Mana smiled at her target. For once her attempt to shake the foundations beneath the set in stone ninja system and the truths ingrained within the minds of everyone living in it brought some fruit. For once she didn't feel guilty about the way she won in. As she had come to learn previously from many dear people and experiences – fighting in this world was inevitable but, for the first time, Mana felt in control and knew the perfect balance of fighting and peaceful resolution.

"You are a great ninja, Mana…" Junipu-R complimented the magician after she settled down on a larger stone to rest. Inaba shyly walked up to her and handed her the medical supplies. Mana herself probably needed even more treatment of her own injuries. Still a bit dizzy she sat down on the dirt, Kiyomi and Meiko rushed up to her aid.

"I'd like to think I'm not…" the magician mumbled as if only meant for herself to hear. She didn't want to just be "a great ninja" because what most people treated as being a great ninja Mana despised in its entirety. She didn't want to be a sneaky deceitful tool that carried out assignments without a hitch, one who killed and stole just because such was their mission.

Regardless of that – she had her own unique understanding of who ninja were and she wanted to live up to that idea. It may have been childish, it may have been misguided but it was Mana's ninja way. To her ninja were people with responsibility, people entrusted by nature with the power to manipulate its laws and therefore had the weight on their shoulders to protect and live up to their own ninja way.

"We don't have much supplies left. You may need to take the food pill…" Kiyomi groaned after realizing that all the bottoms-up fighting they've been doing had exhausted their supplies almost completely.

"I'll be fine, let's just find a water source and purify some water. I'll wash my wounds and they'll be just fine. I've eliminated my target already, hopefully we'll find ways of eliminating yours without extensive three on three fighting…" the magician gently refused.

Steinck stood up and picked up all of his knocked out teammates. He gave Junipu-R a strict stare. Before he could speak up Meiko's surprised yell interrupted him.

"I completely forgot you guys were here!" she exclaimed before realizing that she actually found it extremely hilarious and laughing it all off.

Steinck cleared his throat before addressing Team Cirrus. "Me and Corot are heading towards the southern exit. We'll take Junipu-R there and protect her. Being honest with the Konoha ninja will be hard knowing that you've already eliminated your target and can just complete the exam by leaving through the door. We'll help you uphold your part of the bargain." The giant suggested.

Having patched up her busted arm and several less grievous injuries Junipu nodded in agreement.

"Wait a second, before we part our ways, can we maybe trade information? It'll be troublesome to go through the whole ordeal for us again just to find our targets and surely you guys may benefit from our end of the bargain as well." Kiyomi suggested. "We have intelligence on Team Stratus, Team Phobos, Team Pyrite, Team Sagitarii. We'd appreciate some intel on Team Maruf and Team Cumulus"

Steinck stopped as he was already lingering on just leaving the battlefield. After hearing out Kiyomi's offer he sighed, thinking it through carefully.

"Well… Our alliance has been eliminated, we've got no use for our gathered information so may as well… We have intel on Team Maruf, also teams: Alto from Kumogakure, Quartz of Iwagakure, Iocaste of Getsugakure, Zumurrud of Sunagakure and Cephei of Hoshigakure." Steinck listed.

"Wow, that's so much information!" Meiko whistled before shouting out in surprise.

"We've pooled our intelligence when we entered the alliance, also we've made it an important goal to gather as much info as we could now. After all, other teams may need information considered worthless to us and, if we passed onto the next exam, we'd have used it during other rounds of the Exams." Corot smiled, realizing now that all of their efforts and strategies were running down the drain, unless they entrust all the knowledge to the others.

"We have intelligence on Team Dunyazad of Sunagakure, Team Iocaste of Getsugakure and we knew about Corot's Team Rutile before you guys attacked us. Our strategy was to gather intel on teams we either needed or teams someone with intelligence on teams with our targets needed." Quill-B shrugged having decided that staying for a while and hearing about the exchange of intelligence may be beneficial to all teams involved.

"Please, Mana. Have some of my bandages. I served a more supportive role in my team and was determined to patch the guys up after fighting, Inaba is quite a troublemaker and often gets beat up…" Junipu kindly bowed before handing a Mana some medical supplies for her injuries. With a bow in return Mana took some bandages that were offered to her and one jar of ointment for her wounds. The rest were then given back to Quill and Inaba.

"I don't know what makes you exaggerate, I'd say my abilities are pretty adequate!" Inaba shyly waved his fist as his blushed cheeks prevented him from looking and acting too angry and annoyed.

"Well… Since Team Cirrus has intel on people we either know of, or of whom the Iwagakure alliance also knows, it'd be least wasteful to know of what Iwa alliance knows." Kiyomi suggested.

