Ask to Join Naruto: One's Nindo

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

She raised an eyebrow, giving Raiku an assessing look as he accepted food from a man he found on the streets. If he was okay with it, then it wasn't her place to question it. Sagisō nodded lightly in response to his second question and then turned to Asahi and giving her the stink eye.

"What have I told you about eating things you found on the ground?"

At that moment the group increased in size as a funny-looking man talking in a weird way tried to strike up a conversation. Sagisō gave Hisato a judging look and then turned back to Asahi, her expression deadpan.

@Hecotoro

 

[Mango137]

“Sounds great!” Bao replied to Taiyo, happy to hear that he was already making friends. The impromptu picnic was going even better than he had hoped, already making friends with three new people. But then like a stormy cloud on a sunny day, a new presence arrived at the scene.

There seemed to be some sort of tension between the newcomer and Asahi, and while Bao would’ve preferred to just let it play out with minimal conflict, he couldn’t help but get involved when it appeared that Sagiso was angry at his new friend.

“Please don’t blame her, it’s my fault.” He said with a smile, looking up at the angry girl. “I didn’t see any chairs so I just sat down here first…she just joined me to be polite. Besides, the food is all stored in baskets so I promise it’s clean! Feel free to have some!”

His attention was then diverted to the newcomer who seemed a bit nervous. I guess I’ll help him out. “‘Cool Cat’ I like that!” He chimed, “Almost as ridiculous as my real name… care to sit and eat with us?”

 

[Retro Master]

“Hey Tsuki. Disrespectful is an understatement but I guess she was hungry.”

Kiro responded to the Yuki ninja that had finally made her grand appearance. She was soft-spoken as ever, but had a cold edge to her tone. Having traveled separately, Kiro wanted to ask how her journey had been but held off for just a bit as he was getting more intrigued by the growing group out the streets. The food that girl mentioned must’ve been quite good for such a large gathering. However, when he moved closer to see what up, an expression of disgust grew on his face.

“These guys are really eating off the street...”

Kiro mumbled to himself quietly as saw the boy on the ground handing out his meal to the others around. To be honest, he could respect the generosity. The poor boy must’ve been struggling to gather such a large meal and was graciously giving some out to everyone. While Kiro would be hesitant to do such a thing, he could relate to struggling to put food on the table. On the other hand, this boy could’ve been someone scheming to eliminate the competitors who were easily deceived. A test perhaps. Kiro heard one of the comments directed at the girl from he saw earlier and actually found it funny since it was quite unhygienic what they were doing.

“Hey, kid in the cloak. You don’t know where that food is from might be what she’s saying. Do you just eat anything you find? If you’re really a shinobi, then you should know that could be dangerous and stupid.”

After replying to the black-haired boy, who felt unusually familiar to him, Kiro looked to extremely generous boy once more. This time even apologizing to the girl. Perhaps the boy wasn’t so bad, but Kiro had a bad habit of not trusting anyone. Especially so overly kind as him. There had to be some trick behind this and he wanted to find out.

“I mean I don’t really care what happens to everyone else eating here, but how do we know your food is not gonna poison them halfway through the exams?”

 

[ThAtGuY101]

Hisato's eyes sparkled as if he had never eaten a meal in his entire life. Hisato's stomach growled like a starving lion. Hisato didn't know this man's name but he could already tell that he was the coolest dude here. "Hyaaaaaaaaaaaah..." Hisato muttered to himself. "Yes please!" Hisato said graciously accepting the food, poured food down his mouth like a bottomless pit void of no shame. Hisato stopped eating to talk,

"Thankyou, good sir! You are truly an amazing person. You have my utmost gratitude" Hisato said getting up and bowing in a surprisingly elegant and formal manner. He then sat down like the half starving animal he was, and continued eating. he looked over at Sagiso and grinned, before wiping the food off his face.

 

[Mango137]

“No worries no worries. Food is best with company!” He giggled to Hisato, though his happiness would once again be temporarily halted by the introduction of another judgmental person.

“Hmm… I suppose this would’ve been a good opportunity to poison them.” He furrowed his eyebrows as though he was seriously concerned about what Kiro was saying. “But I’d never dishonor myself or my mother’s cooking by doing something so slimy. Here! I’ll prove it to you.” He grabbed a half eaten dumpling out of Raiku’s hand, swapping it with a brand new one and ate the bitten dumpling in one bite. “I guess I poisoned them then we’re all poisoned now!” He said with a laugh, finding the notion ridiculous. “I promise, unless you got some sort of allergy this food is a hundred percent delicious and safe to eat!”

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"No...I think I'll pass."

Sagisō rejected Bao's offer, not as eager to partake in the group's meal. She wasn't here for the food, she was more interested in why they were gathered here and who they were. The why seemed to already be answered, they saw a guy giving out food and no one saw anything wrong with accepting.

In fact, the only person that saw something wrong with accepting food from a stranger was the newcomer who questioned the safety of the food. The dumpling-boy seemed to take some offense to this and struck out to prove that the food wasn't poisoned. Sagisō blinked.

"So it's totally safe?" She eyed the dumplings. "Then I'll take one."

 

[jade421]

Yua lamented to herself as she stood outside the entrance of the registration hall, as she seemed to be a bit late compared to many others who had already arrived before her. Yua was not super adapt to these high traffic situations, but she'd have to get used to it quickly as hey least she'd have a chance to possible get to know people beyond her borders. And who knows, maybe this place would have something sweet she could try which alone made the Tameru Clan member excited but she tried not to let it show. She was a representative of her village, and she wanted to avoid coming off as a complete goof...least right out of the gate.

