Chunin Exam Arc: Expected and Unexpected
The group had walked for several days, and they finally reached the mountains that would connect them to Iwa.
Ryuu was fascinated at how clearly he could see his breath and the breath of others. Anytime someone spoke, every time he exhaled too much, little clouds of white would appear.
"Cold up here, isn't it?" Kushina eyed her team with a knowing grin. "We're almost there."
"Is it always this cold?" Masumi's teeth chattered. She prepared for cooler weather, but it was colder than she imagined.
Yuina placed a hand on Masumi's arm as a sign of condolence. "Cool, yes, but no, not always this cold."
"How would you know? You've never been here either!" said Mushiro shivering as he scavenged his bag for a jacket to add another layer of warmth to his upper body.
Yuina pointed to the mountain tops that were becoming visible. "It's winter, so it's colder than usual, but it would be cool even if it were summer. Air pressure decreases with higher elevation. The air expands, making it cooler the higher up you go."
"Do you understand what she's saying?" Mushiro whispered to Yori.
"The air is thinner and there's less heat," Yori drawled.
Mushiro still didn't understand the air thinning thing, but less heat was his lightbulb moment.
"You should have packed warmer." Masumi stuck her tongue out at Ryuu as Nobu put on another layer. His shokaichu didn't like the cold. It wasn't a suitable environment for them, and they required extra chakra to keep them from going into dormancy.
Yuina's adrenaline pumped as she could make out Iwa's outskirt. It dipped slightly lower than the surrounding mountain tops. It likely helped protect them from wind-induced erosion by acting as a natural barrier. It certainly hid the place for those unknowing, and she doubted many people were casually hiking up.
Yuina stood in line as they reached the check in point. Reviews to get into a foreign village took longer than leaving one's home village. She peered into the village as she waited her turn. She moved up in the line until it was her turn. She handed over her documents for the Iwa-nin to review. They had their own list of confirmed participants and 'guardians' to confirm their claims. Everything checked out and she was allowed in with the rest after being told some ground rules.
It was impressive what they could do with stone. Lots of potential danger for young kids, but otherwise they did the best they could in the environment to be habitable. It was no different than people who lived in areas known for volcanoes, or deserts, or tsunamis or tornadoes, or ice storms. There were problems living most placed. People had to make the most of what they had. At least the buildings carved into stone meant it took less energy to heat, because they either had some cool technology or were limited in supply out here.
"It was nice seeing you again, Inoichi. Nice meeting the rest of you." Yuina gave her parting words then waved before anyone could suggest eating or going to the inn together.
"Eh? Where are you going?" asked Kushina.
"To be a tourist!"
"Is she really taking the exam?" asked Hiro. He wasn't the only one. Yuina could hear some comments as she separated from them.
Yuina had been working overtime in preparation. It would have been a shame to not make the most of it. She explored, getting a feel for the village, and making mental notes of the layout and culture. She watched as a stoat ran by with interest. Her eyes followed it until they passed over the name of a market engraved into the exterior of the building.
Inside was a bombardment of colour. The village from the outside might have looked bleak at a glance, but they did well with interior design. The walls were covered with decorative cloths as if it were wallpaper.
First thing first, she needed a sweater. Yuina recalled being adjusted to the cold, but that wasn't this body. She eyed the wool. Natural fibers were great insulation and cozy to the touch. They were expensive, but people weren't expected to hoard a lot of clothes unless they were rich and attended a lot of social events. Though it was expensive, it was a better deal that what it would have cost on Earth. There was more stitching, and they were stitched in more extravagant patterns. More costly but more durable.
She walked to one merchant stand who promptly ignored her while helping someone who came after her. "Fine, don't take my money," she muttered, wanting the owner to hear her annoyance. Yuina approached the next stand who warily looked at her. Yuina smiled, and her eyes crinkled. "Do you want my business?" The lady at the stall was younger than most other vendors and didn't have a single customer. Reputation meant a lot, meaning her products were of lower quality, or she hadn't built a name for herself yet.
The merchant fixated on her forehead protector and gulped before looking around to see if anyone else would approach. Regardless of where she was from, Yuina was still a potential buyer.
