Suki shivered again, thankful she had worn a full hoodie over her tank top and plain black ninja pants taped at the bottom instead of her usual cropped hoodie, skirt, and shorts. It was freezing in Ame. Her team was thoroughly soaked, and their entourage had just barely entered the small country. Their current resting spot was under a rocky overhang large enough to fit everybody, leaving the carts, carriages, and horses in the rain. There were three smokeless fires made (with a special kind of wood the Nara clan grew in their forest), where the civilians and merchants lounged around as the shinobi took turns to replenish/relieve themselves.

Team 13 was one of three teams sent to the Amegakure Chunin Selection Exams. Suki, Jun, and Masao felt they were more than ready. They had performed outstandingly, never failing a single mission given to them. Kotaro-senei always teased them, saying it was because 13 was his lucky number, so of course team 13 would get all of the best missions. He might have to eat his words. This mission was proving to be most miserable.

At twelve, Suki had matured a small bit from graduation a year ago. The most notable difference was her hair, which had gotten longer, now brushing her collarbone on one side and her shoulder on the other. She didn't mind how uneven it was, if anything, she loved it. Her solid frame was changing, wide hips and shoulders now connected with a curving waist where her boxy sides used to be. She had to wear a training bra now, which normally annoyed her, but here it was just an extra layer of warmth. Her muscles, hidden underneath her slightly baggy clothing, were now almost considered unladylike by some of the population, but she didn't care much for their opinions. She was in top form.

One of the two fans strapped to the inside of her forearm rubbed uncomfortably against her wrist as she put away her drawing notebook and searched for a ration bar. She made note to readjust it that night so it wouldn't impede her performance during the test. She would do it now, but the convoy didn't have much time to rest at the moment.

They were tasked with escorting a few merchants and nobles to the chunin exams as well, so they had to leave Konoha much earlier than they would have initially. This was the first year the small country would be hosting the event, and it seemed to be quite the hype.

Thankfully, everyone was just as miserable as her, so she didn't feel alone. She tried to ignore the damp outer fabric of her hoodie, thankful for the fact that ninja clothes were insulated on the inside for situations like these, and she could finally afford them with her new paychecks.

Jun was standing next to her, blocking the wind, watching the forest, observing how the rain whipped wildly in different directions. He had added compression leggings under his cargo shorts and a long sleeved shirt under his normal T-shirt for warmth. He had gotten a lot taller, now almost as tall as Masao, who had ask grown slightly. His once messy, untamed black hair was now more soft-looking and managed. The fourteen year old had gotten very popular with the ladies, leaving Suki to wonder exactly why.

Masao, who had gone off a few minutes ago for god knows what reason, wore a heavier Aubrame cloak than the usual lightweight fabric designed for the heat and humidity of the Land of Fire. He was probably the warmest of them all. The towering boy had only gotten taller, now dwarfing her small form. He reminded her of a bamboo stalk. His once long hair was now trimmed, about as long as Jun's. They looked a lot alike with the similar hairstyle, someone could mistake them as brothers with a very different fashion sense.

Jun sighed, throwing his arms behind his head in a relaxed pose. "This freakin' blows man. I didn't think the Land of Rain would be this rainy."

His blue-eyes teammate scoffed, squatting on the balls of her feet. She would sit down, but she didn't want to get her butt wet. "I expected this much rain, I didn't expect it to be this cold and windy. Think Masa-kun would let me borrow his cloak?"

"Ha! Not a chance. We're only hours away. He'd tell you to stick it out." He replied. Masao walked up behind them, slapping a heavy hand onto Jun's back. Jun only barely held his balance. "Right you are, JuJu! Don't worry Su-chan, we'll be there before you know it. Anyways, when I was walking back, I heard one of the other teams talking, the one with the three dudes? I stopped to listen a little. They said this is their third time testing."

Suki sprung to her feet, about-facing towards the Aubrame, immediately interested. She met his eyes, or where they should be behind his black tinted glasses. "Taking a page from my book? I thought I was the eves-dropper. Did they say anything interesting?"

