Tiwul lingered uncomfortably, tapping her feet nervously. Mana's eyes barely picked it up while switching between the unconscious Menna and back to the Sunagakure kunoichi. The magician turned at her foreign friend and raised her eyebrows faintly to gesture that the girl's need to ask something was acknowledged and that she was encouraged to go ahead.
"Ummm… Look, we appreciate the help, me and Tala, even if that dick has a mean way of showing it. That being said…" she lingered still.
"You want to know why we came here?" Mana sighed.
"Yeah, I mean it'd be naïve to think that you just wandered into us, I mean us… Of all people." The girl shrugged before wiping her sweaty forehead with the torn rags of her purple t-shirt with a futon symbol on the chest.
"Yeah we… Were kind of hoping you guys would be willing to trade information. We know a bit of something about several teams, we need intel on certain others." Meiko butt into the conversation making matters short and clear.
"Frankly, given your situation, we wouldn't rule out an opportunity of an alliance as well…" Kiyomi looked at Tiwul with hopeful eyes. "We've got information on a lot of teams but we haven't picked off a single target yet. We saved your butts here that has to count for something."
"Very well!" Tala's firm voice cut Kiyomi's lingering suggestions down. "We agree to an alliance, to share information. Anything you want." The young man leaped down from quite a high distance up, the landing only deepened the few holes he already had on the knees and elbows of his black, white and orange jumpsuit.
Mana looked shocked at the Sungakure ninja for a brief moment before looking at Menna again. The boy's eyes were closed calmly, his teeth were no longer grinding together so hard that they cracked or broke off and he didn't look like bleeding that much. His chest lifted up and down peacefully as if he was sleeping. That deceitful tranquility… He wouldn't recover and Tala knew it.
"No." Mana shut the Sunagakure redhead down. "You're just trying to justify your own stereotypes here. You're trying to make it like we're just here because we need you for something. By agreeing to our terms you make Konoha ninja look as sick and twisted as they are in your mind. We will not bargain under those terms."
"You are here, are you not? Clearly you wanted something out of us… You can't back out from where you are to your usual moral high ground!" Tala snapped back at her with a cold stare. "We know plenty of information on Konoha's Team Walnut, Kumo's teams Cirrus and Stormcloud, Getsugakure's Team Iocaste."
Mana's heart jumped a few beats after hearing that Tala's team knew about Team Cirrus. The team of her target - a young kunoichi named Junipu-R.
"We didn't came here to use you, we came here for a trade." Mana realized that her shock after hearing a familiar name was evident to Tala who was already making a smug expression as he realized he was in full control. He had a chance to expose Mana as someone only he wanted to make her out to be. She was one of few people who, so far, didn't bend to his sick vision of foreigners and he'd never bend without playing the cards in his hands the best he could.
"And trade is something different?" Tala squinted at her almost mockingly.
"It is. Using you would be asking for something only because of something sentimental – using our past history and friendly feelings. Pressuring you to help us as we've just helped you. We want none of those things, we only want an honorable trade." Mana rubbed her elbow, she didn't like the manner in which her body language folded under pressure but she simply couldn't help it. Tala knew something that she had to have, if she didn't – it'd all be over for her, her time with Team Hokage, her chances at becoming chuunin and even her lifelong dream. She had no room to compromise her and she couldn't stop biting her lip because of it.
"You need information about who? Team Cirrus, based on your surprise of hearing that name? Fine, tell us what teams you have information about, we'll see what we can work out…" Tiwul took a step forward, she must've seen how uncomfortable this conversation was making Mana feel and so she decided to take some initiative.
"We know of Team Fir – Kouta's team, we know that Team Stratus has already completed the exam, we know the last location and the abilities of Team Phobos of Getsugakure, we know Team Pyrite has been eliminated and we've eliminated Team Sagitarii ourselves." Mana carefully listed the bits of intel known to them, carefully observing Tiwul's and Tala's reactions. They may have spoken one thing after she was done listing, their faces may have said another.
"Team Fir! We need that one!" Tiwul just yelled out right after Mana was done, "We can trade what we know about those two teams!" she turned at Tala for his hesitant approval. "Team Hickory is also from Konoha, maybe you know something about them too?" the energetic Sunagakure kunoichi leapt on her feet vibrantly.