Yuina closed the distance between them and touched the fabric. It was soft. Yuina clapped her hands together. "They're so pretty."
The merchant's eyes sparkled a little and became more confident. "Really?"
Yuina held one up to herself to compare the size. "Yep! But…" Yuina hesitated, waiting for the merchant to take more interest. "Are you sure it's a fair price?" Yuina continued before the merchant could voice her indignation. It was cheaper than the stalls immediately around her. "The Land of Earth's textiles are always so nice and intricate. There's some that get sold in the Land of Fire, but they're popular, so they're hard to come by, but they easily sell for much more." She spoke in a loud tone. "Maybe I should buy some extra to take back with me." Yuina brought her fist to her mouth to ponder. "Hm."
The merchant was delighted to have someone interested in her craft. "It's the threads and knots," she happily explained. "There's a bunch of traditional thread patterns that others can't be bothered to put the effort into. Say, how much does it sell for? Purely for curiosity." There was a glint in the woman's eyes.
Yuina gave her a price that was five times the price she was selling it for. "I'll take this." Yuina paid and immediately put it on. She pulled the turtleneck up a little so she could bury her nose. That was so much better. She wouldn't need the extra layers when running about, but until then it was nice to have something to snuggle in.
Yuina visited several more stalls, looking at fabrics and crafts before leaving for a popular restaurant. They were well known to the locals for their mushroom dishes which they cultivated themselves. They thrived in Iwa's climate, making it one of their delicacies.
She was lucky she got in. The restaurant was busy even outside typical meal hours. She sat down, placed her order and waited for the food the arrive. She listened into conversations and looked out the hole in the stone that was used as a glassless window. She was happy when the food came. It didn't matter that there was a lot of fat and carbs it tasted delicious. It was a nice comfort food. She normally ate a lot of fish and vegetables, so it was a welcomed change.
"Is it true you grow the mushrooms yourself?" she asked the server.
"I don't, but the boss does." He eyed the empty dishes in disbelief that a girl was eating so much.
She played stupid. "That's so cool! Do you grow anything else?"
"Just the mushrooms. They grow quickly and don't take up much space."
"Is it because of the weather?"
"Oh. No." He eyed her forehead protector. Ninja were so oblivious to basic society. "There's plenty of produce that will grow in these temperatures, but farming takes a lot of space."
Yuina tilted her head, confused. "I don't get it." He wanted to roll his eyes, but knew better than to do so. "Why not use hydroponics? You won't have to worry about the soil freezing or its quality. You can grow them vertically like mushrooms."
It had been annoying with how much depth she had to talk to the Hokage and a selected board of advisors. She even had some heads from sub departments to consider the validity weight the benefits and drawbacks of application and implementation, while also determining whether it was allowable to share with other nations. It only increased her suspicions that Konoha had been using food as a source of bargaining, obtaining additional power and influence even though it was technically the Daimyo's jurisdiction.
"Hydro? Like water?"
"Hm!" Yuina nodded. "Nutrient infused water for the water and nutrients and UV LEDs to imitate the sun."
The words UV LED made him confused. "You can grow crops without dirt and sun?" That was the basis of agriculture. Well, there were exceptions, but it was generally true. It wasn't the most cost-effective method, but it was effective. "Do you not do that here?"
"Uh…no?"
"Oh." Yuina frowned as she directed her gaze downwards. "It's super easy. I'm used to eating some foods all year round." She looked up in a panic and raised her hands in front of her. "Not that the food here isn't delicious. It was an easy 10 out of 10." She slapped her cheeks. "Sorry! You're working.I should learn to keep my mouth shut. I'm sure cultured-meat helps."
"It's alright. We do take pride in our livestock."
"It's all livestock?! You don't, you know?" Yuina made vague motions with her hands.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"Cultured meat is cultured meat. The Land of Earth is so different. Wait until I tell Orochimaru-sensei. Or maybe not. He probably already knows. I wonder if there's anywhere he hasn't been." She turned to look out the window where a bird flew on the sill. She picked up a few grains of rice that stuck to her bowl and fed it to the bird. "Say ahh." It would do.
The server was split between wanting to know more to make sense of everything, and getting as far away from the girl as he could.
