̍tͭ̾o̊ͥ̇ͤͫ p̒ͧͭ͛͂rͯ͋ŏͨpo̿͛̔̑seͮ͑̂̐̈́ ͧ̈́aͣ̀̚n͒̏͋͑ͫͩ̚ ͌ͪ̇̊o͋ffͧͩe̐̏̔̃͛͛r̅ͯ̑̃̉̾.͆̍̆̇̉̎̀”ͭ̑

 

[kyuukestu]

Hyōryugetsu

Hyō giggled as she left the tent. In a stroke of irony, she received the role of a hunter chasing down thieves with designated pieces of 'intel'. Had she not known better, the kiri-kunoichi would've suspected her mission had been leaked, but since that couldn't possibly be the case, she would gladly play the part.

It would be 15 minutes before the exams began and Hyō didn't want to waste a moment of it. Picking out the Konoha-nin from the crowd, the Hōzuki sashayed over to them, the faint smell of caped jasmine beginning to waft from her body. She sported a coquettish smile, knowing that loose lips and addled senses went hand in hand.

Furījia

Cavalier and confident, that was Taiyo; but...

'What a strange question to ask.'

When everyone else was prepping for a dangerous battle in the eerily named Swamp of Suffering, only Taiyo was swaggering around like it was just another day in the village streets. His demeanor was so polar to the atmosphere around that even Furījia's own nerves began to relax; perhaps that was his aim? Had he noticed her tension or was he just being nice? Whatever his goals, the subtle consideration brought a faint smile to Furījia's lips as she responded.

"I've been well, and you?"

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The natural response had only boosted Taiyo's confidence in his course of action. Of course, he had to get this conversation to end with him proposing to the prospect of teaming up with her, but there was plenty of time for the conversation to naturally segue to that point.

"I'm doing pretty good. I've been training for these exams for a while now and now's the perfect time to test myself." A warm, eager grin painted itself on the FBS master's face as it did so often, "How about you? Have you done or learned anything that would help you succeed? Don't worry, I won't use this knowledge against you." His tone shifted to reflect his attempt at comedy as he allowed the conversation to naturally progress.

We've asked Raiku this question too, and we didn't need to assert that we weren't going to use this information against him. So why do you do so for Furījia?

We've been friends with Raiku longer than Furījia, so I doubt that she'd trust me as much as he does. Therefore, why shouldn't I assert my intentions as innocuous.

It could come off as patronizing to her, but whatever...
Tsuki
Hearing Kai's surprise at how inexperienced she was caused her to awkwardly brush her hair with her hand in embarrassment yet again. Still, there was undeniable value in the advice that the Yuki Prince had offered, and Tsuki wasn't keen on indulging in pointless denial for the sake of her pride.

"I see...thank you for the encouraging words, Kai." The icy kunoichi detected genuine enthusiasm in his answer, much like she hoped from him, "And as long I have you backing me, there's a very small chance that I'll slip up~"

Especially now that I know your kindness to be true...
Seiun
Due to a lack of relative alternatives to what B.O.S.E.C. was offering, Seiun was rather keen to imitate the construct as per its instructions.

"Why greetings!" The rogue shinobi began in the best high-society tone that he could muster as he moved in to grab and shake the hand of the attendant, "I am a wealthy investor from the land of rice paddies. I have heard wondrous tales of your prestigious clan, and I see great potential. If you would kindly take me to the lord of your house, I would like to propose an offer." Although he felt ridiculous as he said the sentence and vigorously shook the attendants hand as if they were old friends, the former Ame-nin was committed to the act. In response, the attendant began to burst into laughter, much to Seiun's chagrin.

"I get it now, you're some kind of travelling comedian," The attendant concluded as he tried to regain composure, "I must say, that was a pretty good joke. Unfortunately, I can't give you an audience with Lord Yasei just because you're humorous. Unless you actually have a reason to speak with him, I'm going to have to ask that you leave" Unfortunately for Seiun, it seemed that B,O,S,E,C had failed him.

Well that didn't work. Got any bright ideas to get me through this?

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Erm...I sincerely hope that to be the case...” Kai rubbed the back of his head. “After all, we have to set an example to these Xenos after all...heh.”

She is like a kitten that has lost their master...is she truly fit for combat? What kind of show is Hama running... Kai had internal struggles, hoping Tsuki wouldn’t be attacked or otherwise hurt in this exam. It would be abhorrent to lose pure mist blood on foreign soil after all.


....


B.O.S.E.C. Stretched a single talon over to Seiun, putting it over his mouth as if to shush him.

“̇̓B̀ͭ̊͛̃ȅ̄ͨ̈ͪ̚ ̉̍ͩͤpͯͥă̈́̎̌ͤtͧ̉̃̄͒̆ͣ̓i͒̌e̊͗n͋̑ͯ́t̎͌,̉͒͑ͮ ̾̽͂̃̄̐̍M̉ͤ͌a̍̑̊s͆͊ͯ̃̓̇t̂eͩ̐̐ͯ̍ͪͤȓ̐ͧ͆̈͒̂͆̐ê̇̿̉̓͐d̏̎,͌̍ͫ̿ ̾̍I̿ͧ̇̅̓̀͆’͛ͤͯͮ̅͂̚m̑̽̈ͣ ̑͛ͯ̊̃n̾̌ͦ̆̾̂̚õt̄̆́ ̓ͦd̎̒́̂̒̒̓̑o͋̀ͮͥn̋ͬeͨ̚ ͊̃͒yͪ͆ē̊̄̅͌t͑ͣ.͂̎̚”͑ͧ̽̃̇

Reading the attendant’s posture and their mannerisms, the A.I. Began to develop a profile on him. Then, bringing it’s taking back, the A.I. Grinned and proceeded to get back into character.