Yua moved to where others had worked to register properly, forming in line as she waited to present her passport and other information in order to be officially added to the list of competitors.

 

[Hecotoro]

"Smfahily." Asahi tried to say and decided to force herself to swallow before trying again. "Smiley, my name is Smiley." She said with a smiley face. "That's my little sister, she acts like the big one but she isn't." She spoke as if Sagiso wasn't present. "She's really strict sometimes but it's because she cares." She stood up and dusted herself. "But I should get going, I'm not supposed to draw too much attention and I think we are."

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho listened to Kaito go on a rather deep speech about the differences of their respective villages, it was a very interesting perspective to the young girl. She had spent most her life inside the Leaf and the few times she went out was when she was dispatched on missions, she has never visited any other villages. As such, hearing Kaito describe his village was highly intriguing for the girl. "Wow, that was a very fancy way to describe our villages, you should become a poet or something." She chuckled. "I've never been to many places outside the village, its my hope that becoming a Chunin will allow me more freedom when I go outside maybe even allow me to visit other villages." Shiho explained. "I really like finding new and exciting things and I thought the way you described Iwa was very interesting, I would like to visit there one day."

After some more walking, Shiho came to a halt and turned towards Kaito. "Anyways here we are, Ramen Ichiraku. Enjoy your meal."

 

[Mango137]

“Hehehe I knew you’d come around.” Bao smiled at Sagiso, happy to see she was willing to lower her stern disposition and open up a bit. “You won’t regret it, I love this stuff!”

Though once again, something happened to even out his happiness as he saw Asahi getting up to leave. Smiley… hmm probably a fake name but I guess that’s to be expected, oh well. “See ya later Smiley!” He waved at her. “It was nice meeting you, good luck in the exams.”

 

[EnviousWorm]

"Wow, that was a very fancy way to describe our villages, you should become a poet or something." Shiho chuckled, "I've never been to many places outside the village, its my hope that becoming a Chunin will allow me more freedom when I go outside maybe even allow me to visit other villages. I really like finding out new exciting things and I thought the way you described Iwa was very interesting, I would like to visit there one day."

Having taken his own turn speaking at length, Keito listened intently -- his eyes closed even as they continued walking, the young genjutsu genin focused on hearing Shiho's words more than the path she led him down.

"Maybe one day, I will become a poet, or something," The young boy laughed, instinctively patting the satchel on his right side which held his several notebooks of poems and random thoughts, "And maybe one day soon, you'll see the Stone, and the heart that beats beneath it."

Even before he finished speaking, Keito could smell the spiced broth and cooked meat wafting down the street. By the time he was done, he and Shiho stood before Ichiraku.

"Here we are, Ramen Ichiraku. Enjoy your meal." The Leaf kunoichi said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss Shiho," Keito bowed again. As he straightened back to normal height, he looked behind him at the relatively empty ramen stand, "But would you care to join me for a bowl? The least I could do is buy you one, to repay your kindness."

Keito had been alone since he'd arrived in Konoha, and he had to admit -- the company was nice; hell, he even enjoyed interacting with that odd Sagiso girl from earlier.

@Grand Master Koop

 

[SageNeb]

Raiku was a bit weirded out by Sagiso assessing him but just figured out she was judging him for his comment before she began seeming upset at "Smiley."

No way that's her real name haha.

He gave a small wave at Hisato he had dropped by. Then he was shocked at Bao eating his half-eaten dumpling and was a little disgusted but he wasn't mad or anything since Bao was a nice kid and even gave him a new one. Then there was the mist ninja who he had noticed from earlier talking to Asahi.

"Well I guess it's not so dangerous since he ate my dumpling. Unless he's immune to it or something... which I guess isn't completely out of the picture," he responded, glancing at Bao a bit suspiciously. "But I doubt it, feel free to be cautious though, uh... what's your name again?"

He frowned a bit as he noticed "Smiley" leaving abruptly after taking Bao's food but didn't say anything.

 

[Hecotoro]

"Yeah okay!" Asahi waved at the group excusing herself as soon as possible and trying to avoid her sister's gaze.

She knew she had to do something important, but she still couldn't remember. It was even worse when her sister gave her that judgemental look, since Asahi felt more nervous and trying to remember that one thing she was asked to do was getting more difficult. She figured her best option was to go back to the registration hall and try to retrace her steps. Unfortunately for her, as soon as she walked in, her heart began to beat against her chest as she set her eyes on the Hyuga.

"Shitshitshitshit." She tried to move but all she could do was repeat the same word over and over.

She couldn't make up her mind about what to do, if she moved too fast and ran out they might noticed her but if she kept just standing there looking like she just saw the dead come back to life, they could notice her also. Lucky for her and unfortunately for one unlucky soul, Asahi noticed a girl near by and quickly stepped into her path.

"Hey! There you are!" She spoke to Yua with a forced grin while her eyes where still on the Hyuga. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

 

[jade421]

As Yua waited in line to register, she seemed to be greeted by a rather eccentric personality who spoke as if they had met before which...Yua could not immediately confirm was true, but as she looked a bit perplexed she decided to explore what she meant anyway. "Oh uh hey there um...have we met?"

