Ask to Join Naruto: One's Nindo

[Grand Master Koop]

(Discussion Thread: https://pokecharms.com/threads/naruto-everyones-ninja-way.27159/)

Not many events are as important for a Ninja as the famed Chunin exams, a test that serves to determine whether of not one has come far enough to be promoted from their Genin status into that of a Chunin. This event happens once every 6 months and gathers people from all across the land, from the 5 great nations, the apex of the ninja world, to smaller nations scattered all throughout the continents.

Today marks the start of one of these exams, a sea of shinobi determined to move up in their careers from all over gather in Konoha, the hidden leaf village, where this cycle's chunin exams are held. The contestants are to register for the test as soon as they arrive and wait until the official start of the event where briefings of what the exam consists of are shared.

Will you move up in this dangerous world or die trying? Grab hold of your destiny or allow it to perish? That is up to you to decide.

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku enjoyed his breakfast with his parents before saying goodbye to them and leaving his home. He walked along the Uchiha district saying hello to all his clan members who he cares for dearly. Raiku enjoyed the Konoha air and smiled to himself as he walked towards the exams. He went to the registration center and signed up before leaving and walking around.

I wonder what the rest of the genin are like… especially from other villages.

 

[Retro Master]

“So this is the Leaf huh.”

Casually strolling through what was an unknown village to him, Kiro took in the sights and the people that filled the streets. Contrary to the dreary atmosphere of the Mist, the Leaf was so much lively. It was quite strange. Especially considering that this might’ve been his home had things been different. Instead, he was one of the secret weapons of the Hidden Mist Village. His fellow Mist genin shouldn’t be too far behind. They started off separately, and Kiro being the fastest among them, had already made his way into the village. There was one particular cloaked boy that caught his attention. Primarily the symbol on it. Of course, knowing his own cursed heritage, he knew it would be best to keep a low profile until it was absolutely to reveal his identity. Once he got the the registration center, he quickly signed up for the exams. Unfortunately, he did have to mark his identity on the papers, but it was unlikely that information would be passed around so soon. After that, Kiro went to a nearby wall and leaned on it, watching the incoming participants as he relaxed.

 

[kyuukestu]

Autumn's chill was near but the vestiges of summer kept the forest warm and alive. Sagisō could feel the roughness beneath her soles; it was probably one of the last times she would do so. In a few more weeks she would slip on her fur moccasins until the spring of next year...and next year would be quite busy. She thought back to her new home, nestled in the mountains between the Land of Rice and the Land of Waterfalls. It was currently a baren system of caves that ran between mountains and valleys, but soon it would be a nice and homely place.

For now, she set her sights ahead to where she could see the gates of the village hidden in leaves; the host of this year's...chūnin exams. She marveled at the entrance's high walls—they unlike any she'd ever seen—and the sheer number of people passing in and out of them was more than she'd ever met in her life. As she passed into the city her attention wandered to the strange shapes and colors of their buildings, with people selling strange foods and products. She would make time to try them later.

Sagisō led her sisters to the registration hall and signed up for the exams.

"Remember we don't plan to stay here long; after these exams are finished we have to meet our sisters at...Takemi Village? Whatever just enjoy yourselves while you can. Oh and remember to go to the weapons shops, we got money so we should get familiar with the weapons used by our opponents and get a few for ourselves."

Her gaze shifted landing on a boy against a nearby wall who was casually assessing the people that walked by.

"And stay sharp."

 

[Hecotoro]

"Sharp is my middle name." Asahi tried her best to pay attention but she was more interested in trying out the vast variety of food she had probably never tasted.

Once they had finished signing up, the girl excused herself from her group and ran off to the closest food stand she could find. It was one filled with all kinds of candies and sugary goodies. She had saved extra pocket money just for such occasion and it seemed the effort had paid off.

"I will take two of these and one of those." She pointed at two giant lollipops and a large chocolate bar.

Once the exchange had been done she wondered back to the registration hall. It wasn't like she didn't want to go explore the unknown village, but her mother had made her promise to keep a low profile and to avoid getting into any sort of trouble at all cost. Which made sense to her, considering how valuable she was to Hasa and if the Hyuga clan knew she was there, well she heard plenty of unpleasant stories form her mother. Besides, she had some goodies to try out and that would keep her busy until the exams began.

