"Thanks," she said, catching the bottle of white pills.
"And dad fixed them up for you. He made them lighter and more balanced," said Hayate, holding out a pair of black and silver kamas. They were slightly smaller than her current ones, and the silver chain connecting them was long and thin, but much stronger and easier to swing.
"More balanced? I thought these were as balanced as they'd ever get."
Hayate handed the weapons to her and turned. "Dad must've taken them to that blacksmith guy, he's pretty good with metals."
Before Hayate left, he coughed and stopped, turning around and facing her again.
"Something's wrong with dad too, he seems much sicker than usual, and he hasn't been very active lately. Just though I'd tell you, in case.... well, I have to finish some paper work, I'll see you tomorrow for the third part."
Hayate left the small kitchen, turning back up the stairs and coughing a few times. It was the fourth day of the exam, and most of the teams had arrived. Yesterday, the atomoshpere had changed dramatically, everyone noticed. The Hokage was out, moving from room to room, there were a large number of extra jounin and even a few Anbu stalking the halls. When she had asked her own brother about it, he had simply shook his head or changed the subject.
Rikou moved over to the counter, picking a cup of beef ramen and opening the lid. She moved over to the small stove, wrapping her weapon out of sight under her trenchcoat before pouring steaming water from a kettle into the styrofoam cup and resealing it.
Now that she thought about it, many strange things had been happening in the last day. Everyone seemed tense and alert, the smallest noises causing the jounins and chuunins to jump. It had even been starting to affect her now, and when she heard small noises she found herself tensing up and getting ready for an attack of some sort.
After a few more minutes of waiting, she peeled away the lid of the ramen cup and grabbed a pair of chopsticks, holding it carefully as she picked her way back up to her room. The sun was fairly high in the sky now, almost starting it's downwards arch. She opened the door to her room, finding it empty as it had been before. Ken and Kirema were training with eachother in the arena, most likely.
She quickly swallowed a pill and finished her ramen, throwing the cup away in the garbage can in the corner before sitting down on her bed and resting her chin on the windowsill, looking across the forest. But she had hardly a moments silence before she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," she said quietly, turning around.
The chuunin that had greeted her team on the first day, Izumo, opened the door and stepped inside.
"The Hokage is calling all of the exam participants to the arena to explain what is to happen next," he said, glancing around the room as if something were about to attack him.
"What do you mean? It's only day four, isn't there one more day left?"
Izumo turned around to leave. "All remaining teams have passed already, so there is no need to wait."
Izumo left the room, closing the door behind him lightly as he headed to the next room to deliver the Hokage's message. Rikou stood, blinking as the light glinted off the handle of the door. Before she headed out, she grabbed her other pair of kamas, her old ones, just in case. She had already guessed what the third part of the exam would consist of. Ninja versus ninja, one on one battles against everyone, even your own team mates. They had done the same last year, th only difference being the exam had been held in the Hidden Rain.
Wrapping her black kamas around the outside of her body, on top of her trenchcoat, she headed out, opening the door and heading down the stairs to the arena. She felt the necklace Kankuro had givin her bounce lightly on her chest as she descended, and reached up to tuck it inside of her coat to protect it.
She pushed open the doors that led to the arena, heading through another doorway before she reached it. At the head of a large group of gennin stood the Hokage, behind him a number of jouni and chuunin, her own sensei, Kanzu, standing behind her brother. She felt a small twinge as she stepped forwards, and looked up, to the left, noticing two Anbu members in the shadows, who quickly vanished as she caught a glimpse of them.
"Hurry up, Rikou," called back Kirema. "You're late!"
"Sorry," she muttered, breaking into a run to join up with the rest of the gennin. She fell into line behind Ken, completing team two. She looked around at the other teams, there were six from the Leaf, one from the Sound, one from the Sand and... She swallowed hard as she caught the eye of the Grass team they had encountered just outside the tower. So they got their scrolls, she thought, tearing her eyes away from the needle-like glares she was recieving from the three Grass-nin.
This is odd, she thought, looking around again. All of this year's rookie gennins passed this test. They must be really strong to get this far on their first exam, our team dropped out in the second round last year. But these guys... She glanced at Naruto. Especially him... They're going to make great shinobi, unlike me...