““ͨͭ̑̇̾̚Ȧͪ̄h̎̒,ͮ̆ͩ̅͗̅ͮͨͮ ̈́ͧ̔ͫw̓͊ͣ͂̉aͣ̓ͪ̃̚s͆̄͛̃͊̊̏̆ ̾̓ͦ̂̒j̈́̍ͪuͭ̑͌sͭͯ̊ͥ̔̓t̉ͬͦ̐̉̄ͬ ̚̚tͩͬ̊͒̄ͪr̆ͥ̾yͬͤ̒i͑̓ṅ̾̍̔̓ͥ̎ͨgͩ ̂̉ͣͭ͑̅ͬͫt͆͋̄ͧ͐͐͌̎̏oͤ̄͒̈́̔͗̇ͨ ̇̓̏ͮ̏́ͩ̓̏g̈́̏̏ͮe͐ͨ̓ͨ̅ͣt͋̏ͭ̃ͫ̑ ͭ̅̾ä́̊̈ͣ͛ ͐̄ͣͫ͒̔c̉ͨͫͮ̚ĥ͐͂͑̊̾́̆͑uͧ̉͗̂ͥĉͥ̑́̽̒ͦ̾kͫ̃̆l̉̿͆eͪ̈ͬͣ̓ ͐ͬ̉o̓̐͋úͫͯͤtͮ̽͋ ̓̽̂ͣőͭͮ͛̌ͪͮ̄̈f̏̈ͯͣ ͩ̅ͣͪ̏̾ͩy̌̒̍̏ǒ́ͪͩͬ̅̆̏u̓̓.̏ͤ̉͛̓̒ ̈̈́Ī̇̅ͮ̍ͭ̀ ͬ̉͌̉k̽̈̚nͤ̋̔͗̃ͯͮoͥ̒̀ͧ̀ͯ̊̌̚w̒ͥ ̔ͪyͧͩ̈̏͛ͫ͗̓ȏ͗ͥ̉̃ͥủͬ̽͛̔̃ ͌̉̍̅d̉͌ͤ͂őͪ̊n̐̆̒͆̂̇̏’͂͌͂̿̓̾͗ͤ͆t͂̽̈́̆̑ ̒͒̏l̄̒́ͭá̎̀̊ͥ͐u͗̐g̋͒ͦ̔͒̇h̓ͭ̐ ̐ͧͨ̾v͌͗̉ȅ̿r̔̔͊̾̌̿y̌̉̂ͧ͛ͪ̿ ̾o̿̂f͊̔̇ͦͨ̈ͬt̒̐ͣ̀e̔ͩͯ̂n͂ͧ͐̔̿ͭ̀ ̅ͭ͒͋̔ͪͥ̉b̂̈́e̅͒ͫ͑ͧͨ̓c̀͛̀ȃ̇̏͗u͂ͭ̔̔͆ͥs̏ͤͩ̃ͨ̋ͮe̍̀ͣͬͩͮ ̐ͫ̔́ͩo͋̄̈fͧͫͯ̉ͩ ̒͆̓ͣͯ͗ͮ̀̒y͊͂̒̈ͦ̾̅ͣ̆oͨ͂ͥ̔̃̂͑̿u͑̾ͯͫ̒ͣ̀͊ŕ̐ͪ̽ͧ͒͋̅ ͊̄̉͗ͮmͤ͐͊o̔t͗̽ͨh̾̎ͧe̔ͥ̄̚r͆ͭͫͣ̀ͮ̊’̆̂ͧ̂͆̈̌̍ͤs̏̒̈ͬ͊ ̌̊̐͑̑̊ͣ̚p̓̂ͦa̓ͪs̿̾̚sͧ̈͒i̎͂ͥ̊ͦ̍̉ň̂̿ͣͨ̌ͥ̃ǵ̈́̈͌̐̐́ͨ̚.͑ͦ̑ͬͪ̾ͩ̀.̽.̒ͧ͐ͣ̓͋”̀͌ͭ̅̈

He encircled the attendant, walking around him like a vulture, awaiting their prey to die.