"Ugh my eyes are killing me." She growled to herself as she took a sit and placed the bag with her candy to the side. "Contact lenses are so annoying." She took out a small bottle of eye drops from her pouch and looked around just in case anyone was watching her, before removing her goggles and putting two drops on each eye. "Ah! Better. I don't know how they expect me to fight like this though." She said while adjusting her goggles over her eyes. "You know what? I deserve a treat."

With a big smile she took out the chocolate bar, unwrapped it and began eating it, squealing with joy at the taste of the smooth chocolate flavor melting in her mouth.

 

[EnviousWorm]

The boy from the Stone, sat like a stone himself, planted atop a high point in Konoha; Keito allowed himself to take in the sights of a foreign village. Grand as Iwagakure was, he had to admit -- the Leaf felt both formidable and comfortable from within the confines of its own walls.

Having arrived early - as one perpetually over-punctual does - the Stone genin watched as genin from other villages began to pile in to the registration hall. From where he was, they felt like ants. He knew when he got up close, well, they wouldn't all look so small then.

"If you're not going to take these exams seriously," Keito's elder brother, Keinshi, sighed, even as they twisted their blades - interlocked with the other - around to find the right leverage against each other, "Then this might be the last time we'll be training together."

"Oh, I'm serious," Keito replied, his teeth fitting grit together in frustration, exhaustion alike, "But nobody can know it."

"Then you won't make it very far!" Keinshi said, breaking the deadlock between their swords with a kick aimed at Keito's belly, which caused the younger brother to disengage and retreat back a few steps.

"If I don't make it, then that's how it was meant to be." Keito shot back. Keinshi shook his head, as if admonishing Keito for misunderstanding. Then, they charged at each other again.

Standing from his vantage point, the Iwa genin gazed down on the tiny world in front of him for one last time; he adjusted the sword sheathed at his hip with an almost tenderness. Then, he leapt down, ready to confront the chunin exams head on. Though not in a desperate rush, it was clear when he set his name in the registry -- he wanted to get on with it, having steeled his nerves for the coming battles.

 

[=Nightshade=]

Karui nodded seriously at Sagiso’s words, casting a wary glance around herself in the unfamiliar surroundings. That was fine; unfamiliar situations were something Karu had become familiar with adapting to. But in order to do so, she would have to stay on her toes. She watched as Asahi approached a shop, stuffing candies in her pockets the moment they were done signing up, and allowed herself a small, quiet laugh.

The girl inclined her head to Sagiso with a “I should be going as well” before flashing a rare grin and leaping atop a building. Karu glanced at the facades of each building as she shot by, searching for a weapons shop, but paused as an intoxicating smell caught her. It smelled almost like rice, simple and warm… but sweet. The store had a sign spelling out “DANGO” and a picture that looked like three different colored mochi on a stick. Surely just a taste wouldn’t cost too much…

Karu approached the store cautiously, ordered a single stick of dango and gave the shop owner exact change. Then she continued walking down the street, still looking for a weapons shop. She had her own weapon, a sickle-esque blade around the size and weight of a sword called a khopesh, but her kunai supplies were rather low, as were her shuriken. Her ambidextrous hold and comfort using either forehand or backhand grip made her a formidable opponent with any sort of blade, especially those that are longer.

All of a sudden, Karui was broken out of her thoughts by the first bite of dango. She could have sworn sparkles appeared around her and her face lost its serious rigidity for a moment. It was fantastic. Soon enough, she came to a miscellaneous weapons shop and purchased kunai and shuriken, again paying with exact change. She still had a little money left, though; she’d save it for if she saw something interesting while sightseeing. Karu could easily sense and pick out the chakra of her sisters, due to having done so for seven years prior, and knew that they would likely meet up again before the exams. But right now, she had some time to scope out the competition…. and maybe revisit that dango shop.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō had followed her sisters for a short while and left with a small scowl as they both immediately began stuffing their faces.

"We'll be careful Sagisō." She mimed mockingly, from her new vantage point atop a roof.

Disappointed but not surprised, she returned to the registration hall and noted the new arrival. This one was from the Stone. She would've expected a bit more conflict between these nations who were apparently enemies, but for now, they seemed content to brood in their own corners. What a waste of time.

Picking out the least broody-looking one, Sagisō made her way over to the Stone shinobi.