"What about you? You've got intel on some fairly unheard of teams. Willing to share?" Quill-B squinted suspiciously at Kiyomi.

"I thought you guys didn't need intel on teams you're not gunning after…" the blonde teased the Kumogakure swordsman. "But fine, if you decided to change your attitude – we are willing to share."

The Yamanaka then took some time relaying what she knew about the teams she previously mentioned. When the speech turned to Team Phobos Mana had to elaborate on quite numerous occasions as Kiyomi only knew of those guys from what Mana told her about and the magician's first hand word was more exact and trustworthy. Also, something Mana greatly appreciated, was that somehow Kiyomi managed to hide the fact she knew plenty about Kouta's team – Team Fir. While the Iwagakure alliance had no reason to withhold information, it was highly likely that both sides withheld some information about known comrades or teams with exceptional bonds of friendship involved.

"I see… Those Team Phobos guys seem pretty capable. We'd be wise to stay clear of them." Quill-B noted after Team Hokage finished sharing information.

"It's not that simple – if you can see them or know of their presence, they've likely known of yours for a long time. One of their members is an amazing sensor." Mana nodded feeling a bit petrified herself when remembering those fearsome three. "They also take people down without actual need. They hurt and are willing to kill ninja they simply don't like or consider useless to their respective villages."

"Hmmm… Hearing about all those ninja, it only makes me wonder that we may have rushed with this Chuunin Exams thing." Junipu-R joined the conversation while longingly looking far off into the thick dark layers of leafage above her head.

"Yeah… We also thought we had this thing almost in the bag, after all, me and Mana had faced chuunin level opponents under several occasions and we've got several times more experience than it is required for the Exams." Kiyomi grinned in overwhelming sense of dread.

"True, it took us long time to learn that in this world it's not the one with the most power, speed or the most amazing jutsu that wins. It's the ones that manage to control themselves, pace themselves right and plan ahead. Had we joined last exam we'd have undoubtedly been eliminated halfway…" Mana nodded.

"Anyways, if you guys are done, you may want to hear about what we know." Steinck interrupted the current topic after clearing his throat. "Team Maruf is positioned in a structure they've built of dead local animals' carcasses: centipedes, their bodily secretions, snake skin and giant bear pelts. One thing is for sure – they're not hiding." Steinck took the map that Kiyomi held loosely in her hands and marked the spot where they've last seen the Team Maruf camp as well as the last known locations all the other teams they had intelligence on.

"Team Maruf is composed of a girl named Squlra, she wields exotic round blades, native to Sunagakure. Her entire body is covered with belts of those things. She's also rather composed and protective of her friends but ruthless against anyone else. She nearly beheaded Corot the first time our teams came in contact. The second member is named Faqsadid – you won't miss him. He's the enormous fatso with zits and ulcers covering most of his body. We've never seen him fight. He, or what's wrong with him, is a total mystery to us. The third member, likely the leader of their team, is named Qarsufly. He doesn't strike as an overly wise leadership figure as he's aggressive, picks fights easily and the only thing holding him back is the objective. He was the one to restrain Squlra from beheading Corot because he wanted intelligence from us and only because of that reason alone."

"Sounds like a handful…" Kiyomi sighed, "We'd most likely be stronger than them three on three, normally, but… Right now, with Mana worn out and all that… I wonder about that."

"They're holed up in a structure. That gives us a unique opportunity to take Qarsufly out silently." Mana coldly suggested.

"But I wanted to punch them in the face for being mean to Corot…" Meiko groaned.

"Awww… Isn't she cute when she's acting like a little justicar?" Kiyomi teased her friend. "I must agree with Mana on this, stealth would be our way to go."

Steinck coughed angrily in order to make his case that he was ready to speak and didn't want to be interrupted again.

"We haven't met Team Iocaste in battle. We only know their names and appearance: Calliastro, a blond guy who dresses like a waiter, not too differently from Mana, a really messed up girl named Vinda and a meathead-like looking Armasar." Steinck began relaying intelligence on other teams, while Meiko looked jumpy and eager to leave, Mana and Kiyomi sat still and listened carefully. The information may have ended up being useful at some point later. They were basically being handed free bargaining tools on a platter here.

"We've fought Team Iocaste – Calliastro was R's target." Quill-B grumbled. "We attacked and knocked him out quietly, he put up little resistance but from what we've seen he was an able taijutsu user and had several Fire Release techniques in his arsenal. Also, while we were making our getaway, the Vinda girl launched a peculiar corrosive Water Style jutsu at us. It looked powerful so it may be wise to be careful with her. Half of her face is masked so that may be a mean of identifying them." The swordsman added some details on the team.

"Is it OK if we share intelligence on Team Alto – they're from your village." Steinck wondered to which Quill-B just indifferently shrugged. After an awkward pause the giant opened his mouth again to speak.