Yua figured that was a reasonable question to asked as she faced this girl as she tried to pass a friendly smile, though had lacked the ability to shake the sudden let's call it "surprise" for being called upon at seemingly random.

 

[Retro Master]

Kiro resisted the urge to look away in disgust when he saw Bao bite into the other person’s dumpling. He didn’t what was up with these people sharing their half eaten food. Of course, that bold act was almost enough to confirm that it wasn’t poison. Unless they had a death wish or were immune to whatever poison was inside. Even the girl that had been hesitant accepted to take the offer of food.

“I see. I’ll have to apologize for the suspicion then. Uhh, might have a dumpling as well?”

Forcing himself to apologize, Kiro decided to ask for a piece since the lollipop he was offered earlier had been ruined. While he was wondering if Bao was generous enough to spare another piece to someone who might’ve accused him of potentially murdering people, he looked over the boy he first spoke too. To be honest, Kiro was slightly interested about the Leaf ninja due to the odd familiar he thought they shared.

“My name? It’s Kiro. I don’t really feel like sharing my last name right now. What’s your name?”

 

[ThAtGuY101]

"Hi Smiley! Nice to meet you!" Hisato said before the girl walked off. Hisato finished his bun. "Thanks bud!" Hisato said thanking Bao once more. Hisato gave a small wave to Raiku. Hisato sat there. Hisato waved at Kiro. Hisato sat there calm and carefree. Not a worry in the world before sitting there slack-jawed. "Oh yeah! The name is Hisato! Hisato Gato!" Hisato said waving at all the people in the group.

 

[Hecotoro]

"It's because of the light!" Asahi replied, trying not to sound desperate. "Bad lighting in here, you don't recognize me, let's go outside!"

She gave the girl a soft pat on the shoulder before turning to leave. She couldn't help but clench her fists and grind her teeth as she tensed up and stepped out of the building. She let out a big sigh and tried to hold her tears in. Despite all the training she did and the dangers she faced, she had never felt so afraid in her life. Not because of getting hurt, but the fear of being discovered and risking getting her sisters in trouble. The thoughts of the man who was supposed to be her father was probably among the crowd also started to invade her mind, but she forced them.

"I need something deep fried and smothered in chocolate." She told herself as she leaned against a wall next to the entrance.

 

[Mango137]

With the apology, all reservations Bao held against the boy were forgotten and he restored his cheerful disposition. “Of course, help yourself.” Whatever the boy had said, as much as it bothered him, Bao knew there was some sort of justification and it was far from him to turn down a hungry person for a meal.

“Nice to officially meet you Kiro and Hisato, I’m Bao.”

 

[Godjacob]

Naturally it would be the Leaf Village to host these exams, of all years...
​

As the line to the registration area seemed to grow, a figure with an umbrella to her back and brandishing an Amegakure headband waited in almost cold silence as she seemed to wrestle with many conflicted thoughts over this arrangement. On one hand, she was given a chance to show what a nation often overlooked could do and given the location it would be kind of fitting to rub it in the Leaf's face. On the other hand, this girl seemed to just feel a sense of disgust being in this nation.

Just focus, you can put this aside for now. Just remember, you came here to progress, don't let anything else get in the way.

Azumi seemed satisfied, though as a pair of girls ahead of her seemed to speak one tried to invite the other away which caused her to raise an eyebrow but the Ame Genin turned back to the line. She needed to register, whatever matter that was had been no concern of hers she decided.

----------
"Bwark!"

"Relax girl relax, we're almost there. I'm sure they have something good to eat waiting for us."

"Bwark bwark!"

"By us I mean us, all of us no need to be so worried girl."

Walking past the main entrance of the village gates, a young man and what seemed to be two huskies who flanked each side walked down as he seemed to have a relaxed grin on his face. With his Kumogakure headband dangled around his neck on display, he seemed to eye his surroundings and he had to say for a village who historically his had some bad blood with once upon a time, it wasn't too shabby if he had to say so himself.

Yeah, Kenji felt he'd have a decent time here.​

Speaking of Kenji and his companions Lightning and Thundra, sniffed the air as there seemed to be a sweet smell in the air. Naturally his companions dashed ahead and with a sigh Kenji quickly followed able to keep pace as they seemed to approach to some make-shift food "kart" in the middle of the road, and by kart Kenji really meant some guy who sat on the road and seemed to be handing out foot to various other colorful figures. As the trio arrived, Kanji passed a casual look at the figure on the ground as an old memory seemed to click in his head.

"Hum, hey....Bao right?" Kenji asked, as he made his presence known to the group as he seemed to recognize the guy they circled around as an old Academy alumni, while Lightning & Thundra seemed to just pant and eye the bao he had on hand.

----------

Woosh!
​

What seemed to be an athletic girl bounced on the roofs of various buildings as she quickly moved, and moved with purpose. If one had focused on the exploits of this quick moving Genin, it appeared to be one from Iwagakure.

Woosh!!​

She seemed to have an energetic grin to her, and curiously she seemed to desire to go higher rather than mingle or even go to the registration area as expected. Her goal seemed to be to find the tallest building she could find, and her eyes were set on just such a building as there seemed to be a gleam in her eyes.

Woosh!!!
​

The Iwagakure Genin scaled to the top of the building as she took a moment to scan the stunning view; much as Iwagakure had been a historical rival with the Leaf, she had to admit the village itself was lovely. Besides, not like she had any ill will with the people here, if anything the girl named Tomiko only saw rivals not enemies. A point that dictated her next action, as she began to take a deep breath...