"I heard you Stone Shinobi were supposed to have wills like solid rock," her eyes glossed over him, settling on his steely expression, "but you look like you're about to shit yourself."

@EnviousWorm

 

[Retro Master]

Watching as shinobi from all the different villages passed through the registration area, Kiro tried to pick out who was from where by looking at their forehead protectors. Obviously, there were were plenty of Leaf genin due to it being held in the village this time. Unsurprisingly, most of the five great nations had sent their shinobi to compete. While no one would say it, the exams were a subtle way for the villages to show off their battle power. Like the saying went, “The next generation will always surpass the previous one.” These exams would be a glimpse into the future simply put. How they finished here would set a bar for this upcoming generation.

Of course, everyone expected the ones who passed to be from the five great nations. However, underestimating the minor nations would be a mistake as well. Looking through the many headbands, Kiro saw quite a few he recognized. However, one of them caught his attention. It was one he didn’t recall seeing before on the protector of some girl he caught gazing his way for a few seconds. She was in a group with two other girls as well. Perhaps they were from some newly formed village. This slightly piqued his interest, but nothing more than that. He’d probably learn about them soon enough anyways.

 

[EnviousWorm]

Watching the foreign kunoichi approach him with a swaggering confidence, Keito ran his thumb around the simple, brass hilt of his sword -- more of a fiddling, bored manner than one of intimidation, though it might not appear that way to outsiders.

"I heard you Stone Shinobi were supposed to have wills like solid rock," She said, looking him up and down in a way that suggested she was unimpressed, "but you look like you're about to shit yourself."

The Stone genin broke out of a daydream, snapping his steeled expression with a slight, sideways smile.

"I had to rush to get here so I didn't have time to...you know," He replied, meeting her gaze with maybe unexpectedly kind eyes, "You've got quite the Stones yourself. Couldn't wait for the exams to begin, huh -- to start testing your enemies?"

@kyuukestu

 

[kyuukestu]

"Pfft—" that was an interesting answer, to say the least.

"Yea, you could say that. It's a good way to spend my time, better than loner and lonesome over there." She a gesture in the direction of the two other registrants who showed off their impressive shinobi-like skills in intelligence gathering and espionage by intently studying the make and build of the Leaf village's walls.

Battles were often decided off the battlefield and Sagisō was keen to take advantage of what prep-time she had.

"I'm Roulan and you," she offered a grin "are an enemy worth testing."

@EnviousWorm

 

[EnviousWorm]

'I wonder the real reason she chose me to approach,' Keito thought to himself as she rambled on about the other genin in the registration hall,

"I'm Roulan and you," The girl grinned, "are an enemy worth testing."

"If you say so, Roulan," He replied, feeling as though she reeked of misdirection -- then again, what shinobi wouldnt? Deciding to form his own kind of test, the Iwa ninja held out his hand for his foe to shake, "And I'm Keito. May the better of us succeed."

It had been a while since Keito had played a shogi match; he hadn't quite expected to be playing it three-dimensionally with another genin so soon.

@kyuukestu

 

[kyuukestu]

"Likewise," Sagisō reached out, taking Keito's hand in a firm grip. They said you could judge the caliber of a swordsman by the strength of their grip and the virago had not missed the blade that hung at the Iwa-shinobi's side.

She held his gaze with her striking eyes, her pupils and unusual shade—magenta. After a moment had passed she blinked and spoke in a voice that would only be audible to Keito.

"The next time we meet probably won't be as friendly but...you can call me Sagisō."

With that said, Sagisō intended to leave. Although an entertaining conversationalist, she couldn't spend too much time on Keito.

@EnviousWorm

 

[EnviousWorm]

Feeling the odd kunoichi's firm grip in his own, Keito let his loosen some; maybe she could tell it was on purpose, but even the young Keito wasn't sure how far to take his game.

"Oh, I know...Sagiso," The Iwa shinobi replied, his grin curling into a small pout, though he broke that back into a smile quickly, "It's a shame, though -- the way we live."

He let her go, but watched close. A coldness ran down his spine.

Thumbing the hilt of his sakabatou once more, Keito went to leave the registration hall in search of something to eat.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

"Phew, good thing I woke up relatively on time today." A young girl muttered to herself as she ran into the registration hall. The girl was named Shiho, she is a member of the Hyuga clan, one of the noble clan of the hidden leaf, made evident by her pair of stark white eyes. "I don't want to imagine the verbal lashing my brother will give me if I missed something as big as the Chunin exams." She chuckled.