Jun leaned an elbow on her shoulder, taking a subtle glance at the people in question. All three looked around 16, probably just a promising team from the Genin Corp trying to climb into the Chunin Corp. Masao lowered his voice as he continued, "I wouldn't have brought it up if they didn't. Apparently, the tests keep a general theme. The first exam should be a written test, the second should be some sort of mission simulation, and the third is always a one versus one ladder style competition. The third exam is why we're escorting all these merchants and civilians, apparently the betting pool is huge and since Ame doesn't offer a lot for trade they're using the chance to make some money. That means they must have genin they're confident in. You don't think they'd rig the exams with chunin-level contestants, do you?"

Suki shook her head, tapping a finger to the freckle below her eye, like she normally did when she was thinking. "It's their first year hosting, I don't think they'd want to risk getting caught. I do see their genin being powerful, though, since they will want to make a good first impression. I bet they're more excited about all these merchants and nobles visiting. A lot of their focus will be on how they can make some cash. Their economy isn't the best right now, after all. They couldn't afford a scandal." It made sense, putting some Konoha-made goods into the market might also open up channels for trade. Ame was a struggling nation, and this exam is definitely boosting their economy. Suki ran a hand through her damp black hair, slicking it back from her face. "I don't think we should plan this one out, honestly. We can keep all that in mind, but we have no idea what's in store for us. Any plan could be rendered completely useless as soon as the exams start."

Masao rubbed his chin, reminding her eerily of their sensei. "Fair enough. Doesn't say we can't mess with the competition when we get there though. What do you say guys? Maneuver 2 or 17?"

Jun giggled next to her, finding the idea hilarious. Their "maneuvers" were pre-planned personas they would assume to trick their enemies into making assumptions on their team roles, used in their information gathering missions. For example, in maneuver 2, Suki would act as a "trap". She would pretend to be the weak link, with the boys protecting her. Sensei had taught her a few long-range jutsu, so she could act like she was long-range support when she was really their frontline fighter. When someone actually made a move close enough, she could destroy them in taijutsu or distract them with a minor genjutsu long enough for her teammates to jump in. It was the meaneuver that succeeded the most, helped by her unassuming facade and sharp skills. No one would be able to tell she was even a shinobi, if it weren't for the little scars that littered her body. A simple genjutsu fixed that easily. She could look every bit the weak rookie genin, afraid to see action, or even a curious but naive civilian girl, unaware of the dangers that lurk around her.

Maneuver 17, on the other hand, was a little more complex. Suki would assume the role as "leader" to throw off observers. Two older and strong seeming boys listening to a small, weak girl makes the observer question her abilities. She was still pretty much the bait in this scenario, with all of the attention focused on her before Jun traps them in genjustsu and Masao drains their chakra. In fact, she was the bait in most scenarios. She should have a talk with Kota-sensei about that.

She understood the practicality of it, but she was tired of attacks always being focused on her... even if she secretly enjoyed smashing her foot or fist in their faces when it was all said and done.

"Remember the last time we tried M2? Su scarred that poor Chunin we were with," Jun cackled, ignoring the glare the aforementioned kunoichi leveled at him. "The look on his face when he saw you punch that bandit in the throat was hilarious!"

She pushed his elbow off her shoulder, grimacing at the memory. It was one of the few missions they had gone on without Kotaro-sensei, and probably the most memorable. They made her dress up as a child and stand in the woods to wait for their target to appear. He had been known to prey on children, so a lost child was almost a dream come true. Until he found a fist in his windpipe.

She didn't know if it was because she was younger, or a girl, or if they just wanted to protect her from the pain they both experienced, but it was a rare mission they let her be in the thick of the action. They often stepped in and "helped" or "saved" her before she even got to lay a finger on her enemies. Her boys were holding her back, even killing for her, which was ridiculously unnecessary. She could defend herself. She doesn't complain, though, knowing it would only start another argument. They both knew perfectly well how she felt, but still won't change.

The caravan started to pack up, so they returned to their positions and waited. Soon enough, they started back on their way. Rain country was barely five percent the size of Fire, so it wouldn't take them nearly as long to reach their hidden village as it had to reach the Rain/Fire border.

Her assumptions were correct, as they arrived four hours later, their weeks long journey finally coming to a close. When the village gates came into view, the stressed and irritable atmosphere immediately lifted. The civilians were happy to finally reach their destination and get out of the cold rain, and the ninja were happy to finally be rid of the civilians.