"IF ANYONE HEARS THIS, JUST KNOW I DON'T PLAN TO HOLD BACK AND NO MATTER HOW MANY OF YOU I HAVE TO BEAT I WILL BECOME A CHUNIN! IF ANYONE'S GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT SAY IT TO MY FACE!"

Tomiko smiled as she seemed proud to get that out of her system, course whether anyone had heard her cry over the village or not mattered little to her. She just had so many excited nerves in her system she just had to let it all out at once, which helped to further get her competitive fire going. With that done, she dashed down and had began to make her way to the registration area.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

Sagisō replied with a non-committing smile as the meat-bun disappeared beneath her cloak.

For a while longer she continued to listen in on the conversation; but, when it became evident that they actually planned to stuff their faces for the next few minutes, Sagisō began to consider leaving. She mulled over this decision until another Shinobi, this one appearing to know their host, decided he wanted in on the festivities. Accompanying him were two...wolves? Sagisō licked her lips.

"I think I'll take my leave," she announced. "Best of luck."

Sagisō stepped back and decided to check in on her sisters. The warmth of the meat bun in her cloak reminded her that she also needed to eat before the exams and thoughts of the Leaf's exotic foods littered her mind. However, amongst them, and vivid in her memory all the familiar smell and taste of an open-air barbeque. Sagisō licked her lips.

"Mmmm...wolf meat."

 

[SageNeb]

I guess he’s being extra secretive huh. Wonder what for, not like last names are that important unless you’re from a famous clan or something.

“I’m Raiku. You’ll find my last name out quickly I’m sure, though just letting you know if I wanted to I could just go find out yours from the registry. I saw someone looking at it earlier.”

He then started eating the new pork dumpling Bao had given him, enjoying it was a pleasant look on his face. Raiku turned to the new person who has came around the corner with his two dogs while noticing the headband.

“You’re from Kumogakure huh. Guess that explains why you know Bao. Surprised you have ninja dogs though. Only heard of the Inuzuka Clan using them.”

I wonder when the exams are starting…

 

[Retro Master]

Accepting the dumpling from the kind boy he now knew as Bao, Kiro took a close look at the food to examine it for himself. On the outside, it looked like just another ordinary dumpling, but was the inside the same way? There was only one way to find out. However, before he could actually try the now infamous dumpling, the boy known as Raiku let him know some relevant information.

“So the Leaf is just letting anyone see that information? Disappointing, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I appreciate the heads up, Raiku. I need to fix that now.”

With that, Kiro turned away to head back into the registration center to deal with whoever was in charge of the registry. It was a good thing that he did as another boy from the Cloud village made their appearance alongside two filthy beasts. Where did these guys think they were? In the slums of Konoha? Avoiding the repulsive scene is fast as he could, Kiro made his way towards the registry. Of course, not without checking up on one of the few respectable people he knew in Tsuki. Meeting her gray eyes, Kiro felt a bit bad for leaving her alone just after arriving for a few seconds and now that he had important business to deal with, the boy didn’t know how much more time they would have to catch up.

“Hey, sorry about that. Seems like the registry reveals our full names to everyone, so I need to see if I can change that. I did get this dumpling from the group over there though. Apparently it’s very good and clean. I made sure to check myself. Want it?”

Kiro offered the delectable dumpling to Tsuki, figuring she probably didn’t have much to her eat on the way here. She could take a piece or the whole thing if she wanted. Kiro didn’t mind since he needed to go talk with the person at the registry immediately.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"It's not covered in chocolate but you'll have to make do," Sagisō cut in, pulling Bao's meat bun from her cloak as Asahi dragged some girl from the registration building. A look of panic warped Asahi's usually feckless features and her eyes darted about with a vivacity that—shockingly—suggested some level of thought was going on. Sagisō was deeply troubled by the notion of Asahi actually thinking for once in her life; but peering over Asahi's shoulder and into the registration room, she soon found out why—Hyūga.

Sagisō passed the meat bun to Asahi and pushed past her, whispering in a voice that only she could hear.

"Get out of here, I'll take care of this. Go find Rui, have her check you. Don't eat the bun until she checks it."

Sagisō locked on to the 'threat': two Hyūga, one sitting with her eyes closed and the other...guarding her? She must've had some status to get a guard assigned to her. As the seconds ticked by Sagisō relaxed; looks like Asahi hadn't blown her cover. No need to alert them by acting suspiciously. She'd keep an eye on them.

Sweeping the room she noticed the boy from earlier; he who had suspected the meat buns of tampering now offered that meat bun to another. Another who, from her headband, was clearly from the same village. Sagisō blinked.

"Do you betray your friends often? You seem experienced."

Spoiler: actual dialogue

"So your suspicions were satisfied that easily?"

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Quiet down up there, what kind of ninja makes themselves an obvious target from the start?" A boy wearing a dark red shirt said out loud, looking up at the girl who decided to assault as many ear drums as possible. "Seriously Tomiko, you're going to get your butt kicked before you have the chance of doing so." Shaking his head, Mori followed behind the girl at a more reasonable pace. She always seemed to make a scene whenever she had something on her mind, something that was just as annoying here as it was in the classroom. He'd been forced to keep an eye on her, if only because they shared a village and classroom.