As she moved herself towards the registration desk, Shiho's eyes scanned all around the room, looking at all the other contestants that had already showed up. The registration hall was filled with shinobi from the other great nations and more, new and unfamiliar faces were as far as she could see. Shiho became excited by the idea that she will be able to converse with people outside her village. "Alright, lets get registration over with so I can move on to something more enjoyable."

 

[Hecotoro]

Asahi felt satisfied with her her snack. The chocolate bar had hit just the spot. As good as it had been she knew she still had more goodies to enjoy before the exams. She opened up her big and took out the big round and swirly lollipops. One had a mixture of purple and blue while the other one had pink and yellow. They both looked delicious and it was difficult to decide which one to eat first.

"I will have to eat both of them at the same time." She told herself with heroic feeling to her words.

She was about to unwrap them when she noticed some guy leaning against a wall, looking like he wasn't having a good time according to Asahi. She could definitely keep a low profile if she spoke to one person or two. Just had to make sure they weren't from the Hyuga clan and she would be fine.

"Hey there stranger!" Asahi waved and called out as she approached Kiro. "I got this extra candy, want some?" She offered the pink Lollipop. "Are you here for the exams or are you just checking people out?"

 

[EnviousWorm]

As he was walking to leave the registration hall, Keito stepped aside to let a girl run in past him; she bore a very unique set of eyes and the symbol of the Leaf, which gave the hungry genin an idea. In Iwagakure, he didn't have to ask for directions -- he'd walked around just about anywhere and everywhere, out of exploration, out of boredom. But Konoha was new to him, so why not?

When the Leaf kunoichi was done registering for the exams, Keito approached, again showing an odd respect and warm openness to those who weren't from his village.

"Oh, excuse me?" He said, walking up from behind her, "Sorry to bother you, but could you point me in the direction of a good restaurant? It'd probably be best to eat before the exams start, right?"

@Grand Master Koop

 

[Retro Master]

Kiro was simply relaxing as he continued to watch the incoming competitors when out of no where some random girl called out to him. He knew there would be people trying to gather information, but didn’t expect this type of direct method. The girl looked like she had just stuffed her face full of food and was still carrying more with her. Even more perplexing was the fact she offered him a lollipop. To be fair, he had wanted to try some of the food eventually, especially at this one ramen stand he had passed by earlier. Since there was nothing happening, Kiro really had no reason not to chat with her. Plus, the symbol on her forehead protector was the same mysterious one as the other girl. Maybe he could use this as an opportunity to learn where they were from. With a bit of suspicion in his tone, he answered the girl.

“Uhh, that lollipop is not poisoned right?”

Perhaps that was a bit too direct, but he knew better than to blindly trust anyone from a different village. Especially now. If the candy was poisoned, he could be sidelined for the upcoming exam. That could be her plan for all he knew. However, he’d give the upbeat girl the benefit of the doubt for now. His tone changed to a more a casual one as he continued to answer her second question, even though he didn’t have to give that information.

“Anyways, I’ve just been here waiting for the exams to start. It’s pretty quiet here though, so no ones revealing anything much. Which is smart. Actually, I saw some other girl from the same village as you, but didn’t recognize it. Do you mind telling me?”

 

[Hecotoro]

"Poisoned?" Asahi looked at down at the lollipop and wondered if maybe they had been poisoned.

The only way to find out was to test it herself. The girl unwrapped the candy treat and licked it herself. She savored it a bit before smacking her lips and shaking her head.

"Not poisoned." She offered the lollipop again. "I'm from Hasa and you? Wait! Let me guess... The Hidden Leaf!" It was the only other place she really knew and that was because she had just arrived there.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo Akugami
One of the many benefits of being a Konoha shinobi was that they had the shortest journey to the Chunin Exam registration halls. Taiyo had a relatively easy journey to the hall. Although it was easy, it wasn't uneventful, for the fiery shinobi was carrying a envelope containing a present from his sensei, Satō Morishita. He decided that it would be best if he opened it after he registered, so the Leaf-nin was filled with eager anticipation. Registration wasn't a lengthy process, allowing Taiyo to alleviate the suspense that he allowed to build within himself. To his surprise, it was a wad of cash with a note reading "treat yourself to something nice kid, I'll be rooting for you". With a shrug and a grin, Taiyo decided that the best method of treating himself would be to get a literal treat. Scouting out the candy store was a simple task, and he decided to buy a couple of cheap sweets, keeping some money to buy shuriken or kunai later down the line. As he was en route to the weapons store, he noticed that there was a young man his age that seemed to be aimlessly wandering the registration grounds. Out of curiosity, Taiyo decided to talk to this wanderer.