“ͧͩ͊͌T͗͂ͭͮͥͦ̑́̇h̀ͩͪ̃̃͋a͒͋ͨ̐t̓͊ ̎̍̽ͦ̌̂̚̚rͯ̈́ͪi̐̂n̿ͬ̋ͫ͛̋g̓ͣͤ̓ͪ̎͐ͨ̃ ͣ̽ͫi̾̅ͧ̃n̊͛͗͑̇͗̚ ̊̽̈́ͪy̾̎̂oͨ̍͐uͮ̏͐r̃͌ͣ̅͆̂̔ ̒ḟ̎͛ͬͪíͣn̑̔͐g͌̓̓e̾̎̚r͗̈́͑̈́.̇͂ͨ̎̈̍ ͐͛̓̍͛̾ͫ̚Tͧ̉̅̆̿h͌̾̔̏ͯa͊̎͑͗́ͩͤt̐͂ͭ ̒ͪ̀̆̏wͭ̒̒ͣ̾a̾̈ͬͥ͐ͯ̈s̿̓͐ͧ̆̅͗͒ ̀ͮ̔ḣ̍eͪ̋r͑̆̓ͫ̃’̿͗͆̀̒̆ͪ̚sͯ̑ͭͭ̇͋̓̍,̿ͦ̌̊̽ ̂͐ͣ̂̀ẁā͒̇ͨs̎n̓͛͌ͮ́ͤ̆̏’ͭ͑ͨ͐ͣ̈́ͧ́̈́tͮ̈ͫ̔̓ͣ̇ ͩ͑̄̈́ͧͯḯ͗ť͋̎?̋͆͆̾̓͋͗ ̀̒̌ͦ̊W̌̔͛̆̒͂a̎ͭͨ͗̇̈́̎͊ͫs̉ ̾͌͋ȃ͗̋͌̀͊̚ ̅̀ͭ̃ͭ̈sͧh͐͊́ä́̑ͪ̐̈̈̍ͣ̾mͪͦͩ͌͗̈́e͆̆͒̅ ͥ̽ͣ̇̒ͭ͗w̑͐̏̓hͬͪͦͣa̍̏ťͪ̇ͤ̅̓ ͥ̆̍̃͒̆hͫ̑̂a͋ͪ̚p̉ͩ̔̉͗pͭ̃ͧͬ͌eͥ̾̀̉̾ńe͆̓̊̉̿͛͊dͪ̏ͪ͆ͩ͆͂.̉͌ͭ̓̌͛̃̽”ͦͣͭͥ̓͌̆̅

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

The mere thought of the training—now more a lifestyle—brought a sense of weariness to the Hyūga heiress. The creation of the Qilin division and her initiation into its ranks had drastically reformed her training schedule which now included the frequent challenges she was now required to accept.

Furījia had been aware that though she was a competent fighter, she hadn't ever been able to display her full prowess under the mental stress of a life-or-death mission. Whether it had been the outing against the Sound village or their last trip to the of waters, in neither situation had the girl really been able to fight at full capacity. Always too flustered to remember her training and a bit slow to adapt to the rapid-pacing of shinobi-to-shinobi combat.

In the last couple of months, however, Furījia had taken to the battlefield more times than she'd ever wanted. After tens upon hundreds of spars, the girl couldn't help but grow used to combat. If anything, she even felt comfortable while fighting. It wasn't a feeling she ever imagined she would feel, but she couldn't deny there was a thrill to battle, a bone-deep excitement that reminded her of Sagisō.

She had grown far too accustomed to spars where her opponents would pull their punches in reverence of her status; but, within the machinations of the Qilin division, the benefits gained from defeating her far outweighed any reservation her clansmen might've had. Truthfully, Furījia had been pushed to her absolute limits in simply maintaining that lifestyle. She'd had no time to learn new jutsu or practice anything too fancy. Still, the fact that she hadn't learned anything new wasn't going to stop her from pretending...

"It's impolite to ask for my secrets without sharing your own first, no? Hmpf, how insincere!"

Furījia crossed her arms and turned her nose up in a show of mock offense; her voice was airy: her tone lilting and teasing.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The fiery shinobi gave a lighthearted chuckle as he heard Furījia tease him again. Although this was the second time this had happened, Taiyo still didn't quite know how to handle it by virtue of the surprise factor that lay within the Hyūga's teases.

"Guess you got me there. Although I don't think I have much to share, if I'll be honest," The FBS master sheepishly claimed, contrary to the fact that he did have something to share, "All I could really offer in light of this topic is that I've taken time to refine key skills. But rather than tell me about your training, you could always show me the fruits of your labor through these exams. But only if you want to..." The Leaf-nin held a facetious tone in his offer as an attempt to make his offer more palatable.

There's always the chance that she says no...

Well I doubt that a refusal can be that bad.

It probably will be, but I won't interfere. Don't say I didn't warn you...

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"You...want to fight me?"

The fruits of her training were polished gems that the Hyūga heir was eager to display; but, given the nature of these exams and their inherent dangers, she didn't want to brandish her blade against another Konoha nin. Softly shaking her head, she rejected Taiyo's proposal.

"I'd love to; but, I don't think it's appropriate for us to fight one another if we don't absolutely need to. Perhaps after the exams?" She offered, "I'm sure Amegakure has training fields we can utilize."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
When the fiery shinobi realized the vagueness of his statement, all he could of was sheepishly chuckle at Furījia's interpretation of his desires. Admittedly, fighting the Hyūga heiress would be a decent challenge, but Taiyo had no interest in such a thing as of now.

"I should've been clearer, my bad," The FBS master brought a halt to his chuckles born from embarrassment, "What I really wanted to ask is if you'd be okay with teaming up with me. Provided we have the same role of course..."

Why didn't you just say that in the first place?

Maybe I'd have an easier time of it if I didn't have someone breathing down on my neck all the time...

 

[DarkHydraT]

A thief, not exactly a glorious role. Mori frowned a bit when thinking about the role assigned to him. Sure, ninja were not exactly paragons of lawful work, but deep inside him he still wanted to play a hero. On second thought though, his skill set was more tuned to the thief and putting on a scene in front of all the great nations was not exactly a smart idea. If anything, it would make Iwa seem lax with their genin. A quick glance at the other thieves made the disappointment of not being a hunter disappear like morning mist on a hot day. Tomiko, Madoka and Yasu were all thieves, and he knew for sure that Tomiko could cheese the whole exam by hiding underground. Something didn't feel right about Yasu talking to Tomiko though, and he didn't know what. It was as if someone plucked on his heart strings like it was a shamisen without ever practicing it even once, but why? It wasn't hatred, he knew that for sure. it was....jealousy? But why was he jealous? To his knowledge, there was nothing Yasu had that he didn't. Deciding to ignore his feelings for the time being, he walked over to his friends.