"Team Alto is composed of Neph-T, a young lady with two one handed swords by her side."

"I've sparred with her once, she is capable of covering her body in a rubbery substance, like an Advanced Bloodline of sorts. Swords cannot cut it so, at the moment, to me, it seemed like a useful sparring ability." Quill-B added some information on top.

Initially feeling a bit annoyed that he was interrupted, now, Steinck felt glad that Quill-B decided to add some intelligence on top of it, where he seemed it fit. While giving information on a team from one's own village was touchy subject for most ninja, having much to do with the matters of patriotism, it didn't appear to bother Quill-B too much.

"The second member is Oto-B, we've not seen his ability but he didn't look too fit and able to fight, he's overweight and wears glasses. Most of the time he was just barking out orders and concerning himself with the battlefield decisions and strategy, a lot like Mana was during our fight." Steinck added before turning at Quill-B and wondering if he had something to add.

"I've never seen him fight either. That being said, I've no problem with you guys taking Team Alto out. I've got issues with their third member – Kres-T" Quill-B revealed. "He's killed people, people I loved and held dear to me. One of my friends had decided to abandon the village while in the middle of a mission and Kres-T volunteered to help the authorities eliminate them as well as supplied them with all the information needed to do so. Legally I can't screw him over for such a reason, but if someone kicked his face in in a competition like this – I wouldn't mind. He's mainly a weaponry user focusing on custom made smoke bombs with special toxins and gases. They're all his own concoctions and while a genin couldn't devise anything too scary or too lethal, he's still dangerous. Overall, I'd recommend avoiding Team Alto just like you'd avoid Team Phobos."

"Well, good thing we've got no trouble with any of them…" Meiko grinned.

"Heh, actually, one of our fellow Kumo teams has been asking around about you teens. We've not told them anything prime, mostly because we had nothing to fling at the time." Inaba recalled. Quill's angry stare made him shrug and quiet down.

"I'm guessing info on those guys after us is out of the question?" Kiyomi curiously wondered with an "I had to try" face.

"Sorry…" Quill-B looked down and away.

"We'd rather not go into too much detail on Team Quartz either. We aren't too warm with them nor do we have any grievances. You'll see that they're ones I haven't marked on the map, after all – you're leaving out something as well." Steinck pointed out. After Kiyomi checked the map she noticed that Team Quartz wasn't amongst the teams marked on it.

"Wow! How did you know!?" Meiko shrieked out in excitement. Her reaction sounded awfully similar to all the children Mana entertained with her magic tricks.

"No team ever doesn't have some knowledge about another team from their own village. There's too many possible bonds for them all to be ignored: some of them may be one's siblings, friends or sworn enemies. Never one team or another means nothing at all. You've given us nothing on any Konoha teams but we've pretty much taken it as obvious sign of loyalty and no offenses were taken." Quill-B smiled confidently, glad that his past opponent also saw through Team Hokage's play.

"Actually Mana has no problem giving intelligence on Konoha teams…" Kiyomi found a place to bite the magician again where it kind of hurt.

"Yeah, she's straight out stabbed her own boyfriend in the back! Don't worry though, he's nice so he'll forgive Mana…" Meiko laughed out.

"Really?" Quill-B raised an eyebrow, while initially his face looked a bit surprised and disgusted, eventually it shifted to a bit more curious and involved expression. "I'm a bit surprised and… Interested. Good for you to be able to twist the knife!" the Kumogakure genin teased Mana as well.

"Another team we've ended up feuding with right from the get-go was Team Zumurrud of Sunagakure." Steinck mentioned.

"One of their members – Salnisa injured out teammate, Vespiga. She's a bladed fan user, her fans are able to not only enhance her Wind Release techniques but they also are used for bladed projectiles to be used in a combination. Vespiga never recovered to full hundred after that…" Corot longingly mentioned. Seeing how Steinck stopped talking to let Corot finish her recalling of the experience of facing the team she continued.

"The other members are Dhaogu, a peculiar looking young man with dark purple hair who appeared to wield liquid gold of some sort. It could've been hardened and liquefied again with almost no delay, we couldn't really pin down his ability."

"Maybe it's a Hozuki clansman? A lot of skilled clansmen put a spin on clan abilities, manipulating and inventing new variations even. Hozuki can control liquid water, most can easily harden or evaporate it with a little of focus into their clan techniques, maybe one figured out how to use the same principles on liquid gold?" Mana wondered.