"I noticed you were walking around the grounds, are you looking for something?" Now that the Leaf-nin was able to get a closer look at this meandering Shinobi, he noticed the Uchiha symbol was adorning his cloak, but he figured that he would comment about it when the time came.

@SageNeb

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku took notice of the Genin coming in after him while wandering around the registration center. First came in a Mist ninja who proceeded to lean on a wall, seemingly trying to observe and gather information about everyone.

Makes sense I guess. Maybe he's not the talkative type.

Then came in three girls wearing a headband he didn't recognize. They split up shortly afterwards with Raiku noticing one going to a food stand.

I'd probably be hungry too after reaching another village... though I wonder where they're from? Eh I'll probably find out later.

He saw one of the girls go up and talk to an Iwa genin and introducing themselves to each other. A few other people had also arrived from his village and the girl that went to the food stand went to talk to the Kiri-nin from earlier. Before he could go up to anyone though one of the fellow Leaf genin walked up to him.

Don't I know him from the Academy...?

"I noticed you were walking around the grounds, are you looking for something?" the boy commented.

"Well, I guess we can go somewhere to chill for a bit. By the way, I'm Raiku. How about you?"

 

[Retro Master]

To his disbelief, the girl didn’t even know herself if it was poisoned and then licked it to check. Kiro didn’t know if that foolishness or confidence. For a second, he even considered what to do if she just dropped dead in front of him. That would’ve bad. Fortunately, for the both of them, she didn’t seem to be affected by any side effects yet. He watched as the girl put the lollipop back in the wrapper and then generously offered it to him again. Kiro just stood there, confused and doing his best to mask his disgust he felt from seeing the detestable action of the girl before him. She had just licked the lollipop with her tongue, then tried to give it him. If it wasn’t poisoned then, it definitely was now. Even more concerning was that this seemed completely normal to her.

“Um, you can keep that. I’m good. Thanks.”

Kiro gestured for the girl to keep the lollipop as calmly as he could. Putting his disgust aside, his interest was piqued again when she mentioned some place called Hasa. That was definitely a village he didn’t know much about. Weird name too. As for her guess, she was definitely close...

“Nah, I’m from the Mist.”

Kiro answered as he pointed to the symbol on his forehead protector. It was the easiest way to determine what village people were from after all. Of course, he went right back to the topic of Hasa to learn more about this unknown village.

“But yeah, I never heard of Hasa before. Is that like a new village?”

 

[Mango137]

Out of the entrance hall strolled a boy in high spirits bearing a large backpack about twice the size of his person. "Ahhhh, time to eat!" He chimed, to nobody in particular but himself and unashamedly plopped himself down in the center of the street. His name was Bao, and after a long journey from his home in Kumogakure, he had found himself at the site of the chunin exams: the hidden leaf village.
Well I guess it's not so good at staying hidden. Look at all the people here! He giggled, looking around a bit while pulling out a bamboo steaming basket that emitted a mouth watering scent.

"Thank you very much!" The boy proclaimed while looking up to the clouds. He liked to imagine that somehow the testament of gratitude had reached his mother back at home who had slaved away in the kitchen for days in order to send her adopted son off with an excess of food. That was the life Bao had grown accustomed to. Though not lavish, those from his humble origin had always spoiled Bao with whatever they could, and that was the way he hoped to live as well. "There's no better way to make friends than over a meal, and there's no better resource than a friend. Therefore, food is the origin of the greatest power." His mother's words echoed in his head, bringing a smile to his lips as he remembered her response to his questioning about why she packed so much for him.

Well hopefully someone will come join in, it'd be a shame for this to go to waste. He thought as he bit into a fluffy pork bun, though he was not too concerned. Should people be able to resist the innocent offer of a free meal, Bao was more than happy to devour whatever was left.