There was a gate kiosk that checked all of the civilians passes as the shinobi waited, before they were let loose into the village to explore as they pleased. The Konoha shinobi watched and waited until everyone was checked in safely before going to a different kiosk and signing in for the chunin exams. Kota-sensei, who had been missing in action past week, finally appeared to guide them through the process. The guard who checked them seemed to be paying too much attention to the chunin hopefuls, observing them and sizing up their abilities. Which was rather rude, not only in ninja etiquette, just in general. Kota-sensei gave the trio a glance, only briefly, but they understood the instruction behind it: be careful. That glance was shared between the three, and they subltly changed positions so she, the smallest and shortest, was more protected. It almost felt like she had two large bodyguards behind her, and she almost chuckled at the thought, turning to share it with said boys, but the humor completely drained from her when she saw who arrived after them.

How lucky was Konoha that an Iwa troupe arrived on the scene, jumping from a nearby bamboo forest and into the clear space before the gigantic gateway. Half of the Fire nations' ninja were still being shuffled along in line, the other half waiting on the other side of the gates to be led to their accommodations. The air in the vicinity shivered with tension, and Kota-sensei had a strict look on his face that his poor students didn't recognize. Suki stood straight, opening her senses and counting how many there were without looking. Their chakra was distinctive, along with the Rain shinobi.

Her nations shinobi often had flickering chakra, like a fire. Fitting, of course. Stronger chakra burned like light shining straight in your eyes, while the weaker chakra glowed like candlelight. She was surrounded by strong Rain chakra, which felt like rumbling storms, thunder and strobeflashes of brightness.

The strongest Rock shinobi chakra felt at the moment was pure earth, she almost couldn't describe it. It reminded her of her past life, the feeling she got when she fell from an extreme height, watching the ground rush towards her. It's only then she realized how hard it looked, how unforgiving it would be if she actually landed. Just when she thought she was going to splat, the bungee cord brought her right back up. But sbe always remembered how the ground looked as it rushed towards her, even having nightmares about the cord breaking. The weaker of the Rock chakra was like a gravel road, unstable and bumpy, ready to slide around or give out under too much pressure. She filtered out the abundance of the thunderstorm and fiery chakra to focus on the hard earth.

There were almost twice the amount of Iwa genin than there were Konoha. 17 genin with three instructors, bringing their total to 20 compared to Konoha's 13, including their single ANBU guard that Suki wasn't technically supposed to know about.

She only knew because her sensing had actually become quite sharp, and she had been curious as to where their sensei had been sneaking off to in the past week. She resigned to respect his privacy and not tell her teammates about his little romps (he had enough trouble finding action when they weren't being brats), but she did tell them about the guard. She knew hiding how strong her sensing has gotten would be useful.

Now she had blackmail.

The Rain shinobi, sensing the obvious tension, seemed to make every delay possible from then on to prolong the interaction. Being last in line, her team got the brunt of the leers and stares from their village rivals. It also didn't help that she was probably the youngest and smallest of all the genin present. They were definitely a target now, and she cursed to herself. She already predicted this outcome, but not for it to feel quite this intimidating.

She resigned to play along, making herself even smaller and meek-looking. The boys caught on and shared a glance, agreeing on a plan of action. Maneuver 2 it is then.

Jun shuffled closer, one hand twitching towards his kunai pouch while Masao ruffled her ashy grey-black hair, pretending to comfort her. She made sure to fake a blush, something a "lady of the night" had taught her. No need to ask how they met, or what else had been taught that night. That's a story for another day.

She fluttered her blue eyes at the guard as he finally reached them, trying to seem intimidated. His boyish face and lazy stare was anything but. She made nervous movements like tucking her hair behind her ear and rubbing her thumbs together, putting on her best act.

He seemed a little too suspicious of her, although she supposed that's just his job. Soon, they were all herded through the gate. Not before an Iwa genin threw a stray comment, slicing the tension like butter only for it to return tenfold.

He was young, but really lucked out on the genetic lottery. He was ugly, with chicklet teeth and a receded hairline that wasn't quite covered by the blonde hair he brushed forwards. He had a deep-set mouth, with chubby cheeks that definitely didn't compliment his ugly scowl. He was on the shorter side, but still taller than her. His voice was high-pitched and grated on her ears as he spoke directly to her team, "Iwa puts down Konoha dogs. Just remember that."