"Wow, Pagu made a big mess of himself, quite a popular guy. Everyone wants a piece of him!" Meiko whistled.
"We don't…" Mana shook her head before realizing the deal made. She had to give up information about Kouta's team in order to get to her own target. Sure, Kouta was already eliminated, that being said, how would he feel knowing that Mana told these guys all about the last location of his team and lead Team Dunyazad right into the right tracks to catching up to his team? He'd probably be mad at her.
"Can we… Trade information after we bring Menna to the southern exit? He clearly won't recover without help of a medical ninja, unless you know one willing to cooperate?" Mana tried buying some time.
"I thought we did… But Team Haddar went after us so I doubt Dubia will still help us, she'll probably just drain the rest of my fluids out with those creepy cotton balls of hers for what we did to each other's teammates." Tiwul shrugged sadly. "There's no need of bringing Menna anywhere, one of the things we've found out was that if you leave your teammate behind, after a while, the staffers will pick them up. You can have that bit of information for free."
Meiko unzipped her tracksuit's collar to let some air in after realizing that if Kiyomi left her alone when she was injured, the blacksmith would've been picked up and eliminated from the exam. That thought looked like it scared the redhead a great deal.
"No way! We're going to carry Menna to the exit, it's the equivalent of burying your comrade yourself in this battlefield simulation. No Sunagakure ninja will be left behind!" Tala growled as he rushed up to Menna and flipped him over his shoulders before giving the rest of the girls a mean stare, "Let's go now. We've no time to waste."
The quintet of ninja took off, moving towards the southern exit. Tala wasn't rushing too fast, as expected, he was using just the right amount of speed to maximize a weak chakra output and achieve optimal speed for minimal costs. He was a skilled and wise ninja, not only sufficiently strong in combat but also a great micromanager outside of it.
Not too long after the five took off to surrender Menna to the Konohagakure staff, the magician picked her pace up to catch up to Tala.
"Are you ready to hear our information now? I will give you no trade. You know my conditions – I tell you about Team Cirrus and you leave." Tala spoke firmly but quietly, almost in a grumbly whisper.
"I… It's not about that. Why is it so important for you to prove that everyone from the other villages is some sick monster looking to use you or screw you over?" Mana asked him honestly.
"Tsk. Because I know they are. You keep fooling yourself and everyone around you and that confuses me. Not on a conscious level, on a subconscious one. I can feel like every time I am reminded of your lies to yourself and the world around you that I don't fight as efficiently as I could be. Information about Team Fir is pointless until you admit that you're no different from the others – even if I fight them now, I will not be strong enough, ruthless enough to do what needs to be done." He replied.
"You're already weaker than you used to be – last time we met you told us you used Wind Release ninjutsu to close sand into bullet-like projectiles. There's no sand in this forest's soil – your jutsu here is much weaker." Mana brought up.
"True. All the more reason to at least get my mind together."
"I see…" Mana slowed down to lag behind the quintet. She looked down at the green and black blurs beneath the level that the ninja were dashing at. Once in a while she raised her head up to check on the path they were moving in but it was more and more difficult to do so every time she did so.
"What's wrong? Why didn't you just trade them the information?" Meiko slowed down to talk to Mana while the quintet moved towards the southern entrance.
"I… He offered to give us the information for free. All Tala wants is for me to ask it of him." The magician mumbled.
"Even more reasons to do it. I mean… I guess if you give up Kouta's team – he'll be mad at you, he looked quite friendly with those guys. Tala offered you a way out." Meiko's voice softened. She must've really wanted for Mana to take the easier path, no, it was something else – she and Kiyomi must've already spoken about this and they wanted some kind of a deal to come out of this. They've come too far and spent too much effort for it all to be pointless.