 

[Hecotoro]

"I guess it could be..." Asahi scratched the back of her head, "I mean compared to other nations, we basically are. But it's really great!"

She seemed excited talking about her home but she stood still for a bit, holding her index finger up as if telling Kiro to be quiet.

"Shhhh... Do you smell that?" She began to sniff the air and looked around for the source. "What is that wonderful smell?" She finally set her eyes on a boy eating in the middle of the road. "Nice meeting you, bye!" She quickly removed herself from Kiro's presence and made her way to the boy eating by himself.

"Where did you buy that?" Asahi's eyes were set on the food in front of him. "I need to know."

 

[Grand Master Koop]

After finishing her registration, Shiho turned around and began looking for someone to bother. With how many people were present, she was not short on targets to talk to. Before she could decide, Shiho heard the voice of a boy asking her if she knew a good restaurant in the village. "Hmm?" She turned towards him to find a young boy who was obviously not from the leaf. "Oh you're looking for a good place to eat? Give me a bit to think about this."

Shiho began thinking about the places one could grab a meal in Konoha that she knew of and sorted them in her mind. Soon after, she came to a decision. The girl turned towards the foreign shinobi. "If you're visiting Konoha and want something to eat, you have to try Ramen Ichikaru."

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki Yuki
As was the case in many events of her life, Tsuki Yuki traveled to the Konoha Chunin Exams alone. This pattern of isolation was not born from desire, but from aspects that were entirely out of her control. Not only was she the sole survivor of her clan, but the majority of her training was private. Up to this point, any people that she did interact with kept her at arms length out of fear or disdain. Nonetheless, her journey to the registration counter was unimpeded. Once she her participation had been catalogued, the icy kunoichi scoured her surroundings to survey her competition. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the attendants were conversing amongst themselves prior to the event to come. What irritated her was the fact that all of these conversations were being held up so easily, regardless of nationality. The fact that the Yuki found herself surrounded by the one thing she had been denied her whole life was nothing short of cosmic mockery.

This is a new village, perhaps things shall be different here.

The icy kunoichi noticed her opportunity within the crowd she had examined, as there was a singular boy that wasn't currently involved in a conversation. Without further hesitation, Tsuki approached the shinobi to claim what she had been snubbed from her whole life. Once in range to begin conversing, her eyes did a quick examination of who she intended to talk to. She had noticed that another girl was talking to him previously, but she had left abruptly. A perfect opportunity.

"Unfortunate, some people just have no manners," She shook her head disdainfully at the girl who had left in an excitable hurry, "I'm sorry that you had to go through that."
@Retro Master
Taiyo
Looking for somewhere to relax was the task that was set before Taiyo at the moment. His eyes quickly darted around the complex before he noticed a boy eating food and a girl talking to him.

Maybe we can hit them up for some quick conversation.

"I found somewhere Raiku, follow me," Taiyo motioned his head towards Bao and his lunch before strolling over towards the lone shinobi. He began walking, but turned around to introduce himself to his new acquaintance.

"By the way, the name's Taiyo Akugami, nice to meet you. " He managed to arrive just in time to hear Asahi ask where Bao got his lunch, setting the stage for a perfect one liner.

"I could ask the same question. Or more directly, are you in the mood to share with the both of us?"
@SageNeb @Mango137 @Hecotoro

 

[EnviousWorm]

"Hmm?" The girl turned around and looked at Keito. He wondered if she was surprised, in some way, that an odd boy from a different village was being so casually up-front with her,"Oh you're looking for a good place to eat? Give me a bit to think about this."

The Iwa genin obliged patiently, folding his hands into the other behind his back, humming a slow melody to himself as she stopped to think about his question.

"If you're visiting Konoha and want something to eat, you have to try Ramen Ichikaru." She said finally, sounding confident in her decision.

"Eh?" Keito replied, interested. He didn't eat ramen often, but he didn't hate it! It made sense to give something he didn't eat often a chance now; something new, in some place new, "Ramen...Ichiraku? Huh! Okay. Yeah, okay!"

Spinning on his heel with a practiced grace, Keito extended one long leg to continue his path out of the building; with one foot raised high in the air, the Iwa shinobi paused to think, realized he didn't know where the hell this Ichiraku place was, and set his foot back down, spinning to face the Hyuga girl again.