Ahhh, a reference to a recent bounty Iwa had taken of a rogue Konoha nin. She was glad she kept up to date on such things, or she wouldn't have really understood. They must be pretty proud of themselves for that. Jun threw him a glare, but we moved on wordlessly.

Ignoring the taunt, they moved to follow their group to the hotel, hopefully very far from where Iwa was placed. The village looked nothing like she imagined. There were tarps and overhangs everywhere, blocking most of the rain and channeling it into runoffs that probably led to a water treatment or irrigation center. There were small waterfalls everywhere, and bridges that crossed over both small and large man-made rivers. It was almost ethereal looking, with moss growing on almost every building side and even hanging from the taller surfaces where it had built up over years and years. There was still a slight misting in the air from all the waterfalls and the few spots where the rain got through, but it wasn't nearly as wet inside the village as they were expecting. Suki felt a small degree of claustrophobia though, as there were walls on all sides basically 24/7, and the rain tarps blocked most of the sky. Escape routes were few, putting the entire Konoha entourage on edge. Hopefully the exams wouldn't be held IN the village, because Suki would go crazy.

They finally arrived at their hotel and were led to a dingy room, where Suki immediately peeled off her soaking clothes. Each team was given a unit with two bunk beds and a small kitchenette, an attached bathroom to the side, and an open closet with no door. A Hyuuga sensei from one of the teams did an inspection on all of the rooms to make sure nothing was fishy before they entered.

Kota-sensei has been on edge since the Iwa teams arrived on scene with an aura around him that even Jun could feel, the team member with the worse sensing capabilities. He finally spoke when they all sat together on one of the beds, already anticipating a talk coming. His voice had a commanding tone that they had never heard, the Nara was normally much more laid back than this. "You three can't hold back. And you two can not hold Suki back. If she has to kill someone in these exams, to protect herself or to protect either of you, let her. She is fully capable. Am I understood?"

Juns' fist tightened so loud the creak in his joints was audible, and on the other side of him she could recognize the sudden stiffness in Masao's figure as a sign of protest. Neither of them argued with the order though, simply sharing a glance and trying to relax. Their sensei continued, ignoring their reactions.

"I feared you may have been targeted, but I'm honestly afraid of how far they might go. Watch out for each other. Plan carefully and use everything I've taught you. I don't expect you to pass on your first try, I just want you to survive. Okay? People rarely pass on their first attempt. And some never make it back to the village. Treat this as an A-Rank mission from yours truly."

He took a deep breath, closed his eye and rubbed his cheek stubble with a nervous hand. "We were told to inform our teams that once the test was started, there is no forfeiting. You have to continue until you either lose, become unable to continue, or die."

Masao scoffed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, finding the idea odd. He had shed his cloak, now just wearing a T-shirt and pants similar to Jun's. "What are they gonna do if we try?"

The Nara shook his head solemnly, making direct eye contact with his student through the dark glasses. "I wouldn't want to find out if I were you. That's it for now, get some rest."

The three didn't complain, still quite exhausted from their journey. They were glad they arrived a week and a half early to rest, recuperate, plan, and observe their opposition. It was going to be a bumpy month ahead of them, and they needed to be mentally and physically prepared to deal with it as a unit. They had to approach this test like Chunin would to pass.

The days flew by, with the three of them often left alone as their sensei went off and did god knows what with their ANBU guard. They left the hotel room to find food, but otherwise kept themselves locked away together like hermits. Their nerves were growing every passing day in the foreign village, but they tried to stay positive and productive anyways. Suki found herself breaking up more small arguments between the boys, but she knew when the time came, they would work together as seamlessly as they had since day one.

Suki drew on a small notepad when she got too bored, putting the beautiful village she saw onto paper. She had to admit she wished Konoha was this pretty, although she could do without all the dampness. They boys, as always, were impressed with her ability to take in enough detail to replicate entire landscapes.

Masao and Jun were relaxing on the bed across from her as she finished drawing one of the decorated bridges they saw earlier in the day when they caught her attention, once again wanting to conspire and plan for their test that was to begin tomorrow. Masao had his glasses and cloak off, leaving him in the warm looking black jumpsuit he often wore underneath. Jun was in his normal clothes, with his shoes off and placed neatly under the bed. Suki was in her pajamas already, an oversized white hoodie she stole from Juns' pack and blue leggings that had started to fray at the ankles from overuse.