"A way out that will dishonor my entire village, that'll expose us as something we're not. A way out that'll make Tala's sick and twisted vision of the world a reality for him. He'll be sad and hopeless, drowning in his own apathy and we'll just fuel the fire of his hate. My ninja way is to unite everyone, make all life mean something, not just escalate building walls around the villages and hate for each other." Mana felt her voice slightly picking up, maybe even a bit more loudly than she wanted it to be heard. It couldn't be helped anyways…
"I see… So if you take Tala's offer – you'll object your ninja way and if you take Tiwul's you'll make Kouta feel betrayed." Meiko snickered. "Just like the paper test, isn't it? No right answer…"
"No, it's like Tala said. This is a simulation of actual mission conditions: a clearly set objective, people hunting after you and people with unclear motivations and information you need. It's all in how sly you are, the deals and compromises you make and what you're willing to offer for the mission objective… It's just like the life we'll be living as chuunin. What's weighing heavily on me is that I don't have the answers to this life's questions. What if I'm truly not ready yet to enter that stage?" Mana's voice was beginning to tremble, internally she hated that, tried to restrain herself as much as possible from breaking down but the more she tried to fight the more evident her emotional distress became.
"So screw it… Don't make any deals. Sure, Kiyomi will be mad but I think she kinda likes me so I'll smile really nicely and rub my head against her side and she'll break, eventually. A pointless outcome is better than one which breaks us apart from inside." Meiko shrugged before trying her best to make her best little kitten impression as she illustrated the ways in which she'll be trying to calm Kiyomi down. Even with all the despair in her chest, expanding and clawing at her lungs, trying to burst out with the last of its efforts, Meiko's faces and the noises she made cheered Mana up a bit.
"I can't. That's the worst part, maybe I am selfish, maybe… Maybe Tala is right?" Mana's slightly fixed mood went to the crapper again. "I can't be eliminated. That'll be the end of it all. After the Chuunin Exams are over, as Hokage-sensei made it clear, I'm out of Team Hokage. I'll be waiting for years to be assigned to a team, then even more years until the other Chuunin Exams will take place. I'll be an adult genin, you know how it's like to be one…"
"Yeah… Those guys don't have it easy…" Meiko looked up as she scratched her head heartily. "They're kind of the laughing stock of the bunch."
"Exactly, I'd have no problem with being looked down on and laughed at, in a way, I've been like that my whole life. The problem is that my nindo compels me to be someone people look up to, someone who makes people appreciate life through example. If I fail here… It's all over, I'll never build myself up to someone people will follow." Mana covered her face up with one hand while still keeping a half sunken eye open to keep watch of the way in front.
"I… I don't know how to help you…" Meiko murmured. She looked away herself, it was evident that the blacksmith was beginning to feel bad about not being able to be a good friend in the way that counted.
Finally the quintet reached the southern exit, Tala walked up to the massive gate and softly placed his foot at it. A strong rumbling wave of force rippled all the way to the edges of the gate making it slowly open up. A pair of ninja rushed in to the five ninja. Judging from the sight of it – chuunin. They wore a simple chuunin uniform with complicated headgear that looked like hi-tech visors of some sort.
"Do you quit? All five of you?" the ninja asked in a highly robotic voice, the fruit of a cybernetic voicebox he used.
"No, we just brought our teammate here to give him up. He's had enough and we want him treated. We're going back in." Tala softly spoke as he surrendered Menna to the chuunin's hands. The ninja nodded and watched the quintet leave back.
"You know, you don't have to do this. I shouldn't be telling you this but you can leave your teammates behind, they'll be watched after…" the ninja spoke up.
"Yes, I do have to do this. No Sunagakure ninja gets left behind." Tala firmly cut the man down with a cold stare. Before the man's reply or thoughts on the matter could be heard the iron gate closed up and total darkness enveloped the squad.
"So… How will this thing of ours work out?" Tala looked at Mana curiously. Right as his face finished its turn at the angle he imagined being able to look the magician in the eyes, just an extended fist placed right by his face laid. After the young man turned his head a bit to the right Meiko furious face stared right back at him.
"However this will turn out, I'm gonna kick your ass for hurting Mana later." She pretty much promised the Sunagakure genin. Tiwul chuckled a bit seeing how similar Meiko was to Tala in a lot of ways, her face turned bitter after she looked back at her teammate who clearly couldn't see the irony staring right in front of him. It was tough to say just what may have went through his head.
"I… I want to trade." Mana submissively lowered her head. She almost dragged her feet to Meiko's bag, removing the rough draft of a map that the others scribbled for her before taking out a pencil and circling up a zone where she encountered Team Fir before. Obviously Kouta's team was no longer there but they left tracks. Any ninja worth their mettle would've picked up enough tracks to track down the team that stayed there: footsteps, marks on trees, remains of food, other similar things.