"How about we group up? Three heads are better than one and I know Tomiko and I have the skills necessary to avoid capture, not to mention being alone for 24 hours is probably incredibly boring. We can invite Madoka too, I'm sure she's gotten stronger since Konoha and you'll have a familiar face around, Yasu." Mori proposed the idea to the two genin, oblivious to the fact that Yasu's feathers were almost the same as Tomiko's hairclip.

------------

A hunter huh? Taji could get used to that role, especially since she'd make a great team with her friends. Walking over to Aisha and Kenji, she began explaining a plan. "How about we stick together? Aisha, Luna and Sky are capable of tracking down people by scent, I can take over by sensing chakra signatures should they evade the sharp noses in our group and Kenji, your training will have a chance to shine here. You can probably beat some unsuspecting participant with your incredible speed, are you still wearing those shackles by the way? Imagine if you took them off, you'd be able to outspeed anyone here." The kunoichi smirked as she placed her hands on the shoulders of her friends. "Of course, I plan on helping too. A sitting duck is good aiming practice, and I have security measures should I miss."

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"Oh, sure! I'm a...thief," Taiyo's clarification revived, with immediate effect, the girl's lilting tone; but, her liveliness faltered, her tone upbraiding as she revealed her role. Pausing only briefly to further emphasize her scorn, she looked askance at Taiyo, "and you?"

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Unable to resist himself, Taiyo let out a low chuckle at hearing what seemed to be Furījia's attempt to assert herself as a noblewoman through tone of voice. In addition to that, there was some relief in his chuckle now that he knew that his fears were unfounded.

"Well luckily for both of us, I'm a thief as well. I look forward to working with you," At first, his tone was more businesslike, but then it shifted into a more playful albeit slightly sardonic tone as he commented on the glance of disapproval that he got from her, "And don't worry, you can drop the upperclasswoman act, you've got nothing to prove to me,"

Maybe she's not trying to prove anything to you. Maybe she just thinks lowly of you...

I doubt that, otherwise she would've kicked me out a while ago for any number of reasons.
Seiun
As the rogue shinobi watched B.O.S.E.C speak to the attendant, he noticed that there was a key flaw with the construct's logic. It was abundantly clear to Seiun that the algorithm that constituted B.O.S.E.C's being was unable to comprehend the nuances of human communication. However, the former Ame-nin was perfectly capable of taking the essence of what he had heard the construct suggest, and twist it into a form palatable for the human audience.

"You got me. I just wanted to get a laugh or two out of you, since ya look so tired and all," Seiun casually shrugged and offered a light chuckle as to endear himself to the attendant. As he anticipated, his efforts bore fruit.

"I appreciate it," The attendant let himself succumb to the contagious power of laughter before reverting to his normal disposition, "Answering the door and organizing appointments isn't the most glamorous job, but someone has to do it." Now that the first part of B.O.S.E.C's dialogue was properly integrated, the second and more integral portion could surface.

"That is a very elegant ring you have there," Seiun feigned curious amusement in his voice, shifting his gaze to the trinket in question, "Where did you get such a bijouterie..?"

"It was a gift...from my ill mother..." The attendant was solemn but peaceful in revealing the news, "She's been ill for the past 5 months...the doctors say that she'll recover in time, but I doubt that will come to pass..."

"I see...I wish there was something I could do to help you..." The manipulative shinobi emulated the same sorrow that was present in the attendant's voice, "However, while I doubt there is anything I can do to assist your mother due to my life of squalor and poverty, I believe I can help in the family matters of Lord Yasei..."

"How so?" The attendant tilted his head, unsure of the angle the former Ame-nin was getting at

"Because, I have crucial information on the location of the infamous, traitorous Seiun Yasei..." As soon as he referred to himself in the third person, any sort of tiredness left the attendant's expression, replaced with vigor and urgency.

"Very well, I will request an audience with Lord Yasei on your behalf immediately. Please wait until I return," Therefore, Seiun convinced the attendant to get the attention of his older brother, pushing the deadline to his day of reckoning ever closer.

Well, that went well...

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

'An...act?'

The sudden and completely untoward request had given the young girl pause. She was...shaken. Her gaze swam, sinking down to her now clenched fingers, still a bright and lavished red. The nail polish was one of the many small gifts her mother had provided to her. While not to the extent of yellow, which demarcated power and royalty, red was a very auspicious color, one symbolizing luck, happiness, and even nobility. Worn together with the proud, preening phoenix whose talons tied together her hair, the girl had believed she struck a noble and respectable figure. She had dressed the part, after all; but, with a few words, thin, hair-lined cracks spider-webbed across her impression of herself.

While she might've been milquetoast, certainly saccharine and perhaps, even she could admit, a bit of a crybaby, was she really so lacking in inherent dignity that she had been treated like an...act?

Furījia's fists unwound; the fabric of her dress, previously pristine, crushed and bunched with fist-sized bunches of wrinkles. Her eyes shiftily returned to Taiyo; she gaze replete with reproach. Despite all efforts, her voice cracked beneath the weight of the accusation. Mercurial as she'd been thus far, her temper seemed to settle: morose and despondent.

"Why do you think it's an act?"