Despite her fancy new paychecks, old habits die hard, and Suki hates to waste perfectly good clothes. Even if they're falling apart.

Masao was relaxed in the bottom bunk with his arms crossed behind his head while Jun was halfway off the top bunk, precariously leaning off and looking at Suki with an upside down smile. Small purple and red bugs crawled around the room, exploring and memorizing all the scents they could find. He had a whole unit out scouting the village, which would hopefully give us a head start.

The bug boy himself gave her a glare when she swatted at a beetle trying to crawl into her hair, she ignored him to listen to Jun, who was probably the most nervous of the three. "So, Su~ki, what are you gonna do if we all get separated? We gotta have contingency plans, you know."

She scoffed, swiping away the bangs that had fallen into her face. "You should be the only one worried about that. You're the only on on the team who can't use chakra sensing. Masao and I would be just fine."

"Fair. I'm just worried. What if something happens to you?" He dropped his smile, face going serious. Suki met his gaze, trying not to glare or make it seem like she took offense to his words.

Technically, she was stronger than him. She knew it, Masao knew it, sensei knew it, but it still seemed like Jun looked down on her for her gender and age. She hated that he didn't recognize her strength and the hard work it took to get there. She hated to let the resentment she felt fester, but she didn't know how to broach the subject without starting a fight. "I'll be fine, JuJu. Worry about yourself."

He caught the agitated tone in her voice, but thankfully didn't call her out. Masao broke the tension before it even had a chance to form. "We know that, it's just that we're a pretty big target here and you will definitely be the first they focus on."

Hazy blue eyes, normally dazed and slightly unfocused, were unnervingly sharp as they turned towards the brown haired boy. "And that's exactly the point. Is this not what we've been training for all year? Is that not one of the tactics we agreed upon? Don't underestimate me."

He flinched away, not liking her demeaning gaze. "You look like my mom when you look at me like that. It's kinda creepy. Anyways, I promise it's not that we underestimate you. I guess it just feels different. Jun and I have a bad feeling about this test, and we're just trying to cover our bases."

Scoffing, she laid back in her bed and faced the wall, pulling the covers up and over her shoulder. "We're team 13 remember? We have the best luck, don't worry so much."

The small comment seemed to slightly tame their anxieties, and they all settled in for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and they needed their rest.

The next morning found Kotaro shaking them awake, quietly handing them each a kunai with a purple handle instead of the standard Konoha red. "These are special poisoned kunai, they're extremely deadly. Be sure not to cut yourself, there's no antidote."

He looked at his students' groggy forms, trying to visualize the students he had begun teaching a year ago. They were practically unrecognizable.

"I'm proud of how much you three have grown. As shinobi, and a family. Even if you don't get the promotion this time around, know that you three are definitely Chunin material. Act like it, and you'll do just fine." He grinned, a much softer expression on his bearded face than they had seen since they arrived in Ame a week ago.

Team 13 shared a look, a competitive spark ignited inside of them. They would do their best to make their sensei and village proud.

Two hours later found them in a large underground arena. There was only two openings, the door to the outside foyer (which doubled as the exit), and a stairway entrance that took you deeper underground. Thankfully there was enough space for all the teams to spread out, avoiding most conflicts.

The three Konoha teams were definitely recieving the most attention. Jeers and obnoxiously loud comments were hurled at them, making it obvious who they were targeting.

Suki caught the look Jun and Masao shared, and tried to ease their nerves. She spoke quietly, trying not to provoke anyone that may have been eves-dropping "I guess we'll just have to show them what we Konoha dogs are capable of."

The attempt slightly cheered them up. She turned to the Aubrame, stepping closer to him for warmth. Even underground it still felt cold and damp. The action was more to hide their conversation from their opposition, though. "Masa, what all can you sense? Everyone's too close together for me."