"Could you - uh - tell me how to get there from here?" Keito asked with a laugh, scratching anxiously at the back of his head, ruffling the tall topknot of brown hair that covered his skull, "S-sorry!"

@Grand Master Koop

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho crossed her arm as she smiled at the boy in front of her, she was quite glad to be of help to someone new to her village. Watching him walk off, a thought crossed her mind. "Wait, does he know where to go?" Right on cue, the boy turned back around almost right after he initially turned away to ask her for directions. "Ah there we go" She thought. "Yeah sure I don't mind showing you where to go, follow me." Shiho explained before walking pass the foreigner, motioning him to follow.

 

[EnviousWorm]

"Yeah sure I don't mind showing you where to go, follow me." The Leaf kunoichi said, moving past Keito with a little wave that suggested he come along.

Confused a little, having only asked for directions, Keito cocked his head and paused with another of his sideways smiles; then he shrugged, resting his left wrist upon the hilt of his sheathed sakabatou, and he followed the Hyuga girl out the registration hall and out onto the streets of Konohagakure.

"It's quite kind of you, offering to show me the way," Keito said, stopping short to bow to the kind girl, before continuing. His long, lanking legs made it quite easy for him to begin out-striding the Leaf ninja. It was almost as if he were still getting used to his height. During the walk, the boy glanced around at all that they passed -- but unlike most shinobi, he wasn't calculating and plotting. He simply appreciated the sights, "I'm Keito, by the way. You live in a lovely village. It's been quite a while since I've been somewhere so...colorful."

@Grand Master Koop

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

Arriving at the exam registration center, Furījia could see that this year's competitors were a talkative bunch. As the heiress to the Hyūga Clan, she had always been privy to watching the chūnin exams, many times as a representative of her mother and as a way of inspiring participating members of the branch family.

Now it was her turn to stand center stage—living up to the prestige of village and clan. She loosed a deep breath, calming her nerves as she registered herself for the chūnin exams. She had taken a quick peek at the other names in the registered book and the few familiar names she saw calmed her nerves.

She took a seat in a relatively empty corner of the room, allowing her bodyguard and escort the space to hover protectively around her. Now seated, she folded her hands over her lap and straightened her posture until it was presentable; then, she closed her eyes and begun to meditate.

 

[Mango137]

Hmmm? Bao, distracted by the mouthful of food he was chewing, looked up with curiosity at the new arrivals. For a second he forgot that the whole point of this meal was to make friends. He held up a finger as he finished chewing and took a sip of water to clear his mouth.

“Ah, sorry about that…” He blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed by his improper display. “My mom made these for me, I actually got a ton extra so you guys are welcome to have some. There’s pork, chicken, beef, and shrimp.” He said as he pulled out more steaming baskets from his bag. “Help yourselves to whatever you want. The name’s Bao by the way.” He smiled and waved his hand.

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku looked in the direction of where Taiyo suggested and saw the two Genin that were talking to each other and were going to eat food. He followed Taiyo to them while responded back, "Nice to meet you, too."

The Kumo-nin agreed to share his food with the three of them and introduced himself.

Huh. Quite a friendly fellow. That's good, better than hostility.

"No worries mate, name's Raiku. Pleased to meet'cha. This food looks good, you said your mother made it? Moms' food are always good," he said, before grabbing a pork bun and chewing it.

"How you like the Leaf, by the way?"

 

[Mango137]

“Yeah, she’s the best cook at home. Totally unbiased.” Bao joked back to the boy. He took a moment to look him up and down, noting the Konoha marking on his headband. “Honestly I haven’t seen too much of it, I just got in a little bit ago… got a bit lost on the way.” He giggled, “But it seems really nice, maybe you could show me around sometime.”

 

[Hecotoro]

Asahi sat down next to the boy with a big grin on her face. "Thank you!" She said loudly before grabbing a random dumpling and take a bite out of it. "So delicious!" She cried out.

She didn't seem to care about the others present while she was eating. So far the trip to the Hidden Leaf had been great. The people were kind and the food was delicious, she wondered if her sisters were having the same luck. She then got a feeling she was forgetting something important she had to do. But if it was important she would've remembered right? She shrugged and kept eating with a smile and nodding, pretending to pay attention to the conversation.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

"Don't worry about it, having something to do is better than mopping around until the exam starts. My name is Shiho, in case you wanted to know." Shiho spoke as she lead the boy who had just introduced himself as Keito towards the ramen shop. "Do you not have sights like this in your village? What does it look like in Iwa? Its not actually as dull as stone right?" She questioned after hearing him complimenting the aesthetics of her village as being colorful.

