The sun was nearing it's highest point in the sky, and the guards stationed at the entrance to Konoha were beginning to ponder leaving their post to grab a bite to eat when the elder of the two noticed a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to address the cause of this disturbance but was stunned to find that its creator was already to his side. He recoiled in surprise, but regained his composure before his younger partner was any the wiser. "Ahem." He cleared his throat to gain the other's attention, and to announce his knowledge of the visitor. "What business do you have in Konoha young…er…sir?" His falter went unnoticed as their guest motioned to their bell-less belts.
"I see that Madame Hokage has allowed me entrance to your bi annual Chunin exam. I am the one that sent her the application letter she received early this morning. I trust you know at least some of what I speak of?" While his voice was deceiving, it was obvious that before the guards stood an eager young man hoping to become a ninja. His attire was all black, save for the brass buttons that adorned his long trench coat, and the brooch of a similar color at his neck. The color of his clothing seemed only to offset the color of his skin and hair, both of which were ghostly white, but it was his eyes that startled the elder guard; his iris's were a pale red, and even the pupil was hard, or even impossible to detect.
'It's as if the Hyuuga clan had been drenched in blood. Or worse; as if one had mated with an Uchiha. At least…partly it seems. He still has clear whites…' The latter idea sent a chill through his spine, but he made it pass without letting it be known. It was then that he also noticed the smoky powder that surrounded those daunting eyes. 'Makeup?' He asked himself hesitantly. His eyes traveled lower, to settle on the boy's ebony lips. As the young man turned his head slightly, as most do when being sized up by an adult's condescending glare, his lips shone with a sinister and almost foreboding glimmer, as if lipstick could divulge a murderer's intent. The guard shook his head slightly; to wipe away the many alarming images those lips had conjured in his mind. "We do. Madame Hokage sent us to wait for you, and to escort you to her chambers. We were starting to worry that you weren't going to show up. Kaijo over there had started a bet that it had all been a prank. I guess I won that one, eh Kai?"
"Hush up you old fool, how was I to know that there were any well educated kids left. She said that it had been proper grammar AND used some of the old alphabet. I thought it was a joke to see if she still had her wits about her…" His last sentence trailed off in embarrassment as he realized that his rudeness toward his own Hokage had been uttered in front of a total stranger. "Not that she isn't completely qualified for the job, I just-"
"You just felt like making an ass out of yourself, that's all." The elder guard turned back to the young Genin and addressed him with a softer tone. "Please forgive my subordinate, he was just given the assignment this morning, and obviously still does not know how to act when working."
"No need to apologize. It is good to know where one stands in his own country. At least now you know who your allies in this city are. And aren't. If one cannot commit his whole being to the one who controls his safety, then he isn't worth protecting." The guards stood stunned at this announcement and obvious insult, but neither could point him in a different direction; Kaijo did indeed insult his superior. He deserved all that would come to him. "Now, I believe that the sun will announce me callously overdue to my appointment with Madame Hokage if we do not begin on our way to her present location, and I will not hesitate to call out the perpetrators of this injustice if I am to be punished for the outcome. Shall we?" He asked, taking several steps within the city walls. The guards snapped to attention and the elder replied with an affirmative.
"Ah, yes, yes. Sorry. This way." He took off down the main street as Kaijo stayed behind to keep watch for more guests to the city.
They passed many of the city's finer shops and restaurants as they wound their way towards Tsunade's office, and the guard couldn't help but wish that he had brought his lunch with him to his post that morning. His stomach rumbled as they passed yet another Ramen stand, but he knew that he'd be hung out to dry if he even thought of stopping to grab a snack. Soon, the looming presence of the Hokage's office entered their line of sight, and the guard couldn't help but wonder if any other Chunin to be escorted to the Hokage had rattled the nerves of their guide quite like this one had his.
Tsunade sat in her office watching the clock above the door, the second hand ticking endlessly and monotonously as it neared twelve noon. It was five minutes till when the door opened, and a young woman with short brown hair peered in from behind it. "Tsunade-sama, the young man who wrote the letter has arrived. Shall I send him in and fetch the others?" Shizune asked politely. Tsunade nodded, and sat back in her chair to great them properly. Three minutes passed before the door opened again, and the twins, Sen and Shuiita entered the room. Tsunade motioned that they sit in two of the three chairs that sat in front of her desk, and they complied. Shizune ducked back out of the room for several more minutes before re-entering with the white haired boy in black. Tsunade's eyebrows rose slightly in amusement, but the arch changed into one of concern as he approached his chair. His eyes were near pupil-less. 'Is he Hyuuga? No…no the Byakugan is entirely white…no iris visible…And the Sharingan isn't permanent like his seems to be…What ARE these children? The twins look to be tainted Hyuuga, and this one seems to be between the two; red as if his Sharingan was turned on, but empty like the Hyuuga…Am I loosing my mind?'