Whilst Konoha was a beautiful village, Mori knew like no other that it had a dark side. His father was living proof that Konoha was more than capable of subverting its title of 'soft', especially in times of war. He'd be on guard at all times, not letting anyone get close and prove to the world that Iwa was not dead after the results of the war. Shaking his head, he decided to check on Tomiko, fully expecting her to be knee deep into a fight the moment he arrives.

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

Get to the registration station, ace the exams and head home to Kumo. That was all she had to do. But noooo, this village had to be a giant maze. Where was a vantage point when you needed one? Spotting a ramen stand, Taji also noticed, who wouldn't, the two wolves that were standing near a boy. Walking over towards the ramen stand, she pained her memory to remember the vaguely familiar person before speaking up. 'Excuse me, could you point me in the direction of the registration office for the Chunin Exams? This village can get pretty confusing if you are lost."

 

[jade421]

"Uh okay just one second." Yua insisted as she moved to the front and got herself registered and once that was done she followed this stranger he may have known or might not have known. Though the argument of light seemed a bit suspect, so she'd keep mind of that and her guard up as she followed her.

This girl seemed to be in a panic, in fact if she had not known better she assumed she was crying over something. Maybe she mistook her as someone and just wished to speak? Either way Yua was curious what this had been all about as they walked. "Is something wrong?" Yua asked this stranger who seemed to think she was an old friend of sorts.

 

[Godjacob]

Azumi had just finished getting registered as she prepared to find a quiet place to relax until the exam were to begin proper, though as she moved a new figure seemed to come in and while the Ame-nin had tuned out most of his discussion with another girl as she walked past a certain phrase had caught her ear.

"Seems like the registry reveals our full names to everyone, so I need to see if I can change that."
​

Azumi paused with an eyebrow raised at this. What reason would one need to change their registered name for these exams...?

-----------
Kenji's head snapped to the curious figures who Bao seemed to get comfortable around, and in particular seemed to get a reaction when he heard the name "Inuzuka" spoken that even seemed to get Lightning & Thundra's attention from their inspection of the boa being served to the group.

"Inuzuka? So you are familiar with them?" Kenji asked, not too shocking given the figure who made the comment was a Konoha Shinobi, he had planned to explore their compound once a significant period of down time allowed for it during these exams, as there had been many questions of his own which concerned the famed clan in the Land of Fire.

Course Lightning and Thundra's sharp noses led to something they picked up on the girl who seemed ready to depart, as they moved by Sagiso to take a closer sniff. "Easy there." Kenji called out as he casually moved to prevent them from pressing their noses on the kunoichi. "Apologies they are a bit hungry. Long trip here." Kenji said before he began to move them back by Bao.

---------
"Hey watch it!"

"Sorry sorry! On a rush my bad!"

Tomiko dashed through the main streets to the registration area, and nearly ran into a couple of bystanders as she very much had been in a sprint as her bit of sight seeing had caused her to be sidetracked on getting signed up officially. Course, Tomiko sniffed what seemed to be some yummy food in the middle of the road as she hoped over a group in the middle of the road and quickly snapped her head back.

"Hey save one for me I'll be right back!"​

Tomiko called out her unofficial order as she was hungry but she had pressing worries as she entered the registration. She quickly moved to get herself signed up while she advanced up the line as that punch of excitement filled her being upon doing so. Course her eyes had noticed a pair with one seemingly leading the other by the entrance but she shrugged it off.

Once she was registered, she quickly dashed back aiming to go to where that sweet food was being served, before her eyes saw a familiar figure. "Mori? Is that you!?" Tomiko smiled as she moved up to her fellow Iwa companion.

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Of course it is me, miss bricks for brains. Who else is supposed to stop you from stealing the clothes of the hokage and parading around in them?" Knocking the back of his fist against Tomiko's forehead, Mori put his hands in his pockets. "Now where did you run off to in such a hurry? Gotta run away from a crime scene or did you just want to make a scene? Then again, you did return to a food stall of all things. Perhaps you're just hungry."

"Besides, Konoha does have good food according to mom and dad. Not the same as home, but not bad either way. Bit sweeter than we're used to though, so don't say I didn't warn you." Shrugging his shoulders, Mori looked at the generally disheveled body of his classmate. "You did take a bath before coming here, right?"

 

[Schrift]

Unlike the sand genin girl that was late to the registration place, Mori was actually early. He had made sure to sign up early so he didn't forget later. Mori knew there were others from Sunagakure here but he didn't really care. Was it really bad if he just abandoned them for the time being? He was told to get to know everyone before he fights but he didn't feel too comfortable. Well it's not like he was comfortable, carrying around all that sand and iron sand was uncomfortable, then again it's not like he could that comfortable often. Walking around the village he sort of just wandered as he hand his bostaff on his back. He felt short compared to a lot of the nin around him, even those that seemed his age looked slightly taller. As he continued to walk he began to get lost to the buildings of konoha. Everything felt so alien to him. The smells, the noises and the sights he saw. He took out what looked like a small treat for himself, a red bean bun. He always had one or two on him at all times as he took a bite of its soft dough.

