Hana paced impatiently back and forth in her team's hotel room. Shisui had gone out 'exploring' as he called it. Hana imagined he might be gathering intel on Mist since the chunin exams gave him what was basically free reign to wander around the hidden village. She wasn't left alone much as she might prefer otherwise. Team 1's sensei and their own failed member were in the room with her. Safety in numbers and all.
"Would you please stop doing that?" Izumo requested, eyebrow twitching.
"Doing what?" Hana snapped.
"Pacing. You've been doing it for the past hour. It's giving me a headache." He complained.
Hana stopped, looking at the genin sitting in a chair against the wall, hands clasped under his chin. "We're stuck here. My team are out there, fighting for their lives and we're stuck here waiting on word of whether they survived! So you'll excuse me for being a little antsy!" She snapped at him. When he didn't respond or even look at her she huffed and went back to pacing.
Izumo, for his part had drifted into his own thoughts. 'Fighting for their lives, huh?' He wondered to himself, remembering how the last round of the exam ended.
-(-)-
"I sub-mffmffh!" Kotetsu started to say before Izumo slammed a hand over his mouth.
It had been approximately seven seconds since the first round had started and Kotetsu was already trying to give up.
"I won't let it happen like that this time, Kotetsu."
Kotetsu just looked at him with confusion clear on his face. Izumo felt the vibration on his hand as Kotetsu let out a "Mmff?" Also there was a bit of spit. That was kind of gross.
"Twice now we've been in situations like this during these exams. Only one of us being able to go forward. You always stepped aside. I think it's my turn now." Looking up he said, "I submit."
Apparently the words didn't need to be loud. The ceiling opened and Izumo climbed out. Looking back at Kotetsu one last time, he said, "You better give this one your all, bro. Don't make me look bad, now. I'll be rooting for you."
-(-)-
'Just don't do anything stupid, Kotetsu.'
-(-)-
"Hey, kids! How are you enjoying your boat ride?" The white-haired proctor for the second exam asked the assembled genin.
The participants hadn't been told much about the second exam. It took place on another island. That was about it. Oh, and the whole 'you can die during this part' thing. That was brought up too.
"Good!" He exclaimed, not waiting for a response or even needing one. Most of the Mist nin were fine and most of the non-Mist ones... weren't, hanging over the side of the rail losing their breakfast. "Now the next exam is pretty complicated so you better listen up, got it? Ready for the rules?"
Again, he didn't wait for a response. "Each of you will be given a metal token with a number on it. That is yours. You will also be given a card with a different number on it. One of the other genin here will have the token that corresponds to that number. Now, to pass this exam you need to collect tokens that have a total value of 6 points. Your own token is worth 3, your target's is also worth 3. Thus ending this round with both yours and your target's will mean you pass. Any other token you collect will be worth 1 point. Keeping your own token and collecting your target's is not required but it will be easier for you. Understand? Good! Gozu! Meizu!" he shouted.
Two teenagers wearing chunin flak jackets and Mist headbands appeared at opposite ends of the deck, each holding a box. The proctor pointed at them in turn. "Pick your token from that box and your target from that one. People complained Mist were being biased in the last round, as if every village isn't. Far as I'm concerned you chose your own fates there. Well, it's the same deal here. Only there's less chance for whining."
"The venue for this exam is over there." the proctor said, pointing to the starboard side of the ship. An archipelago of eight small islands could be seen. "You will be spending the next seven days on those islands. On the seventh day at midday, this ship will return, signalling the end of the exam. Successfully return to the ship with six points of tokens and you will pass. If you can't get back to the ship, you fail. If you don't have the required tokens, you fail. If you leave the archipelago before the exam is over, you fail... and probably die before reaching the nearest island. Is that all clear?"
…
"I said is that all clear?! Oi, I asked you a question!" He repeated, yelling, getting a surprised and nervous "Yes, sir!" from the Mist genin. Those belonging to other villages were still... busy.
The proctor rolled his eyes. "Good enough. Go." No one moved. "Did I stutter? I said GO!"
The entire complement of 53 genin ran or stumbled to the rail of the ship and flung themselves over, most using the water walking technique to run to shore. Some, lacking the skill, had to swim for it.