The quiet mutterings of the gennin and jounin were cut off as the examiner for the second part began to speak.
"First off," started Anko. "For the second test... Congratulations on passing!"
Anko paused for a moment before continuing. "Hokage-sama will now explain the third test, so listen carefully."
"Yes," said the Sandaime, clearing his throat. "But before I explain that... There is something I'd like you to know. It concerns the true reason for the Chuunin Selection Exam."
I've heard this same speech before, she thought, shifting slightly.
"Why do we have all the allianced countries taking the exam together? 'To promote friendship among the countries,' 'To raise the level of shinobi." I don't want you to be confused about the true meaning. This exam is... a replacement for war among the allied countries."
"What does that mean?" asked one of the gennin to Rikou's left.
"If you go back in time, the current allied countries were once enemies who fought eachother over who would rule. In order to prevent wasteful fighting, the stage that these countries chose for battle... That is the origins of this chuunin selection exam."
"Why the hell do we have to do that crap!? Isn't this thing for deciding whose a chuunin!?"
Rikou turned her head slowly, smiling slightly at the sudden outburst from Naruto.
"It is a fact that this exam decides which shinobi have what it takes to become a chuunin, but on the other hand, this exam has another side. Where each country's shinobis risks their lives to protect their country's prestige. Watching this third exam will be leaders and influential individuals from many countries who make up the clients of shinobi.
"The leaders of the countries will also be there to watch each of your battles. If the strength of a country is clear, that country will receive more clients. And conversly, if seen as weak, they will lose clients, and this will signal to potential enemy countries that 'Our village has this much power,' so it will send a political message to the outsiders."
"Yeah, but why!? Why do we have to risk our lives in battle!?" burst out the dog boy with the red tatoos on his cheeks.
"The strength of the country is the strength of the village, the strength of the village is the strength of the shinobi, and the strength of the shinobi is born through life-risking battles.
"This exam is a place to see each country's strength, and to show off your own strength. It only has meaning because lives are at risk. That is why those that have come before you have fought in the chuunin exam for this dream that is meaningful."
The girl who had first spoken piped up again, raising her hand. "But then why... do you say stuff about it being for 'friendship'?"
"I said it at the beginning. I don't want you to confuse the purpose of this. By loosing life and establishing balance. This is the shape of friendship in the world of shinobi. Before we begin the third test, I will tell you one more thing. This is not just a test, this is a life-risking battle, with your dreams and your country's prestige on the line."
"I don't care what it is, just hurry up and tell us what this life-risking battle entails," muttered Gaara. Rikou swallowed hard, If I get him as my opponent, I think I should quit. He's nothing but trouble, like Kankuro said.
"Yes, I'd like to now explain the third test, but..."
The Hokage was cut off by a small puff of smoke as none other than her brother, Hayate, appeared in a crouch before him. What's happening? she thought, looking past Ken to better view him.
"Actually," came his voice, as quiet as always, followed by a few coughs. "I apologize, Hokage-sama... from here on, as the referee... will you please allow me, Gekkou Hayate..."
"By all means," said the Hokage, smiling. Rikou grinned, this is great, she thought. My own brother is the referee! He looks like he didn't get much sleep at all... I hope he gives a long speech, he gets so nervous in front of people.
Hayate rose from the ground and turned to face the group of gennins. "Hello, everyone, I'm Hayate. Umm... before the third test, there's something I'd like you to do. Umm... It's a preliminary for the third test, to decide who gets to participate in the main event." He coughed twice after his speech.
"Preliminary?"
"Preliminary? What do you mean!?" shouted a plain-looking gennin from team ten. Rikou thought his name was Nara Shikamaru.
The pink-haired gennin, Sakura, from team seven spoke up again. "Sensei... I don't understand this preliminary, but... Why aren't all the people here allowed to participate in the next test?"
Hayate coughed nervously, glancing at Rikou. "Umm... because the first and second tests were too easy this year, we have a bit too many gennin remaining. According to the chuunin exam rules, we must have a preliminary and reduce the number of participants for the third test. As Hokage-sama indicated earlier, there will be guests at the thrd test, so the fights could take too long, and we are limited in time.
"Umm... so anyways... Those who are not feeling well," he glanced back to Rikou. "Those who feel like quitting after these explanations, please come forward now, since we will be starting the preliminary immediately."