His lip twitched. Suki couldn't tell what he was laughing at, but it was normal, so she ignored it. Jun kept his eyes trained behind her and Masao's back as he replied, watching for any suspicious movement made towards them. "There is, of course, nine Konoha genin in three squads. Nine Ame teams, with eighteen genin. Theres the seventeen Iwa genin split into four teams. Kiri has sixteen split into eight teams. Kusagakure sent nine genin split into three teams, one team of three from Taki, and three teams and nine genin from Suna. That leaves total attendees at only 81, much smaller amount than previous years."

Konoha was the only village to use three man teams as a standard, but Suna, Kusa, and Taki used them too. Those three villages had a lot of different sized teams, which was logical in Suki's opinion. It was more odd to her that the other villages had a standard team size.

Ame and Kiri normally group their shinobi into pairs, or go on solo missions. Iwa and Kumo teams normally consist of four genin, two senior and two rookie.

Three Konoha squads. Nine Ame squads. Four Iwa squads. Eight Kiri squads. Three Kusa squads. Three Suna teams. And a singular team from Taki. It was quite a low attendance by most village standards.

It didn't surprise her though. "Ame is such a small country, makes sense to have a smaller test than compared to Iwa, Kumo, or even home. Imagine having almost two hundred enemy shinobi in such a small area. It'd give them a heart attack. I'm actually surprised there's this many, I expected at least a couple more villages to skip this year, not just Kumo."

The two boys stiffened as an Ame shinobi walked to the front of the room, standing on a small podium that had previously been hidden from her view by the Kiri team standing in front of it. Their conversation, and all others, halted immediately. Suki sent a wary blue gaze to her companions, shuffling closer, as if nervous. They had to keep up their act. After a few beats of silence, the man spoke.

He was very plain looking, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The uniform he was wearing told them he was a Jonin. His voice was deeper than she expected from the rather short man, and she focused on his words, "Welcome to the Ame Chunin Selection Exams. On behalf of our Amekage, I welcome you to our beautiful village."

A light applause broke out when he paused, and he waited for it to die down before continuing. "We hope you have all enjoyed your accommodations. This is the start of the exam. Ame has decided we won't use the whole month and a half normally given, instead, this exam will be done in two weeks time."

Murmers broke the growing tension, and Suki stood straighter at the news. Masao and Jun tensed at her sides. The black haired boy leaning slightly to whisper in her ear, "That's way faster than we expected. Do you think-"

He was cut off as the examiner continued, his baritone voice silencing all conversation. "The first exam will test your ability to listen and follow orders. You will be led to a room, alone, where you are given instructions. You will have no contact with your teammates whatsoever. If any of your teammates fail, you all fail. You will not be provided food or drink, should the exam extend beyond a reasonable time limit. You will not be allowed to quit. Once the exam has started, you have to finish it. No mission can be quit half way through, and this exam is a reflection of that. If any team wishes to forfeit, this will be your only time to do so."

There was a lot of protest. One echoing voice rose among the rest. "Wait a minute, if our teammate fails, we do too?! How is that fair?!"

The man scoffed, and acted like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "On some mission you have to depend on the actions of your teammates, even if you can't communicate. On some missions you will be separated, and you will have to depend on each other to finish your assignments from miles apart. Some missions will test your loyalty, to your team, and to your village. Some will test your sanity. If you're not ready for that, the door is right behind you."

As dark haired girl suspected, no one left.

"All right. We will call your names one by one. Please follow your proctor to your examination room and listen to their directions."

Suki, being as prepared as she was, had a scroll in her pouch full of survival needs such as granola bars and water. In a huddle, she quickly rationed them out. Juns' cocky smile made observers glare in their direction. He winked at her as he took his share, smiling as Masao as he spoke, "We're lucky to have her, aren't we Ma~sa! Who else would have brought all this but our little paranoid Su~ki~chaaan!"

Glaring, she tried to yank the supplies back out of his hand, unsuccessfully. "I'm not paranoid, just prepared! Don't draw attention to us. Next time, you're on your own!"

Before he could reply, a tall and pretty Ame jonin approached them. "Jun Jun, of Konoha? Please follow me, I will show you to your examination room."

Leaving with a cheeky wink and a wave, he followed her. The mood instantly dropped between Suki and Masao as they began to worry for their third colleague. Tension was slowly rising as one by one genin from random villages disappeared into the stairwell. Suki tried to break the silence, but her voice came out more meek than she expected. "Think it's just a written test? Like those guys said?"