"Heheh, it's fun to mess with the kids, right, Captain Hozuki?" Meizu asked.
"What are you still doing there? Get back to your post!" Mangetsu yelled at the chunin who scrambled back into his proper position.
Meanwhile Mangetsu held a private smile. "This job is more fun than I thought it'd be."
-(-)-
As the groups ran (or swam) for the archipelago they naturally formed into groups based on their villages, save for the four participants from minor villages that gravitated towards each other.
"20 from Mist, 9 from Cloud, 7 from Sand, 7 from Rock, 6 from Leaf, 2 from Frost, 1 from Hot Water and 1 from Rain." Hari completed his headcount for the benefit of the other 5 Hidden Leaf ninja.
"That's not exactly favourable odds if all of them come after us." The scar faced teen named Iruka stated needlessly.
"They won't all come after us though, right?" Kotetsu reasoned. "You only need to find your target. Once people start getting enough points, they'll avoid fighting as much as possible. That's what I plan to do."
"Exactly." Hari agreed. "Besides, I imagine some of these groups will split up once they reach the islands. We all stick together, we're a much harder target. Agreed?" He got a round of nods from everyone in the group.
The conversation was paused by the sight of the Mist group overwhelming the minor village group with numbers, killing three. Only the Rain nin escaped by diving and using some sort of water technique to propel himself to the island at great speed.
"Should we share our targets?" Keika asked, uncertain. "We'll all know the numbers to look for that way. Plus we'll know if someone got... unlucky."
It was a lot to ask, but Iruka was the first to volunteer his own. "36."
After a short silence, his teammate Teruko, a girl in her mid teens wearing hoop earrings offered hers. "17."
"41." Kotetsu said.
"5." Another genin girl named Chiko supplied.
"7." Keika said.
"9." Hari announced, last. "Anyone get un... luck... Oh, you're joking, right?" He asked when he saw Keika's tense and guilty expression when hearing his own target. "Okay. Looks like I'm hunting randoms." He said with a grimace. "Anyone else?"
"Umm... I'm number 36." Chiko said, apparently unwilling to trust the group until someone else did.
"Okay. Iruka and I. Best case scenario we need 10 tokens between all six of us. We can do that." Hari said optimistically before he started scanning the islands. "Right. First impression? Coasts are bad. There are over 20 genin here that could take us out easily on a beach or travelling between islands."
"So sticking with one island is good, then?" Kotetsu asked.
"If we can ensure the coast is clear on both sides we might be able to risk it but yeah, one island might be best. See that island closest to us?" Hari said, pointing to an island consisting of a large hill with several visible caves. "It might be small but I'd bet good money the Rock group will head straight there and fortify the crap out of it. We'd be better off with something... bigger... Like that." Hari pointed again.
Coming into view was what seemed to be the largest of the eight islands. It too was a hill but rather than rocky caves it was covered with (admittedly somewhat sparse) woodland. It certainly wasn't Fire Country with its thick forest of sturdy trees but it would suit their purposes fine.
"Someone has a head for planning." A voice spoke out of nowhere as a thick mist descended, also out of nowhere. "You die first."
A high-pitched scream sounded out before being silenced.
"Or second. I'm not too picky." The voice continued.
"Fuuton: Reppusho (Wind Release: Gale Palm)!" Harry shouted, slamming his hands together. A powerful blast of wind exploded outwards, dispersing the mist and knocking those surrounding him off balance slightly. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a head for planning."
The six Leaf nin had become five. Chiko was bleeding out rapidly, a stocky girl in her late teens searching the dying girl's belongings for a token. Disgust was evident on several faces, including a couple of the younger Mist nin at the dismissive attitude to killing. But it had to be put aside. For now.
Surrounded. Outnumbered 2 to 1 by the Mist group who had split their forces. Half focusing on the Leaf contingent, half fending off any of the other groups who might consider trying to even out the playing field a little.
'Well... This is a bad situation.' Hari thought. Staying to fight would get most of them killed. That left one option.
"Kill them.", ordered a confident looking girl of around 14 years. The leader, Hari assumed.