Walking further through Konoha, Mori definitely stood out. Walking around with a weapon, dressed as a Sunagakure nin he definitely stood out from a lot of the crowd. He was wearing his usual red long sleeve top. The sleeves being baggy and open, stopping near his wrists as it left his gloves open. His white shorts, with the bostaff on his back and headband on his arm. As he finished his red bean bun, he searched his belt for another. It was at that moment he froze as he began to pat around his belt for any pouches that kept some in them. He kept searching, even checking in his sleeves and in his shirt before he sighed and accepted he ran out. Maybe he could go find some, that wouldn't be so bad right? He began his search as he looked for a store that had red bean buns, it was definitely a new quest that had him searching until he came across a small store. A small stand that sold those glorious red bean buns. Man they were fresh and hot too! Mori didn't wait to check them as he bought himself another 3, which he wrapped in a small cloth as he kept it around his waist.

Mori was planning to go back to go check up on any Sunagakure members until he heard his name. Shit, did he do something wrong? He was confused for a second, as he took a moment to think before he turned around. "Yup! I'm Mori-", he stopped talking as he noticed that the person who called him was referring to someone else? Mori was closed to the other Mori and Tomiko as he looked at the pair, huh where were they from? he wondered. Until it hit him, these were stone nin. "Woah, Iwagakure!", he grinned as he looked at them. Well now he didn't feel so alien here knowing there were others. "I've never seen iwagakure nin", he chuckled as he looked at them, before he took out one of his buns and just nommed onto it. Mori stopped his bite as he pulled his head away from the bun, shit it was hot. "GAH- that was hot", he chuckled. Already he seemed like a moron.

@Godjacob @DarkHydraT

 

[Hecotoro]

Asahi took a deep breath of relief after her sister gave her some food and went to check things out for her. She was focused on her new meal, she almost forgot about the girl she had asked to go outside with her. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment as she realized the odd scene she had probably caused for the stranger.

"Sorry!" Asahi reached into her bag and took out the pink lollipop she had bought earlier. "I mistook you for someone else, here! Thanks for your help!"

With that Asahi was off to look for her other sister just like she had been instructed to. Hopefully this time she wouldn't run into anyone dangerous. After running around she finally set her eyes on Karui, feeling a bit more safe, she slowly crept up to her and then playfully jabbed at her ribs.

"Gotcha!" Asahi yelled with a big grin on her face. "What you doing?"

 

[=Nightshade=]

As Karu was walking, a new stick of dango in her hand, she glanced around at all the buildings in the Leaf Village. For someone who lived in the wild and then a cave her whole life, it was a whole different experience. There were so many new sights and sounds and smells that had her looking around like a tourist. When she caught that behavior in a mirrored window, she stopped craning her neck to look around, embarrassed at her childish behavior.

A familiar stealthy footstep pattern distracted Karui for a split second before fingers poked into her sides. “Eep!” the girl exclaimed in surprise, then fell into giggles for a moment before regaining her composure. “Asa— Smiley, that tickled!” When asked what she was doing, Karu blinked, eyes unconsciously sliding over to the stick of dango in her hand, two mochi spheres still on the skewer. “Umm….. eating. It’s called dango, you want some? It’s reaaaalllly good…” She chuckled sheepishly, knowing Sagiso probably wouldn’t appreciate them eating at a time like this… again. But a new village meant food to try, and if Asahi hadn’t tried it yet then Karui wanted to share.

 

[Hecotoro]

"Of course I would love some!" Asahi cried out. "I actually have an unfinished lollipop some boy rejected because he though it was poisoned, can you believe that?"

The girl took out her remaining sugary treat and unwrapped it, revealing the big swirly pink lollipop she had been saving. She held it up to Karu as if offering a trade.

"Oh guess what, I ran into the losers and..." she forgot the code name for Sagiso, "The other star went to check things out. We should head back and check if anything is okay."

 

[jade421]

"Wait...!" Yua called out before this girl just left her standing as now Yua just seemed more confused than anything else. There was a chance it was an honest mistake, but it just seemed so weird to be so sure, start a conversation and then just bail the second they moved outside. Yua blinked a bit unsure what to do, before she sighed as well her first social interaction went about as poorly as she could've feared.

Yua was about to go find a spot to wait for the exam to begin, but saw what seemed to be some make-shift food service in the middle of the road with various other Genin and some dogs. Perhaps Yua would do better if she tried to make conversation there, so that her one bit of social activity was not someone who seemingly bailed on her out of the blue. With nothing else better to do, the Suna girl made her way over to least check out what the commotion had been about.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho thought about the Stone Genin's offer for a second. "Hmm, that very nice of you but I think I'll pass. My brother told me not to stray away from the reception hall for too long since he thinks I'll get distracted and miss the start of the exams, honestly he thinks I'm still a little kid sometimes when its clear I'm already quite mature." She explained, letting the fact that she lead a foreigner to a ramen stand get to her head. "Besides, I'm not that hungry right now. Maybe next time, its been nice talking to you Keito." She bid the young boy farewell as she turned around and began running back to the reception hall.

Along the way, Shiho heard what sounded like a girl's voice shouting from the rooftops. She turned to watch Tomiko dash by. "Well that was a bit odd."

 

[EnviousWorm]

"Besides, I'm not that hungry right now. Maybe next time, its been nice talking to you Keito." Shiho of the Leaf said her goodbye, turning to leave. The Iwa genin returned her gesture wordlessly, with a simple wave good-bye.

"Maybe next time," Keito sighed, stashing his sheathed sword comfortably beside him as he sat down on a bar stool, "Duty will require I take your life."