"No. It's a completely different principle. Hozuki are tied to watery liquids. I could see a very skilled Hozuki manipulating blood or some chemical made mostly out of water but not a completely different substance like a liquid metal. Gold and water are too different, it has to be something else…" Kiyomi shut down Mana's theory. She had more credibility as an important clan figure of Konohagakure, she's been interacting with plenty of important clan figures and children of other clans since her youth. She must've knew more about the general principles of how clan specific techniques worked than Mana.

"Anyways, it's hard to say what the third one's ability is either. The third one named Lazimo refused to fight seriously." Corot ended her recollection.

"You've been beaten by just two people? That's intense!" Meiko asked brimming with excitement.

"No, you misunderstand, Lazimo did fight but he didn't use any of his abilities. He also retreated and let his teammates do heavy lifting whenever opportunity came. It's likely his abilities are quite chakra consuming since he refused to use them so early on." Corot concluded.

"Either that or they're too destructive or too precious for his village to be revealed." Mana added, truly there were too many possible reasons for a ninja to hold back to such an extent so early on in the exam.

"You mentioned another team – Team Cephei." Kiyomi raised the issue. "We've discovered so much, may as well hear out anything useful about those guys too. They're from Hoshigakure, right? Not the crowd favorites to do well in this exam but…"

"We've seen them take down another team: a team of a violinist genjutsu user, an odd sealing technique that fires chakra stored inside them user and a fellow using what appeared to be spore based techniques." Steinck recalled before delving deeper in his memories to bring back any specifics. "Team Cephei consisted of a brown haired girl using vines and flower petal based ninjutsu named Rosanna, a summoner boy named Bennow using ninja crow summons and Faeras – he just screamed a lot and had a huge saw-like sword with dented teeth attached to a chain rotating around it."

"Awesome!" Meiko shrieked out like a fangirl hearing about her favorite band. "Can we go see him? I wanna see the design of that chain-sword so I can make one for myself!" she began nagging Mana who unexpectedly stood up, sulking while looking down, and started walking off. Seeing how Mana was having none of it, the redhead started nagging Kiyomi instead.

"What's wrong with her?" Steinck wondered seeing Mana off with his eyes as she walked off further away and just started looking up into the endless covers of leaves and wood above of her.

"I may have a feeling but… Anyways, it seemed like you traded information with them?" Kiyomi wondered.

"Yeah. They didn't have much to offer at the time, that Faeras didn't look to stable, if you catch my cold, and so we never considered contacting them again." The Iwagakure genin nodded.

After seeing Mana beginning to break down, Kiyomi stood up and thanked for the successful exchange of intelligence. The two girls politely said their farewells before the remaining Team Cirrus duo disappeared in a flashy blur and Steinck took his unconscious allies back on his shoulders before beginning to head towards the southern gate. After Corot and Junipu yelled out their farewells to Mana the magician just faintly waved back but it was clear that something was wrong.

"Anything you want to share?" Kiyomi carefully treaded around Mana's mental state while the trio travelled through the tree-line despite having no particular set destination in mind. The magician's mood had obviously seen better days. Her eyes kept wandering away from the road ahead, she didn't involve herself into the conversation of where to head next and her lower lip kept twitching like she was about to break down into tears.

"The team of a violinist, spore user and that sealing guy… It's the team I stole the food pills from." She grumbled out after a long pause. Kiyomi's eyes widened in a sense of clarity before squinting in sadness and the realization why the magician felt so plagued about it.

"We'll talk about that later. Also, you seriously need to wash all that blood off your face. For now let's just look ahead and not cry too hard because you'll bump into a tree." The blonde smiled before observing Mana's ragged clothes situation and pulling out a t-shirt from Meiko's backpack to which, initially, the blacksmith took great offense but after she saw it was for the replacement of Mana's destroyed uniform she stopped arguing.

"You took clothes with you?" Mana asked the blacksmith curiously.

"Sure." She nodded happily.

"Didn't take food pills or medical supplies or… More food?" the magician wondered.

"There'd have been no place for the clothes, for the t-shirt you're wearing right now." Meiko noted before curiously pointing at the magician's attire.

Mana just stared at the blacksmith's face that looked so innocent and confused as to why to her friend it seemed so odd that she'd stuff a bunch of clothes into her backpack. At that moment Mana wondered if she was just approaching insanity by thinking it was odd or if it was just another weird thing about Meiko. After a drawn out pause of the two just staring at each other Mana couldn't control a smile that shimmered through the cloudy gloom in her mind.

"I've got nothing…" she uttered. While Meiko's choice to fill her bag almost up to half with snacks and spare t-shirts looked absolutely bonkers, Mana did just need a clothes replacement so it ultimately proved somewhat useful.

"Exactly. I'm always one step ahead…" Meiko tapped her temple with her index finger before making a face she considered being emotionless and badass and just taking off ahead of the trio.

At this point, Mana wondered how gloomy her life would be without her friends…