"Mana…" Meiko uttered looking at her friend's crushed expression.
"They were here when I last saw them, it's tough to tell time here but it was a couple of days ago. They fought not too far from there so you'll find examples of their combat tracks there. Eventually you'll bump into them. There are two of them: Aozora Yushijin and Erumo Budoki. From what I remember about them from the Academy days, Yushijin is a genjutsu user and a swordsman, Budoki never had specific skills, tough to say what her skillset is exactly."
A long drawn out silence followed Mana's words. Tala looked to be going through a combination of frustration and shock, he didn't really expected Mana to choose to give information on her own village to foreigners instead of using the Sunagakure ninja to get intelligence from them for free. No reasonable ninja behaved this way, loyalism to one's own village was instilled to children since childhood, before even the Ninja Academy.
Seeing how Tala was tapping his feet, stepping around impatiently and angrily grunting, Tiwul stepped up and took the pencil over from Mana's hands. She looked carefully at the map, without a doubt, examining the thing as she hadn't seen this version of it before. Then she scribbled some things around on the map as well before marking the circle amongst other circles with a Kumogakure insignia.
"You'll find Team Cirrus here, when we encountered them there were three of them: this weird beanie wearing guy named Inaba, a short stature and even shorter tempered guy named Quill-B and a girl named Junipu-R. We've bargained with them only so we've never seen them in combat. I wish we could give you something more but we don't have much. This Quill-B guy wears two swords so he may be a swordsman, the rest of them look pretty puny so they may be specialist ninja of some sort – maybe ninjutsu, genjutsu or sealing techniques." Tiwul carefully explained.
Another overdrawn pause killed it once the chubby young lady was done talking and the trade finally transpired.
After the duo of the Sand Village took off, rushing to start following the tracks of Team Fir of Konohagakure Kiyomi stared at Mana in disbelief.
"You just gave up a team from your own village…" she uttered in a clearly objecting tone.
"I gave up the team of my own boyfriend. Things like villages I couldn't care less about…" Mana rudely snapped back at her friend before rushing off ahead.
"Can you believe it!? She had the option to just get the information, they would've just given it to us!" Kiyomi freaked out just as Meiko had predicted. Mana couldn't hear what the two were talking about, she didn't know if Meiko's planned soft cuddles strategy helped please her friend and calm her down.
If the staffers were following the progression of the exam and if they heard of this – Mana's participation in this exam was as good as done. The final exam of the Chuunin Exams was always this massive fighting extravaganza under a clear sky with officials from all the villages involved participating and admiring the next generation. The promises of what's to be. Winning that event didn't make one chuunin, a committee of anonymous ninja still decided if the ninja demonstrated the skills needed for a chuunin to have and if they were ready to join the circle of the higher ranked ninja.
Needless to say, people who gave up teams of their own villages would've never passed. Not because it's against the rules, it wasn't. Not because it's illegal in some way, it wasn't. Because of the social stigma betraying one's own comrades brought up, the unwritten social mark of loyalty one must have upheld. Obviously there'd be no such stigma eliminating a team of one's own village if they were one's targets, that's just following the rules. What Mana did just now was unforgivable in the eyes of plenty of the more conservative villagers.
What she did was unforgivable in her own eyes. Meiko finally caught up to Mana.
"I… I think Kiyomi will be fine. She's only half a national loyalist herself, nowhere near as conservative as Tala so… You should be fine… Eventually." The blacksmith tried calming Mana down as the magician just silently kept moving ahead with her head sunken down, tears running down her cold and lifeless face.
"If I'm ever injured to where I weigh you down... Promise me." Mana uttered quietly.
"Yeah, just like you, I won't give up…" Meiko cheerfully barked out lifting her fist up for a fist bump.
"Give me up immediately." Mana shook her head angrily before stalling back to allow angry and betrayed looking Kiyomi to take her over. The blonde didn't even look Mana's way. Obviously she was angry, even more obviously their friendship lasted too long and they did too much for each other for it to end like this. But just for this moment in time, neither one of the two wanted to even look at each other.
The irony still was that Mana hated herself much more than Kiyomi must've done on an irrational and highly emotional level.