 

[EnviousWorm]

"Do you not have sights like this in your village? What does it look like in Iwa? Its not actually as dull as stone right?" Shiho bombarded the Stone shinobi with a series of questions about his home. Keito let out a soft chuckle and poked at his cheek with a probing index finger, letting Shiho finish patiently as he took her inquiries under serious consideration.

"Iwa is impressive," He admitted, although he also let slip a little disappointed sigh, "It's not dull, but stony greys arching over head, earthy browns beneath out feet -- Iwa is cold. Not without soul, but it's cold to outsiders and cold to insiders alike."

As they walked along the streets - maybe even nearing the Ramen shop that Shiho had hyped up to him - Keito stretched out a hand to playfully swat at leaves on some trees lining the road.

"Konoha is green and white and blue and brown and red and orange," He said, his face stretching into a wide smile, "It reminds you that it is alive, like fire is alive. Iwa - like a boulder - pretends it is an unmoving, unfeeling thing. But I know beneath the surface of the stone, it wants to be more than that. It just doesn't allow itself to be."

@Grand Master Koop

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The Leaf-nin grinned positively at Bao's offer before helping himself to one of the pork buns. Taiyo wanted to take another, but he felt that if he did that, he would be taking advantage of the generosity that he had been shown. Instead, he decided that he would be content with simply enjoying the food.

"Thanks man," He gave a small yet respectful bow towards Bao before he began eating the bun. He made short work of the meaty snack before following up on the Kumo shinobi's passive desire for a tour.

"I'd be happy to when this is all over. Consider it my repayment for this." As he extended the offer, he paused long enough to realize that he had forgotten to introduce himself, "Oh, by the way, my name's Taiyo, nice to meet ya Bao."

@Mango137

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"Ashai 'Sharp' Kudo," A scowl hung on Sagisō's lips but she quickly concealed it. "I was a fool to believe her for even a minute."

The sister she'd had warned to be careful not even ten minutes ago now found herself at the table of some strange group, dining on steamed buns in the middle of the streets with no regard for rhyme and reason. In fact, strange didn't even begin to describe the group as it was easily the largest and most diverse in the surrounding.

Sagisō blinked. Wearing a curious expression she walked over to the group.

"Do you always eat off the floor or is this a special occasion?"

@Mango137 @SageNeb @sSoul

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku chuckled softly at Bao's joke and was going to also extend an invitation to him for a tour but Taiyo beat him to the punch, not that he minded. He was a little surprised at Asahi's sudden exclamation at how much she enjoyed the food but then just smiled in agreement.

"I'll join in the tour too later. What's your name by the way," he asked Asahi who had yet to introduce herself to the two Konoha-nin. However at that moment someone else had walked over, who he originally thought wanted to join in on the food before she mocked them.

"Gee, is it too unhygienic for you princess?" he joked with a small laugh before noticing her headband was similar to Asahi's.

"Wait, do you to know each other? I don't know what village you guys are from," he said gesturing to both of them with a confused face.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Hisato Gato ba-by!...~

Hisato got outta bed, with nothing but a smile. No curtains, and a large bay window wide open.

"Good morning wooorld!" Hisato yelled before getting dressed in his day clothes. He combed his hair and smiled at his reflection in the mirror, "ooooh, I look shit hot!" Hisato said before jumping out of the window. He was gonna head to his next destination. Chunin exams bro!. Hisato was so happy that he completely skipped breakfast.

He jumped over a tree branch, slid past some lady, ran past a bunch of stores, and over a fence.

~Skip to konoha...~

"Team twelve golden, baby!" Hisato said upon arriving in Konoha for some reason.

He headed towards the marketplace. Lots of people. There were four people that looked like they were around Hisato's age, and they were eating! Those four people were Taiyo, Raiku, Asahi, and Bao. Hisato ran halfway there before walking to try act cool and not like a starving animal. He slid on the floor near the four ninjas. "What's up... Cool cats... What's... Up?" Hisato said uncertain whether or not that sounded cool or not.