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
As soon as he heard the question from the kunoichi, Taiyo knew that he had made a mistake in his attempts to be playful. Aware that he had made a verbal misstep by virtue of the shifting tone, the fiery shinobi knew that the had to make amends fast.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be trying to hard to present an aura of importance," Taiyo paused, allowing himself to carefully consider his next words, "Even in the conversation before this one, you seemed to look down on me when I asked how your training went or your role in the exams, not that it bothered me much. What I was trying to say is that you don't need to prop yourself up in casual conversation, since it makes it seem like you have something to prove. If you are trying to impress me or something, you're already doing a great job just by being yourself. Not only are you a good friend, you're not just any Hyūga, but you're also the heir to the Head of one of the four noble clans of Konohagakure, how could I not be impressed with that?"

Especially when you're essentially a bum compared to her...

True, but it's not like she doesn't know that.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

B.O.S.E.C. Materialized next to Seiun, it’s talons tolling in the air as if it were a solid object seemingly judging the boy.

“͐̾͊̓̀͑̾Nͥ͊ͪ͆̓o̓wͪ̋ͩ,̈́ ͫ͑̽ͧẗ̆̌̂̑̐ͧḣ͐̇̍͐̚o͆͂͋s͊ͩ͐ͦͩͧ̚e͆̈́ ̊̍̑ͩ̒ͯar͊e̅ͬ̋̌̍̄ ͣs͒ŏͩ̐mͭ̑̑͋͗͊ͤe͊͛̀̔̐̽ ͛r̄̆̍̾ủͩ͌ͤ̇̏d̃ẻͥͩ͗ͣͤ tͤ͌̃ĥ̔̆́͆̈́ou̔g͒̐ͫh̾̅ts̚ ̐ͨ͐̎͌ͤ̑o͐͂ͧ̈́f́ͯ̒̂̋ ̇ͦ͛ẏ͛͛o̓u̾ͭ̃ͦrͫ̆̀s͐ͨ̏ͧ͊.͊ͤͨͨ ͂ͭ̇ͧ̚Y̓ouͪ̉̋̓ ̾͊ͭs͋ͯ̓ͨ̍ͥḧ́̋̔ͬͧ̎ȯu̎ͦ̈ͩ̄ͣldͤͤ̔ ̏̋ͭ̀̓ͮh͛ͩͤ̎̅̌aͤ̐͌͌ͦ͑ve̋ͯͨ́͊ ̾̾̓d̓̾ͪ̊͑͛ȏͦ̍ͥ͆n͑̊̑ͤë̈ͫ ̊ͯa̋sͦ͂͂̐̆ͮ ̿ͪ͐Ǐͦ̾ ͧs̊ͣ̒̃̂aͨ͂ĭͯͬ͗d̿̏̈̋ͦ ̌̐͒̔ͤ̅e͂͌͒ͪxͧͪ̑ͫ̾͑a̐̂ͥ̑͋̓c̐̚tͦͣ͑̅l͌̐̋̎̀ͭ̅y̓̒ ̍a͊sͨ͊̃́ I̾̄ͨ ͂̅sͦͪaͮͭ̓ͮ̌̀ĭdͬ̒ͪͩ͂ͭ ̓̊i͛ͤt.́̚ ͭ̾ͣ͐ͧDͯ͒͗̔ͭ̆oͯͥͣn̎ͫ’͐̃̾ͬt̏̓̂̽ͦ̈̑ ͗́͒͋yͮ͌͆̅ͯ̍ouͪ ͊̄ha̍̽͗̅vͨ̊ͦ̂ͦͬȅ̌͑ͯͦ̊̑ ̅͌͐ͦ̉̈̊t͑̚r̓u̚s͐tͣ̏ͧ̀ͮ̇ ͂̾̈͂̌inͧ ͗ͬm̽ͥ̅̓e͗? ̽͂Ï̈́ͤͥͬͤ̚ ͥ̀ĉa̍̾͋ͩͩň̅ͧͩ ͯͯͧ̋ͫ̌ͫp̑ͧͩͮͯrͥ̐̈́ed̿̃̒͗ȋ͋̂cͫ̓͑t̍ ̈̎̓͆̚ṙ̃̚e̿ͥ͛a͐ͣćt̏ͭȋͦ̎̌̿o̅͗̓ͮn̓̀ͥ̈̎̄s͑͂̔,̋͒̈́ͣ ̀aͨ̌̑̆̉ͭͫn̂ͧ̇ͦͫ̈́ͪdͯ̔̌ͥ̈͛ ̓̐a̾̒͊ͧ͑̑̊ll ̈́ͥ͐ͩ͊͒oͥfͣ̍̈̑͐͒ ̏͊͌tͤͩ͗̽̔̌h͆͒̊͑i̋̇͆͐̑ͥs̄ͩͪͬ̚ ̃͌̍̆ͫwͨ͗̓̽̓̂a͌s͗̿ ̏̆ͣͬ͊p̋̀̉̂͂̑r͗ͤ͊͒ͧe̍dȋ̌c̿̄ͯ̊tͣ͗̓e͑̾͌ͥdͤ.͊ͨ.̓ͯ̾ͫͮ.̍̀̈́ͦẽ̍ͧ͌ͨx͐ͩc̾e̔͆̃͋ṗ̈́t ͒ͪ͐̇y̑̉oͤuͫ̈͊r͂̊̈́̓ ͪdiͯ͒ͤs̽̆o͗̎ͮ͆bͥͬeͨ̆d͗̔̍̐i̿̿͗ͦͯe̓̑̊n͛ͦ̄͛̃͌c͛̓ẻ̋ͫ.͂”̄ͦ̆ͥ̅

The A.I. Came close to Seiun, it’s eyes gleaming down on it like twin crescent moons.