Masao shrugged, rubbing his chin. He was too much like sensei sometimes. The familiar action was a comfort though. "Honestly, I have no idea at this point. They're already not following the normal rules of the test, so let's not try to set any expectations."

She agreed silently, spreading her chakra sense out as far and thin as she could, just like sensei taught her. She didn't know if it was nerves or her inexperience, but she still couldn't sense through the large amount of people clustered in the area. Not five minutes later, another jonin made their way over to the pair, this time an average looking male. Masao gave Suki a tight smile and wave as he was summoned, leaving her behind.

With every step he took away, she could feel more and more eyes training on her lone form. She tried to hide the shiver that wracked her body, but she was sure it was quite noticeable.

Even if her unease was real, it fed into her "helpless" image, and would help her later on. Suki never understood why the strong people were all supposed to be fearless. Everyone had fears. Even the first Hokage was probably afraid of something. Her fears just so happened to be enclosed spaces filled with people targeting her for no reason other than her village ties.

The muscles in her legs were starting to cramp from how tense she was, ready to bolt at the slightest of hints of an attack. She didn't even feel safe with her back against the wall. The predatory looks she was garnering only made her feel more cornered.

The Iwa genin they saw at the gate, the one with the receding hairline and spaced teeth, was giving her his undivided attention. When she finally had the nerve to glance in his direction, just to make sure he was looking at her and nothing around her, he licked his lips and sent her a quick wink. The look in his eyes was everything but flirty.

She tried not to vomit, barely succeeding.

She still felt like she was going to though, with the way her stomach was flipping around. Thankfully, a chunin came along and took the boy away, whom she was eternally greatful for.

More and more genin files out of the room until it was only her and four others. The staring had stopped, and she felt like she could breathe again. She tried stretching her senses to her teammates familiar chakra, but everything behind the stairwell door felt like white noise.

She felt the chuunin approach her before she saw him. Sensing was much easier now in the fading crowd. He didn't say anything, only cocked his head at her and walked right pass. She took it as that was her que to follow him.

She glanced at the few remaining genin as she followed the rather tall and intimidating chunin through the stairwell door. Their eyes were all locked on her, disappearing as soon as she turned the corner.

She had to turn off her chakra sense, as the white noise surrounding her became too much to bear. There must have been chakra jamming seal somewhere. She jumped as the man she followed turned to throw an icy stare at her, as if he could sense the action that should have been completely unidentifiable.

Being led through dark, damp hallways, Suki tried to memorize the directions they were turning. It was hard, but not impossible, just made difficult by the complete lack of any landmarks. The walls were made of smooth stone, with a dirt floor that dusted her slightly damp shoes. Cleaning that wouldn't be fun. They came to a stop in the middle of a hallway, where part of the wall slid away to reveal a small room.

He led her inside, and instructed her to sit at the chair and desk provided. In front of her was a blank piece of paper, no bigger than her hand, but no utensils to write with. There was a lightbulb hanging above her, but no light switch. The biggest and most noticeable feature was a large mirror on the other side of the room, taking up almost half the wall. The reflection made the small area look slightly bigger, but the fact people were probably watching her on the other side made it feel a million times smaller.

He stayed in the doorway, not entering the room. It seemed like he was waiting for something.

Moments later, at an invisible que, he began explaining the rules of the test. His voice was much softer and nicer than he looked, and if she was any less suspicious, she would have thought he was sympathetic to her compromised position. "This is the first stage of your exam. There are rules, which I will explain to you now, so pay attention.

"If you die, you fail. If you leave this room, you fail. If you permanently damage anything in this room, or the room itself, you fail. You will be waiting here for further instructions. If you refuse to follow instructions, or follow them incorrectly, you fail. If you fail, your teammates will also fail and be removed from the test. Your actions will be monitored closely. See ya!" He waved at her, disappearing as the door slid back into place. The sudden deafening silence left a ring in her ear.

Was that it?

She stared at the paper, before flipping it over and looking at the back. It was completely blank. She stood from her chair, examining the equally blank walls. She tried to find the seam where the door once was, but it was invisible to her naked eye.

Her chakra sense was still uselessly fuzzy, so she just sat back in her desk, put her chin in her palm hand, and began humming.