The Cadet collapsed to flesh torn knees, shooting pain through his legs. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep conscience; one eye was already badly scathed bleeding viciously. His other eye posted on his blurry victorious opponent: Kojima Tice. He started amass information about him as his body began to shut down. He bore a cloudy gray gi, covered by an azure gray flak jacket; the symbol of fate appears to be burned into his forehead. Tucked into under his left arm was a fuma, an overly large shuriken, and had a second tied to his back.

"Com'on Tice…" He paused spitting up blood tainted vomit. "I said I forfeit…" His plead went unheard as Tice raised the Fuma above him, knowing of his own vulnerability the student bean to sob and voice began to crack. "Don't do it Tice!" Tice swung the fuma down batting it across the cadet's face, knocking him several feet away. He wiped at blood that had sprayed across his face, smearing it, then sloppily smudged it on his flak jacket.

His focus quickly shifted as another student appeared from nowhere rushing him. The cadet leapt into the air snapping two kunai at Tice. He effortlessly deflected them with the fuma, spun, then launched it at the cadet. Burrowing into him, the air borne student collapsed sharply forcing the fuma to sink deeper. The hurriedly dying student gripped at the weapon, struggling to remove it. Tice yanked at the large shuriken bracing the cadet with his foot, upon ripping it free he sent the student tumbling away.

Lifting his head he scanned the terrain for his next opponent or victim in which case. The exercise had continued on for an hour, most of the unwary students would be disqualified by this point, and he'd taken out four cadets alone. The exercise would cease immediately when only thirteen cadets remained, and Tice had no intention of waiting it out. His eyes finally landed on Hiro, he'd unknowingly given away his position, and was now out in the open. "You'll regret that…" Tice clipped the Fuma at his side and clasped his hands together mustering the surrounding chakra. He then proceeded in performing various hand seals burning chakra signs into the air. With the seals, he weaved the chakra commanding it to its bidding; the surrounding water began to evaporate. Raw chakra whipped around him as his focus tightened on Hiro.

Hiro hurriedly dug into both holsters, withdrawing and snapping two shurikens at an pending target. The cadet swiftly spun guarding against the initial two shurikens only to be caught by an unnoticed third. Hiro rushed him planting a flat palm against the upper torso following through with a jab to the rib, then succeeding with a blunt kick to the upper torso once more. Shifting for a counter, the cadet lunged at Hiro knocking him off balance, then swung his kunai at him. Hiro hastily recovered landing in a three point stance nabbing the opponent's kunai armed hand. Twisting it, he forced the knife out his hand and jabbed at his elbow forcing the arm to bend reverse. Finishing up Hiro landed a flat palm against his temple knocking him fiercely. The cadet sunk shabbily, collapsing at Hiro's feet.

Koji emerged from his hiding spot approaching Hiro. Hiro stepped over the floored cadet, meeting his comrade half way.

"Not long now…" Koji smiled sinking his hands into his pockets. "There shouldn't be too many people left." Hiro shot his buddy an Akihoto, resting his hands behind his head. "It looks like my plan has work flawlessly."

Hiro shook his head disagreeing. "We've been lucky up to this point." Hiro could remember all to well, other top students from the academy. He only prayed they not run into Masumi Mai, and Tetsuya Ko, or even Kojima Tice. Of the three, Tice was probably the worst. Members of the Kojima clan were sworn nutcases. At birth they're burned with the symbol of fate to their forehead, they believe themselves to be the most esteemed clan of hidden water. And their entire clan was in-breed, believing that tainting Kojima blood would weaken their clan. Hiro swallowed the lump in his throat hoping that someone had disqualified the insane son of a bitch.

At this point in the exercise, there was nothing left but to wait until the second ring of the gong had sounded. Then at that time, they'd be free to go. Hiro and Koji would finally be ninja, well junior ninja in the least.

Hiro had begun to retreat to his hiding spot noticing all traces of the surrounding water were evaporating rapidly. He turned to Koji seeing he'd realized as he did. Thinking first of Koji's doppelgangers, Hiro took into account there were none left. Water began to levitate into the air surrounding Hiro, the formless blobs began to circle him constantly accelerating. Quickly digging into his holsters, Hiro armed himself with a pair of shuriken in each hand, and hurriedly focused remaining chakra to the soles of his feet.