"Thank you Shizune." Tsunade added absentmindedly. "You may go. Now; as you should know, this is the Hidden Leaf Village of Konoha, and it resides in the Fire Country. I was appointed the Godaime Hokage after the third Hokage passed not long ago. You may address me as such, or as Lady Tsunade as many like to do, either is fine with me, and you are?" Tsunade held out her hand toward the young white haired Genin. He stared at the outstretched hand for a moment as if accessing it for a deeper meaning. Finding no ill intent, he stood, and offered his in return.
My name is Arashi Hisame, and I hail from the Rain Country, but that should be evident from my headband, Madame Hokage. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of an audience with you." Their hands parted, but they remained standing. "I know I'm not the expert on the Chunin exam, so I'm sure there is a reason for the two other parties present, but if there happens to be any other formalities, I suggest we continue with the main issue at hand. Introductions can wait." He finished with a smirk, but despite his obvious bid for the meeting to resume and come to a close, his eyes held no sign of amusement. Tsunade felt it best to sit first; he followed suit.
"Well, it seems that all present happen to share a single ambition. You all wish to enter, and pass, the Chunin exam, the first step in becoming a great and powerful ninja. I'm sure you all know that passing the Chunin exam is quite a feat, and as such, not many Genin are able to do so each year. Passing the Chunin exam is a life-changing event, and the test itself should be treated with the respect it deserves. Just as in life, there are no true rules other than if you die, you lose, but should you attempt to remove your opponent from the competition before your scheduled battle, and it is discovered, you shall be disqualified immediately. The winner of a battle is determined by their opponents lack of ability to continue fighting, their death, or if they so choose to quit the match. No matter the number of participants, if you lose in the first round of the exam, you cannot pass and become a Chunin, however, you need not win every round afterward as long as you can prove to the proctors and judges that you are indeed worthy of becoming a Chunin, and that you have the skills needed to carry out the responsibilities being a Chunin would entail. You three sit before me here with little to no prior knowledge of each other, but a single Genin cannot enter this exam alone. You're lucky. You have the chance to join and become a team to help you achieve your goal. From this moment on, unless you have any objections, you are to work together." She finished and waited for any sign of opposition before continuing. "If you are in agreement, then you will here on out be referred to as Team 25. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask them, and if not, then you are free to retire to your room." She paused, waiting for any question or concern to make itself known but when none seemed evident, she dismissed them with a nod and a smile.
Sen, Shuiita and Hisame exited the office in turn, and when the door had closed, Sen offered his hand to Hisame to initiate an introduction. "I'm Sen Tenugi, and this is my brother Shuiita." His hand hung unnoticed in the air for a moment before it fell to his side. Hisame stood facing the brothers, a blank expression on his face. Suddenly, a smile broke across his face, and he bowed his acknowledgment of their existence. The twins bowed as well, and when they stood, Hisame spoke.
"I suppose this means we are to become friends of a sort. Allies surely. As such, it seems only right that we learn a little something about each other. However, it's been quite some time since my last meal, is there somewhere that we might grab a bite to eat?" He asked, his callous exterior waning.
"There seemed to be a rather appetizing Ramen stand just outside the building that I wouldn't mind visiting if you're tastes span that direction." Sen offered, thumb pointing towards the entrance.
"I find Ramen to be quite enjoyable. Do lead the way Sen-san." Hisame replied, smiling. The three Genin casually strolled out of the Hokage's office, and into the streets of Konoha. The sun was high, and as such, the inhabitants of the city could be found out and about roaming the shops and stands that lined the streets, but most only did so to escape the suns harsh rays. Sen noticed that Hisame did not seem alarmed by the odd stares he received, nor did he seem bothered by the heat. Sen sure knew he was. Metal does not breathe well you know. They soon rounded the corner that lead them to the aforementioned Ramen stand, and the smells that emanated from it sent his own stomach growling. A tentative laugh escaped his lips when Hisame glanced at him, but Hisame only smiled, nodding to the sound of his own stomach. Sen and Shuiita sat on the two stools at the farthest left of the stall, and waited patiently for the owner to take their order. Hisame however stayed standing, a chill having gone down his spine. He turned to survey the surroundings, having learned to heed his intuition when his eyes fell on a very strange sight. He watched as a man clad in black and crimson walked slowly through the town, people rushing out of his path. It seemed the man could feel when someone's eyes lingered on him too long, for every now and again he would turn to someone who was staring at him, only for them to look away as if nothing happened. The man soon stopped in his mindless walking as if someone had ordered him to halt. His head slowly turned towards Hisame, and their eyes met. Hisame was too startled to break his gaze, for the man had different colored eyes. They seemed to stare right through him, and as such, he was bolted to the ground. Soon, the man began to walk towards the Genin, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Before he knew it, the man was directly in front of Hisame, seven inches his superior, but yet their eyes were still locked. Moments passed before the man began to lift his left arm, a choice that had him wincing in pain.