“ͫ͆̐̊ͫͪ͐Mͫ̓̃ͣͣ̓y ͬ̋knͭͨ̌o͋̓ͪw̔̃̀̑l͛̈́͌̄ͩ̈́͗eͦ͑̾̉dͪ̅̂̄̿̋g̔̏̇̀e ̉ͨ̏ͤiͤͧ̽s̏ͯ̒ͯ̽ͯ ̋ỏ̍̐͊ͭͧnͣ̇̿͂̇ly̾ͤͤͮͪ̍̅ ̈́̉ͩͪ͂gͯ̾͒̾ͯͣo͛̾o͛͒̾́̎ͧd͗̀̿̄̂ͯ ͯͬ͐̊͒ifͦͬ̐ͪ ̿yͮ̒͆̂o̿͗̊̔̑uͤͣͫͪ̽̏ ̈ͦͪ͌̒ͭ̚ű̽̉͗͂ͭͣs͒ͮ̏̓͆͂̽e̋͛̊̎ ͬ̒͆i͌tͤ̋.͑̽̄͛́ ̐͌͋ͨS̔̉̆͒̈́a͆ͯ̀ͨͣ͛ͩv̂̋̑̉ͥ͒̄vͦ̃́́ͤͩyͧ̈͊͆̚?”̏͒̾ͭͯ̚̚

 

[Godjacob]

Tomiko took a moment to stretch a little in the open area after she had gotten her role, she needed to be ready for whenever this exam was set for herself. While her role as being on the defensive was a bit too reactive for her taste, she had an idea or two in mind to make the most of it. Between her ability to dig and her little seismic perception she'd be able to scout anyone who got a bit too close for her liking. Maybe she'd meet other hunters and work to form a defensive group or something, that would be cool and sort of beat the boredom of isolation within the swam...

However, as Tomiko stepped out she saw Yasu who seemed slightly dejected at her before he had come out with his role. Wait, he had tried to speak to her? Tomiko suddenly felt pale as she realized she was so zoned in on the swamp and this whole exam set up she must have missed him. Crap, she needed to cover this slip up as she moved to get by her Suna companion. "Hey u-uh, Yasu did you..."

Though before she had a chance to speak, Mori came over and it seemed he picked up that she, Yasu and himself had similar roles as he suggested a team. This seemed to fill one o her planned ideas and with Madoka she had been sure the four of them could not lose.

"Oh I can get behind that! What do you think Yasu?" Tomiko asked him as already she scanned for Madoka who seemed to have seated herself by a tree as to the eye she seemed disinterested in all this; though really she had scouted both Hunters and Thieves alike.

----------
"So seems you are a hunter to eh~?" Aisha said with a toothy smirk as Kenji and her seemed to have matching roles, and Kenji could only be bemused by the odds as between Aisha's natural tracking talents and what he had learned while training in the mountains it seemed they had the ideal role.

And it only seemed to get better, as Tari came and also revealed her hunter status. Sky & Luna seemed to shine as Kenji had a small smirk in response as Aisha's grin only grew.

"Do you even have to ask? Strength in numbers cannot be understated." Kenji said as their little group had formed, just then the proctor worked to speak after he cleared his throat once more.

"All right, five minutes. All Thieves need to be at one of the entrances within five minutes. I personally don't mind your mingling but I'd rather not get it up the ass for stalling. So move along and let's get to the real fun." Satoshi announced to the group as it was time for the thieves to get in position and he gave the ETA to wrap up current convos.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"Not only are you a good friend, you're not just any Hyūga, but you're also the heir to the Head of one of the four noble clans of Konohagakure, how could I not be impressed with that??"

'Yes...how could he not?'

The words fell bitterly onto her ears. Her shaking stopped; her rising anxiety lost within a sea of bittersweet calm. With practiced movements she retreated just a step; yet, the distance had widened so much more than that. With a practiced smile, she adopted a well-catered expression, a well-worn mask. With practiced motions she bent ever so slightly, lifting the hemmings of her dress: a curtsey as perfect as one could imagine.

"My apologies for making you uncomfortable," she no longer spoke with a juvenile lilt, her tone like a semibreve held; melodic and pleasant to the ear, but monotone. "I must've forgotten my manners."

A brief memory bubbled to the surface, one of her many lessons on etiquette:

"Rules and manners can actually be split apart into two concepts. Rules must be followed. Breaking them would make a fool out of yourself, or even invite fatal attention. Manners on the other hand, is the ability to make others feel comfortable when you interact with them.

"This doesn’t only cover gestures, but also words and tone in conversation. To precisely express a variety of thoughts with your motions, and to analyze others’ moods and mentalities from their mannerisms, isn’t something that everyone can learn. But you miss, must try to understand it.[1]

"The three Great Dojutsu are all hailed as eyes with the power to transcend humanity: the Rinnegan, the Samsara eye, surpassing mortality, controlling life, death, and the cycle of reincarnatio; the Sharingan, the Mirror-wheel copy eye, whose prowess surpasses time, peering even into the future; the Byakugan, the All-Seeing eye, surpassing the material and from which not even thoughts may hide.

"Our Clan's mythical ability to read minds stems from these teachings; through careful observation, grasping even the most minute of details, you can analyze the moods and mentalities of your targets from there manneriesm. For you it is not just expected, it is required. After all, you are the heiress."​

The memory faded with a blink and Furījia's clear cyan eyes fell onto Taiyo. She had always gotten the impression that he was less than taken with the rigmarle and tedium of social status and etiquette. Though it was something she, as the heiress, would never be apart from, she had taken solace in a friend who's eyes had not been so societally lensed. Who seemed to see her as Furījia, milquetoast as she was, and not the heiress, she desperately aspired to become. Now though...she was unsure. The boy did, after all, appear conscious of her status and—

'Yes...how could he not?'