The dog-boy burst out again. "What!!? Right now!?!?"
There was a momentary silence as his question was ignored by Hayate. Suddenly, the white-haired gennin, Kabuto, stepped forward.
"Umm... I'm going to quit," he announced. Naruto's jaw dropped behind him and Rikou didn't pick up what he said to the gennin, but it didn't deter him from quitting.
"Ummm..." said Hayate, scanning a clipboard and coughing quietly. "You're Yakushi Kabuto-kun from the Hiddn Leaf, right? You may leave now. Umm... does anyone else wish to retire? Oh, umm... I forgot to mention that from now on it will be individual battling. You may raise your hand based on your own judgement."
There were no other hands risin, so Hayate coughed and continued. Umm... now... There are no more retiring, right? Now... Let's begin in the preliminary. It will consist of one on one fighting, so you will basically fight as if in a real life confrontation. Since we now have exactly twenty-six gennin remaining, we will conduct thirteen matches and... Ummm... the winners will advance to the third test."
On the wall behind him, a curtain was lifted to reveal a black box mounted above the giant statue of two hands making a seal.
"This electric scoreboard will randomly choose the opponents and the order of the battles. Umm.. This is sudden, but let's announce the first two names for the first match."
A number of yellow digits began to form on the board as Rikou turned her head up to view the first two names.
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi.
"Now... These two entrants come to the front," announced Hayate. Sasuke stepped forwards, dropping his hand away from where he had been rubbing the back of his neck. One of Kabuto's team mates, the taller one with a mask covering his face and his eyes covered with sunglasses, also stepped forwards to face the Uchiha.
"The two participants for the first match are Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi. Are you ready?"
"Yes..." said Yoroi, eying Sasuke.
"Yeah," said Sasuke, grinning.
"Now, we will be starting the first match. Will everyone except the two participants please move to the upper level?"
Rikou moved along with the other gennin, following to the left of Kirema, Ken to the right, and heading up the stairs. Their sensei, Kanzu, followed up behind them as they found an empty place to watch from.
Rikou stood by the railing beside Kirema for a moment, before slumping down, sticking her legs between the bar and dangling them over the edge as she warily watched the battle begin, eventually closing her eyes in boredom. The Uchiha will win, he's one of this year's genious', she thought.
"Rikou, you should pay attention for once. If you watch now, you'll know what you'll be facing in the third part," warned her sensei, nudging her with his foot.
"I don't have enough luck to get that far, sensei, you should know that. I'll probably get matched with that Gaara kid and be forced to forfeit or be killed," she replied, keeping her eyes closed.
A moment later, she opened them to see Yoroi lying on his back in a small puddle of blood, Sasuke panting a few feet off. Her brother moved forwards, checking the Leaf's vital signs before standing and indicating the exaughsted Sasuke.
"I am stopping the fight here, and thus... The winner for the first match, Uchiha Sasuke... Has passed the prelims!"
A three man team of medical-nin appeared, lifting Yoroi onto a stretcher and taking him away as Sasuke'd sensei whispered something into his ear before leading him away. These guys are pretty serious... maybe I should just forfeit...
Ummm... We will now begin the next match," announced Hayate. Rikou slowly lifted her head to look at the next two names, hoping it wasn't her.
Zaku Abumi vs. Aburame Shino.
Rikou closed her eyes. She didn't know anything about either of these two, so she just dozed off. Unfortunately for her, her moment of peace didn't last long before she heard a voice behind her.
"Yes, It's my turn. Wish me luck!" said Kirema, jumping down from the railing, right over Rikou's head.
"Huh? What happened?" asked Rikou, watching as Kirema landed in a perfect crouch, his blue-flamed trenchcoat blowing the dust up around him in a circle as he landed.
"He's fighting one of the Grass guys, the ones that we fought before. Kawa Akari," said Ken, pointing to where Kirema faced his opponent, a Grass-nin in a completely black outfit.
"The next match is between Unkei Kirema and Kawa Akari. Are you ready?"
"Yeah," said the Grass-nin. "I'll get yo back for that time in the forest."
"Bring it on," said Kirema, smiling. His hands darted to his pockets, emerging with a nekote on each of his fingers.
Hayate brought down his arm and jumped back, "Begin!"