"Eh?" The older man behind the counter turned around, giving Keito an odd look, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing." The Iwa genin sputtered, "Nothing. Can I have - eh - spicy narutomaki ramen, please?"

Having put in his order, Keito heard an all-too-familiar scream; though he couldn't make out the words, the booming confidence echoing off the voice -- Keito knew his fellow Stone shinobi had arrived. He let out a smile and ate his food in quiet reverence. Shiho hadn't led him asray. The food was delicious.

Heeding her words as well, when he finished, Keito slipped his sakabatou back into its place at his hip and made his way back toward the registration hall. The barefoot ninja felt the soft, welcoming Konoha earth as he walked leisurely by. Along the way he ran into Tomiko and Mori, as he suspected he might.

"Ah, Hurricane Tomiko arrived at last I see," He joked, stuffing his hands into his pockets all casual-like, "And Memento Mori alongside her, eh? Glad to see some familiar faces here, finally. I was beginning to worry I'd be representing the Stone all alone!"

@Godjacob @DarkHydraT

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
To say that a lot happened in a brief period of time would be an understatement. Specifically, there were two new arrivals, one trying too hard to be cool and the other condemning them for eating food acquired from a stranger. Additionally, the girl that was there first claimed her name was Smiley, though Taiyo felt that the name was either fake or very eccentric. While there were other things that happened, none required his attendance, meaning that the fiery shinobi was free to make additional preparations.

"Well, it's been fun meeting the both of you, but I should start preparing for these exams. I hope we don't gotta fight each other though," With a somewhat embarrassed chuckle, the Konoha shinobi gave a small wave to Raiku and Bao before distancing himself from the both of them. The genin checked his jacket to ensure that he didn't forget any of his weapons at home, confidently readjusting when he was certain he remembered everything. Once Taiyo had adjusted his jacket, he allowed his eyes to wander around the exam grounds until they had landed on the next interesting sight. Particularly, that sight was a girl who was sitting in a corner by herself with two people not too far away from her. Naturally, the Leaf shinobi was curious, but given that she had her eyes closed, it was likely that she was just sleeping.

Hmm, interesting. I dunno why she's sleeping now. Maybe she didn't get any sleep before the exams, but I doubt catching Z's right now would be any helpful.
Tsuki
A small grin manifested upon the final Yuki's face when she heard Kiro's acknowledgement by name. The grin wasn't there to stay however, since Kiro had mentioned that the person he was talking to previously forsook manners to satisfy her base urges before leaving to investigate. Tsuki was inclined to do her own analysis, however, she chose to do so at a distance. The full scene revealed a kind, if somewhat naïve shinobi giving away steamed buns to anyone that came, which was quite the sizable number of shinobi.

An unconventional yet overall intelligent play. Win the hearts of the masses by offering gifts so you can go into the exams with either allies on your side. However, he might be unaware of the cards he has in his hand. Regardless, I should be cautious around him, his magnetic personality is a dangerous weapon to contend with.

With seemingly unparalleled speed, she scribbled her thoughts down in her notebook for later reference, titling her recent notes "The Feast Bringing Fool" for easier reference. By the time she had finished, Kiro had made his return. However, it seemed that he hadn't returned empty handed. His apology and offer both brought a smile to her face, though that was somewhat dashed by the new arrival's insinuation that Kiro was a traitor.

"If you're concerned for my safety, then I appreciate the sentiment, but I feel the need to inform you that Kiro had the bun checked prior to making his offer," She kept her tone calm and respectful before adding a remark of her own, "But if we want to address habitual behavior, perhaps the best place to start would be your insistent intrusion upon conversations that don't benefit from your attendance. This is an art you've mastered, is it not?"

@Retro Master @kyuukestu

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

Sagisō offered a placating smile, then she blinked.

"You're confident." She noted. "Should I assume this Kiro is an expert in toxins or detection or, at the very least, his skill in medical ninjutsu will save you—should it come to that?"

Judging from the state of the meat bun it had been mostly untouched, not a single prick nor prod could be seen on its surface. That could mean 'Kiro' possessed some sort of x-ray vision or extra-sensory perception that allowed him to check the meat bun without opening its contents. But it could also mean that he'd simply lied about checking it.

Either way, Sagisō seemed to take great interest in examining her nails, before casting a dismissive glance at Tsuki.

"If we're talking about skills we've mastered, prudence isn't one of yours."

@sSoul

 

[ThAtGuY101]

Most of the people seemed to be going off to go register for the chunin exams. Hisato wasn't going to be a stick in the mud. Hisato walked over to go register. He took his time registering because real men don't follow deadlines and do things when they decide to.

Hisato looked over and say Kiro and Tsuki. Talking to the girl who makes funny faces. "Yooo hoooo!!!" Hisato said looking over at them before approaching them.

"What y'all goofs talkin' 'bout today?" Hisato said cheerfully hands clasped together as he looked around at the group.

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
The icy kunoichi wore a disingenuous smile on her face as she listened to this brazen newcomer. The irony that an orphan such as herself seemed to be more adjusted to normal interactions than this girl wasn't a fact that went unnoticed by the Yuki kunoichi. Despite that, she still had to acknowledge Sagiso's attempt at being clever.