This sudden movement broke Hisame's trance, and he tried to slap the man's hand away, but he was halted by the man's other hand and its grip on his wrist. Hisame was forced to endure the pain in his hand as the man slowly and painfully lifted his left arm, which Hisame could now see was wrapped with seven belts, and covered in a very dirty hole ridden sleeve. Hisame's heart rate rose, and his breath fluttered, but he did not let his fear show. Finally, the man's hand arrested near Hisame's jaw before taking his chin between his thumb and the rest of his hand. Hisame's breath stopped then, and as he tried to pull away, the man's grip tightened, holding him in place, and setting forth what would be a very purple bruise on the left side on his jaw. His head was then forced to the left, and the man lowered his head to Hisame's shoulder. Only then did his right hand release Hisame's, and it rose to lower his collar. Hisame's heart stopped when something very wet traced its way up his neck to his ear. The man's breath was shallow and warm on Hisame's cheek as he spoke.
"Genzen Kogoe." He released Hisame then. Their eyes locking once more, but Hisame couldn't keep it, and broke away. The man smiled before walking the way he had been, as if nothing ever happened. Once he was out of sight, Hisame began furiously rubbing his neck to remove the already dried saliva. As hr turned, he noticed Sen and Shuiita's worried looks as he sat next to them, his eyes fixed on the table before him.
"What the hell was that all about?" Sen asked worriedly. Hisame just shook his head, trying to clear the nearly invisible tears from his eyes. Sen missed the glimmer they made, and asked, "What did he say?"
It took Hisame a moment before he could speak again, and when he did, it was a hoarse whisper. "Genzen kogoe…".
Sen's forehead furrowed as he thought for a moment. "Solemn whisper? What's that supposed to mean?" Hisame shook his head again before his head shot up, and he turned to see if the man was still near. He was long gone of course, but it didn't stop the fear from leaking in his voice as he spoke.
"That man…he was as pale as I was. And his hair…" Hisame touched his own as he spoke. "We could be brothers…" This thought scared him even more, but he shook it away again as he remembered the man having not only pupils like a regular person, but that even though his right eye had been red, his left was pure black. "There was something wrong…he's tainted…but I'm not sure if he's pure evil or not…" He touched his chin where the bruise had started, and winced when he found it. His eyes closed, and his hand fell away, and when they opened again, he was a cold and cool as when they had first met. He stood up, and took several steps away from the restaurant before calling to Sen. "Let's just go back to the room. I need a shower more than a meal." And began to walk again.
Not wanting to let his meal to go waste, Sen grabbed his bowl and followed, his brother doing the same. They cautiously walked several feet behind Hisame, not sure if their new teammate would approve of their greedy appetites, but he took no notice. Only after they entered the Hokage's headquarters did he stop and wait for them to catch up. They waited a few minutes for him to continue walking when he spoke quietly. "If you expect me to lead the way to a room I've never been to, we'll be here for eternity." Taking the hint, Sen began walking to their room, with Hisame and Shuiita close behind him. The smell of the quickly cooling Ramen taunted Hisame as he wished he hadn't been so quick to leave, but he'd find something eventually. He always did.
Their room was just as Sen had left it, his bed slightly rumpled from his slumber on top of the blankets, and the other bed untouched. The brothers placed their lunch on the desk near the door, and Hisame walked straight into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Sen sat to eat his food, but Shuiita just stood behind his brother, every now and again swirling his finger over the Ramen to warm it again. Soon the sound of running water could be heard as Hisame washed the taint from his slim pale frame.
Ten minutes passed before the shower ceased. Four minutes later the door opened slightly, and Hisame called out to his teammates. "Uhm…can someone hand me a towel…there doesn't seem to be any in here." Sen and Shuiita looked at each other, before Sen replied.
"Why don't you get one yourself? Not like we haven't seen the same things before." He asked jokingly, but his smile faded at Hisame's response.
"I…I'd rather not uhm…get any colder than I am…and I set my clothes to soak in the tub, so I've nothing to wear…"
Sen blinked at the dilemma, but shrugged, stood, and walked to the closet that was right across from the bathroom. He retrieved a towel, and then handed it to Hisame through the cracked door. It shut so quickly it nearly had his nose, and his eyes stung from the gust it created.
It was another long while before Hisame emerged from the bathroom, his towel, jacket and shoes in hand. His flustered demeanor from earlier had left him again as he sat on the second bed to finish drying his hair. It was then that Sen noticed that Hisame did seem to own more than just black, and his shirt was a white button up. It was sleeveless, and very long, the bottom would even show with his coat on. His arms weren't bare though, for under his white shirt was one of black fishnet. It almost seemed as if the fishnet was a full body suit, for with his shoes off, it was easy to see that his legs were covered in it as well. Sen's eyes found their way back to Hisame's, who had noticed yet again that he was being looked over, and he was startled to realize that Hisame was without his makeup. He was about to being it up when Hisame interrupted.
"Your brother didn't eat his lunch. Seems like a waste to me. Why did he buy it if he was just going to stand and play with it?"
"Oh." Sen replied, looking over his shoulder at Shuiita. "Because I bought it for you. You see, Shadow Clones have no need for food." And with that, Shuiita disappeared in a puff of smoke.