"Keika! I need a surface! Everybody else, buy us some time!" Hari shouted, quick firing two senbon each at three of their assailants. Five of the six missed and the last did no real damage but it gave them another few seconds before those three attacked.
"Doton: Doroku Gaeshi (Earth Release: Earth Shore Return)!" Keika shouted, a brief rumbling preceding a small wall sprouting from under the water.
On the other side of the fight, Iruka was somewhat stuck. Being the support member of his team, he wasn't built for a fight like this. He did what he could, using the one decent ninjutsu he had, Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet) and deflecting any of the shuriken that came his way. He received several wounds but none of them serious enough to bring him down.
Kotetsu took an interesting approach to buying time. He pulled the two large, kunai-like blades from his back, flipping one overhead and catching it, bellowing "COME AT ME!" at their assailants. He had made himself a preferred target but he didn't seem to mind, swinging his blades around expertly to deflect the incoming weaponry, often back at the attackers.
Teruko was less direct. Turned out those earrings she wore were multi-purpose. Decorative, while also containing chakram attached with ninja wire. Thus began a deadly dance, her throwing and redirecting her two chakram to dissuade any that might try to close into melee range.
And then there were two giant black birds.
"Vat in de-"
"Huginn! We need extraction!" Hari yelled at the great raven he was more familiar with.
Taking a split second to assess what Hari was talking about, Huginn nodded. "Ja!"
"Grab on!" Hari shouted to his comrades as he vaulted his way onto Huginn's back. A couple of the Mist nins realising they were losing their chance closed in, starting handseals for techniques but were batted away by a sturdy wing as Huginn took off, grabbing two of the Leaf nin on the ground in his talons.
Muninn, meanwhile, was making a run on the surrounding ninja, knocking three off their feet. "Come! Ve leave!" He shouted at the two remaining in the fracas.
Teruko nodded, reeling in her chakram and grabbing hold of the great raven, clinging to the his leg.
Kotetsu wasn't done yet, though. Now that half the enemy were incapacitated, he took a chance. Dashing forward, he brought his blades in before swinging outwards.
As the kunoichi reflexively grabbed at her neck that had been cut open almost to the spine, Kotetsu pulled a metal token engraved with the number 36 out of one of the girl's pouches. Muninn, tired of waiting, flew over and plucked him off the water before circling around to follow Huginn.
Teruko looked at Kotetsu as they flew towards the archipelago. "That was stupid! You could've been killed!"
As he looked at the token, stained red with the blood of a comrade and of her killer, he answered. "It was. I don't regret it."
-(-)-
Back in the Hidden Mist Village proper, the jonin sensei of the participating genin were gathered and getting a play-by-play of events. It was a standard part of the exam process, allowing the candidates' performance to be judged in all three rounds.
Shisui was at that moment a bit smug. It turned out Ao actually had students. That was the first shock. The second was those students – two of them – were participants in the exam. One of those students was the one to plan the attack on the Konoha contingent; something Ao was happy to boast about. So the fact that Hari had pulled his comrades out of that ambush allowed for some smugness. Further, the remaining Mist genin were off balance so if the other villages' participants had any sense, they'd pick a few off while they could.
There were 48 participants remaining. Five Leaf genin left. They were the smallest group. But if they continued to watch each others' backs, they might make it through without any more losses.
-(-)-
A/N: HEY! Anyone find the scenario familiar at all?! Yep. Lifted directly from Hunter x Hunter. Good manga. Good show. Both versions.
So we have five people on the protagonist's side and the odds stacked heavily against them. At least for now. We'll see how things develop.
NEWS! I HAVE A PODCAST! Or rather, I'm on a podcast that I started with some wonderful folks from this site. We talk about... stuff. Well, we talk about the more dedicated elements of fandom (fanfiction, fanart, cosplay and so on) but since the current main cast are all writers (and one editor), we mostly talk about writing. So it goes. See my profile for a link to the site. I know some people are leery of fileshare sites and while I can assure you it's safe I know that isn't enough for some people. We're working on alternatives (Youtube and, err, well that's about it right now, really). Check it out if you like.
Thanks for reading.
UPDATE MAY 2016: Language fixes, technique formatting fixes.