"It is quite easy to have confidence in those whom you trust." Taking a similarly dismissive glance at Sagiso, she delivered her final retort, "I appreciate you're observations. Maybe by the time I've mastered prudence, you would've attended a few precursory courses in social grace. It would please me to bear witness to any potential progress you would've made, but I'm well aware of the futility that lies in attempting to teach someone such as yourself." Taking a sudden interest in her notebook, she documented the weaknesses within this kunoichi's character, labeling her "The Paper Tiger". She then decided to turn to the other uninvited stranger, one that bore a more pleasant attitude.

"Nothing of importance, I would recommend that you get your bearings in order. The Exams could start at any moment. It would be a shame if you were caught off guard." She gave a smaller, more genuine grin towards Hisato before beginning a section on him in her notebook.

It seems that inserting oneself in conversations uninvited has become a common practice.

@kyuukestu @ThAtGuY101

 

[Retro Master]

To Kiro’s surprise, yet another girl came up to him out of no where. He was starting to get annoying memories of his time in the Academy. Fortunately, this girl appeared to be as unique as the way she dressed. It seemed like the Hasa Kunoichi was even more untrusting than himself. More cautious would be the better term perhaps. It was pretty evident she was still hesitant on take the bun. Maybe she knew something they didn’t. Whatever it was, Kiro was intent on finding out. After letting Tsuki say her part, which Kiro was quite pleased and appreciative of what had been said, he took the chance to respond himself.

“I’d consider her advice if I were you, but it doesn’t seem like you’re the type to listen to just anyone. I can respect that. In any case, I take it you’re still suspicious of that guy then? Rightfully so, I suppose. I just think it’s quite evident already that’s it’s not poisoned.”

Glancing away from her magenta eyes for only a moment, Kiro said that last part as he gestured towards the newcomer. Hisato was a fellow Mist shinobi and had also stuffed himself full with those buns. If there was anyone who would getting side effects by now, it would probably be him. In fact, the same could arguably be said about the first girl that had come to him. Speaking of which, that same girl was actually part of the same village as the one before him. Kiro kept that in mind as he continued on to explain his thought process.

“Seeing as I ended up getting Bao to eat the same piece as Raiku, there’s only a very specific circumstance that would make further suspicion worth the effort. That’s if Bao was immune and the poison itself takes awhile for its effects to kick in. That could very well be the case but at that point, is poisoning a few random genin before the start of the exams worth becoming a direct target by all the competitors here? That’s not even mentioning the wrath of at least four of the five great nations in what is supposed to be one of the few “peaceful” events between them. Seeing as you’re from Hasa, I won’t fault you for not understanding that the relationship between most of the great villages is tenuous at best. However, I presume your suspicious nature has already led you to the conclusion that the purpose of these exams are much more than trying to determine who can become a chūnin, has it?“

He paused there for a brief moment, giving her time to think about it if she needed too. While the unmentioned purpose was to showcase the battle strength of a nation’s shinobi, there was yet another reason behind the significance of the exams. This was also an opportunity for other nations to assess that very battle power of opposing nations without any consequences whatsoever. The loss of a chunk of genin with potential was also a loss of intelligence on the enemy. Frankly, purposely sabotaging competitors from other nations was just a foolish play. Bao would be targeted by every other participant and the Raikage would have to deal with the other Kage coming for his neck for the actions of the genin. Honestly, if it were poisoned, these genin might’ve unknowingly assisted their villages in allying together and decimating the Cloud. A worthy sacrifice perhaps. Then again, maybe the Raikage was just a clown. Of course, since that was high unlikely, Kiro would believe in his logical judgement than waste unnecessary time and energy on a slight possibility. A ninja must try to see through deception, yes, but at a certain point, they might just end up deceiving themselves. Assuming Sagisō had figured out the true purpose of the exams, Kiro carried on with the topic.

“Of course, it would be a mistake to not consider the possibility of the villages just not caring some of their strongest upcoming shinobi got poisoned by another village’s genin. You can have that point I guess. Anyways, care to explain the reason why you handed that girl your meat bun? You are also comrades after all.”

After addressing a possible counter-argument Kiro stated his own question, referring to the exchange he witnessed transpire only moments ago. Considering the girl appeared quite serious about her suspicions, it would be quite hypocritical of her to just allow a comrade to eat another bun. Obviously, there was something else she had in mind.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Shiho eventually made it back to the registration halls after parting ways with Kaito. When her eyes fell on the room, she noticed that there were now a lot more people than when she left. "Huh, more people must have arrived." She thought. One particular group that caught her eye appeared to be bunched up around someone eating what looked like dumplings. Shiho looked on with a hint of glee on her expression, never has she seen so many people of different nations gather in one place.

While admiring the large gathering of shinobi, another rare sight caught her eye. Sitting alone at the edge of the room was their clan's heiress, Furijia. Despite being around the same age, Shiho rarely ever got the chance to talk to her and barely even see her around. Seeing this as a good chance to talk to her, Shiho was about to walk up to her when she remembered another thing her brother told her. "Wait, didn't Shura tell me to watch myself around the Main Family?"

Memory
"Listen Shiho, you can't act however you want around the Main Family. They can kill one of us from the Branch families with a single thought if they wanted to, its crucial you do not offend them understood?"

"Yeah he was very insistent on that, almost as insistent as every time he told me to stop obsessing over breasts but that's never gonna happen." Shiho chuckled to herself. "Still, I know he's looking out for me so I suppose I should at least consider his warning and stay away for now. I barely know her and people's reaction of me is generally not very pleasant." Shiho concluded before turning away from her clan's heiress. "I really hate our clan system sometimes."