How people treated her had always been a subconscious reminder of her status, her identity, she was the heiress; the respect, deference, awe, expectation...they were all meant for the heiress. Not Furījia. Years of that disonance, hanging over her head, had all come to a front one bloody night, for only in that moment did she truly understand the immeasurable weight she was meant to bear. She'd struggled to come to terms with the fact; the fact that Furījia and the heiress were two difference people, forever intertwined, but also distinct. There had come a point where she had steeled herself to step into that role, to cast away Furījia and become the heiress; but, she knew now that choice, that path, was not hers to take.

Furījia would not become the heiress but rather, it was the heiress who would become Furījia.

It was a revelation her mother had opened her eyes to: "We are not great because our name is great; our name is great because we make it so.[2]"

Through Taiyo's eyes she'd learned that as things were, she was impressive because her title was impressive; but, that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted the opposite, the Hyūga heiress would be impressive because Furījia was impressive. Independent of status, she wanted a name of her own.

Taiyo believed she had nothing to prove, but he couldn't have been further from the truth: she had everything to prove. That's why she'd chosen to take the exams in the first place. She would show him through action, rather than words, that she was noble, that she was impressive, even without the weight of the Hyūga Clan behind her. Though her clan was her foundation: her fighting style, education, and current self all being products of its rearing; she would prove that she could use them, assimilate them into a style of her own. She would stand out, not for being a Hyūga, but for living up to the name of Hyūga.

Until then she would keep her distance, she wouldn't walk behind or beside him but in front of him; right before his eyes, until he saw. He wouldn't question her nobility then.

Albeit, there was a certain charm within it all that tickled her; and, as boldiy and as sweetly as she dared, she echoed it.

"Do you believe in fate?"

She didn't wait for an answer, in part because she didn't want to explain herself and because the proctor had given the call for the thieves to line up. Setting off at a relaxed pace, her every stop resolute, despite the slippery, muddy ground, Furījia began to explain in a low voice that only Taiyo could hear.

"Since we're being released in waves ours roles will be exposed right from the start," she blushed slightly at this, as her 'clever slip' of her role earlier on now appeared asinine and redundant, "since we won't be able to escape being targetted, then we should at least use the five minute head-start we've given to take the initiative. If we delve into the swamp, we can select a suitable location to booby trap and that should give us the advantage against the first hunters that run across us. Then the hunters shall become the hunted; and, the more hunters from other villages we can take down, the better our chances of passing this round."

With her last usage of the word 'our', Furījia included not only herself and Taiyo, but all the Konoha shinobi participating in the round. It was evident from her explanation that her objectives were beyond simply passing. She didn't just want to pass, she wanted to secure a pass for her fellow shinobi as well. Only an attempt at such a grand feat could satisfy her; but, despite her ambitions, she remained grounded in reality. It was unlikely she could get all the Konoha shinobi to pass these exams and, in fact, she was certain that she didn't even want all of them to pass these exams.

Although the proctor had emphasized that killing was forbidden in this exam, this was still the Swamp of Suffering, and if it was anything like the forest of death, even the environment would be out to get them. Thus was her secondary goal, even if she couldn't get all the Konoha nin to pass, she could, at the very least, protect those whose lives were at risk.

Spoiler: References/Citation

[1] Return of the Swallow — Chapter 21

“It is important to focus on the proficiency of your household duties, embroidery, character, and talents so that your in-laws like you. Interacting with others is a large part of life in these manors, so it’s vital that you honor your elders and coexist peacefully with the ladies. To precisely express a variety of thoughts with your motions, and to analyze others’ moods and mentalities from their mannerisms, isn’t something that everyone can learn. But you miss, can try to understand it...

“Rules and manners can actually be split apart into two concepts. Rules must be followed. Breaking them would make a fool out of yourself, or even invite fatal attention. Manners on the other hand, is the ability to make others feel comfortable when you interact with them.

“This doesn’t only cover gestures, but also words and tone in conversation, one’s outfit, colors used and others. During this time, this servant will go over the principles of wearing clothes with the miss, explaining how different color combinations will change the perception of others, and what accessories go with what outfits. This will help you understand a person from just what they’re wearing when you meet others in the future.”

— Zhan-mama

[2] He who fights with monsters — Chapter 66

“I was just reminded, however, that pride can be a danger. We are not made great because our name is great. Our name is great because we make it so. Every one who bears the Geller name has the responsibility to live up to it. We are born with this name and a lot more. It is our responsibility to spend our lives earning them.”

— Danielle Geller

 

[Godjacob]

And eventually, they were, as the Thieves gathered by their entrances around the swamp with Madoka, Rika, Sakura & Tomiko having made their way to with varied emotions from eager excitement to stern focus and whatever else in-between.

One thing had been shared, a resolve to survive and advance forward.

"All right, as a reminder and I will only relay this once more, the Thieves will get a five minute grace period in the swamp. Once those five minutes pass, the Hunters will be let loose; any earlier entry by any Hunter is an automatic failure. Now then, Thieves your time to enter begins now!"

And with that, the Thieves raced inside fast as they could. Naturally Tomiko had aim to meet up with Madoka and vice versa, while Rika seemed to just shot forward fast as her legs could get her and Sakura moved along the trees as she had an idea or two up her sleeve to lose any tails on her.