The blobs hastily took shape, becoming several watery needles. They shot at Hiro, forcing him upward. Several of the needles scathed Hiro, tearing through his gi then splashed down below, The thousand stinging needles of death. Throbs of pain sent Hiro crashing to his knees, he countered snapping the shurikens at the first figure he'd caught sight of. His hopes sank quickly as the figure effortlessly repelled the weapons, then snapped his weapon at Hiro. Swiftly rolling, Hiro dodged the large shuriken and leapt toward his new opponent, charging him with a stiff kick. The challenger deflected the kick to his right and countered with a jab to Hiro's temple. Tice unsheathed his second fuma batting it across Hiro's arm knocking him away.

Koji hastily gathered chakra generating several copies, then all rushed Tice. Tice swung his fuma defensively eradicating two of six doppelgangers then followed through batting the genuine Koji away to his left. Recovering swiftly, Koji spun under Tice landing a sweeping blow to his kneecap then shot up uppercutting his jaw. Crashing to the ground, Tice snapped his fuma at the vulnerable Koji. The large weapon unexpectedly ripped off course, warded off by a pair of shuriken. Tice shot a glare to Hiro, noting his returned presence to the fight.

Hiro dug into his holsters arming up with a set of four shuriken in each hand. Quickly spinning off his right, he launched the storm of shuriken. Tice hastily shot up rolling away from the flurry, and into a second storm of shuriken, Art of Shadow Shuriken. Six of the eight shurikens tore into Tice forcing him to stumble back to the ground. Hiro chuckled lightly praising himself, then shot Koji an Akihoto. Koji, badly shaken, smiled fiercely at Hiro happy to see Hiro's signature smile once again.

Hiro's smirk abruptly faded catching sight of Tice, already standing and both fuma tucked under each arm. "Impressive… hiding so many shuriken in the shadow of many others, but you're nothing more than an amateur." Tice extruded both arms glaring into Hiro's eyes. Tice spun off his right charging Hiro.

"Watch... I'll show you how a true ninja fights!"

A sharp snarling gust of wind built up engulfing Tice, raw chakra whipping about forcing wind to become a vicious tornado. The chakra twister stormed a path toward Hiro, threatening to eradicate the very ground he stood on. Hiro instinctively dug into his holster gripping his last two shuriken. He hurriedly analyzed Tice's torrent for a possible flaw. Hastily deciding that his legs powered the ability, he discharged his remaining of his shurikens. They Struck against it and quickly darted off repelled by the torrent's immense speed.

Hiro hurriedly reversed at restricted movement bargaining mere seconds from the torrent. Hiro's earlier injury restricted him from any major movement, so running was out of the question; his shurikens were depleted so there was nothing left to throw even if they could do anything. He shot a look of desperation at Koji, who'd nearly expelled all his chakra; he wouldn't be of any help even if he could make it in time. Hiro only knew one ninjutsu and he doubted it would truly work. Though as the situation progressed from bad to worse, Hiro decided to use it in desperation.

He extended his arms forward focusing the last of his chakra before him. The torrent was rushing dangerously close as Hiro pulled every last bit of energy from his roots. Pebbles began to pop at Hiro ricocheting off the powerful twister; water splashed outwards forcing an open path for Tice. Once the chakra began to swell at his fingertips, Hiro released the energy grinning roguishly at Tice's twister.

"Akihoto No Jutsu!"

"Akihoto?" Koji snapped at Hiro, "It's a jutsu?"

Hiro chuckled lightly, "Akihoto no jutsu… the move immobilizes my opponent's muscles at the touch of my chakra." Koji broke into heavy laughter, leaping up and down on aching legs, he then followed through poking at Tice. His smiled faded setting eyes on Hiro who's smirk had faded.

"Koji, you don't have much strength left do you?"

He shook his head, "Of course not, I have enough to walk."

"There's a flaw with this technique…"

Tice chuckled menacing at the note of realization. "You can't move either, you're stuck like me."

Koji shot vexed looks between the two cadets, "So what are we gonna do?"

Hiro sighed deeply looking back at Koji, "We wait 'til the exercise is over." Koji plopped down on the ground peering up at Hiro. "Another thing…" Koji raised a concerned brow awaiting worse news. "This jutsu… only last ten minutes…"