----------
Azumi walked away from the exam hall and eventually made it to her room of what seemed to be an apartment complex, as she wanted to make a pit stop at her home to get a thing or two before she'd give the grand tour as it were to Sagiso.

"Apologies for this pit stop, will be but a minute." Azumi assured Sagiso, as she entered inside leaving the door open; an invitation to come in if Sagiso wished, if not that had been fine as well. Inside the room was rather basic, a main room connected to the kitchen, with a hall that had the bathroom to one side and the bedroom on the other.

On the main desk was a few items; the Chunin Exam "trophy" she got as a symbol of what she "accomplished" months ago, what seemed to be a book of a mission log, and an old harmonica of sorts.

Towards the wall of the kitchen, hung a curious image...a crudely drawn picture that seemed to be two hand prints overlapping; one a small child, the other a presumed older feminine figure, as they seemed to be resting on each other as they pointed towards some not so well done stars in the sky.

Azum in kind had returned from her bedroom as she grabbed her wallet and what seemed to be a card of sorts as she walked to Sagiso.

-----
3 Months Prior
​

Azumi would admit, for this ceremony they went all out on the presentation if nothing else. The atmosphere reminded her of one of those old festival theater shows her mother used to sneak her towards. Though there was more purpose for this than simple entertainment, as this was a big changing of the guard moment for an entire culture.

Azumi had never seen something like this in person, and being exposed to it really was an experience she'd commit to memory. Though as she surveyed the scene, she noticed a pair of eyes focus on her as it seemed Sagiso looked her way. Or least she presumed Sagiso had been looking at her, was she checking if she had come? Had Sagiso been looking at someone else around her?

...was her hair? Azumi had no way to know but just acknowledge the look before her focus shifted to the ceremony.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bobo skipped into the swamp, not seemingly in a rush to get going, despite the hunters about to be released behind them. The mime looking ninja had it’s own pace and own plan in mind, deciding to approach the middle of the foresty area before stopping abruptly.

They did nothing else other than just stand in one spot, motionless. It was almost as if they had transformed into a statue.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
As usual in context of interactions with Furījia, the fiery shinobi wasn't truly aware of the impact of his words. Since he was unaware of how he had unintentionally insulted his friend, he was mildly confused when he heard the Hyūga speak with a more formal tone to him. However, he wasn't too bothered by this subtle change in tone, choosing to shift his focus to the imminent exams and his partner's plan to do pass. Admittedly, Taiyo couldn't help but grin at the plan that Furījia had devised, the fact that he didn't have an alternative to her idea helped.

"Sounds good to me," The fiery shinobi kept his voice to a volume low enough so no one else besides his partner could hear him, "I think I have a jutsu that will allow us to get deep into the forest quickly. Do you want me to use it?" Taking note of the fact that the exams had just recently started, he felt that it wasn't the best time to ask for permission, so he already began to do some hand-seals at a slow pace, able to speed up if he got the Hyūga heiress's consent and able to stop if he didn't.

Isn't this one still mostly in the testing phase? And the last time you brought a beta jutsu into the exams, you lost your arms...

Well I know that this time won't be like last time, I can promise you that! I know when to stop now, besides, I've done way more testing this time around, and I know how to prevent bodily harm to myself.

I'll have to believe you, cuz if you're wrong, its not just your funeral, but mine too.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"Your time to enter begins now!"

The first response to the proctor's works was the crackle of lightning, beautiful blue arcs dancing across Furījia's skin as she activated Lightning Overdrive and the Byakugan revealed itself. The effect of the two-fold increase in reaction speed and perception was immediate: the rain fell in slow motion, the drops almost countable. Her attention shifted towards Taiyo as he spoke, curious about his technique but confident in her own ability. Flashing a smile at him she voiced softly, "keep up."

Then she was off, a glowing phantom dancing through the swamp forestry, leaving behind the crackle of lightning and aftershocks of lightning in the watery pools below.

Furījia had already mulled over the details of her trappings and her eyes were peeled for a suitable location. She wasn't sure what technique Taiyo had but she figured he wouldn't lose sight of her.

"There's a clearing a kilometer or two ahead, I think we should set up there."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Unexpectedly, it seemed that Furījia had her own technique prepared for the occassion. As he noticed his partner become enveloped in blue lightning and reveal the Byakugan to the world complimented with a whispered tease, Taiyo's competitive spirit flared up as he grinned confidently in the Hyũga's direction.

"Gladly..." Whispering his own soft, warm tone, the fiery shinobi finished the sequence of hand-seals that comprised his signature technique: Flashing Burst Style. However, something was different in this usage of the familiar flame-based technique. Instead of the usual red or the somewhat rare orange, the fiery aura donned a different color: yellow. However, this somewhat irrelevant idiosyncrasy was soon ignored when one noticed Taiyo get down in a position reminiscient of professional track runners and soon began to rocket towards the destination that Furījia discussed earlier. It didn't take long for Taiyo to pass Furījia with his speed, though he did make an effort to slow himself down to avoid losing sight of his destination and more importantly, his partner.

See, told ya I'd be fine.

Touché.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai heard a burst of some kind in the distance, the inquisitive hunter-nin telling his head. The thieves had been released a few minutes ago...were they already fighting? He shook off this unnecessary display, readying himself to when the hunters would be released, which would be any second now. Readying two senbon from his pouch and securing his mask tightly around his face, he was prepared for what was to come.