Yuina paid and left. Three days. They made good time, so she had three days until the start of the chunin exams. She had to use her time wisely. The general population cared about things that affected them. Affordability. Wealth. Medicine. Food. Shelter. Convenience. Technology. Desire could lead to more spying, but Yuina didn't think a comfortable life with basic needs was something worth withholding even if the Hokage told her to hold back on some ideas. She could use the actual exam to demonstrate power for the people who would care for such things.
Yuina bought a small bag of grain and found a stone bench to sit on. She put a hand on her stomach. "I ate too much." She sprinkled some grains on the ground in front of her to encourage the weasels to approach. "Aren't you cute?" She gave them more grains little by little before she kept it in her hands to force the gluttonous and less cautious ones to approach. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" She petted them, releasing a bit of her chakra. People liked to say there was no such thing as a free meal.
Yuina got up and walked around some more.
"Do they have to preach at every exam? We should stop letting them in."
"I don't know why you complain so much. They're good messages!"
People chattered about the small group dressed in nun and priest outfits. It was weird. Considering the language, she expected miko or kannushi garments. She didn't stop and kept walking. She had to. One of them surprised her. Yuina hadn't been able to tell because of the veil inspired cloth covering the top and sides of her head. Her glasses were a different shape, but the person was distinguishable. Shiganina? How? Why?
For how long had someone tried to use her? Yuina became distracted. Things lined up too nicely.
Worst of all, she had to trust that they were on the same side.
"Zabuza! I said don't go wandering off on your own!"
Yuina looked towards the noise, happy for a distraction.
There were five Kiri-nin gathered together. One clearly their supervisor while a boy younger than the rest wandered off ahead of them.
"Just let him go. He gives me the creeps."
"Yeah, I don't want to be around that demon."
"That name is stupid. Big whoop. He killed some people. So did we."
"Yeah, but you didn't kill an entire class before you were a student. Actually, didn't you graduate early under the new requirements because they needed more shinobi after everyone was killed?"
"Yeah, well, I still killed. It wasn't like he killed anyone he knew – not being a student and all." The boy crossed his arms and huffed.
They continued to talk and Yuina clued in that kid known as Zabuza was the one known throughout the nations as the Demon of the Hidden Mist. A boy her age who defeated a graduating class before he enrolled. She was uncertain whether Kiri's enrollment started at a later age or if he killed them that young, but it was a notable feat that couldn't be ignored. It was rare to be that notorious at that young of an age, internationally no less.
She followed their gaze to find him.
There he was.
There for the chunin exam like the rest of them.
Kiri's infamous prodigy.
The day had been going so well, but this may require some recalculations. Yuina was comfortable fighting genin, but the chunin exam meant that some people were hopefully ready to become chunin. One of many things Kakashi unintentionally taught her was to watch out for the irregularities. It was fair to consider Zabuza as one of such irregularity.
Yuina stood her ground and considered her options.
Zabuza sensed something and looked around. There were the crummy people he had to travel with. There were a few people staring back at the commotion or because they were foreigners. It didn't really matter what the reason was. Then there was her. A girl about the same height as him. The symbol on her forehead showed she was from Konoha. She was there for the exams too. Well, no matter. It didn't matter who was in his way. When he wanted something, he wanted something.
Yuina decided the moment their gazes locked to approach the irregularity. Better to face it head on than to wither away in the shadows. "Oi!" She jogged up to him. She reached for his wrist, but he pulled back to evade her.
"What are you doing?" He tried to piece what was happening.
"What? Would you rather hang out with them?" She pointed her thumb over her shoulder to his group who began noticing what was happening.
Zabuza deadpanned while he looked back. Out of everyone participating from Kiri, he had been sent with some boring, lousy people.
"I don't need them to keep me company." He was sure he was going insane from listening to their chatter on the way. "And there's no point in spending time with you."
"None? Really?"
"You're from Konoha. That means I'll stomp you. No point spending time with a ghost."
"That's cute. Being a demon is low-tiered, but I'm not surprised they think of you as one. After all, Kiri didn't put up much of a fight when my brother crushed through them at the exams a couple years back, and he was six."
"Oh please. Those losers don't know – wait." The gears spun in his head before he clutched his stomach while belting laughter. "Your brother? He was the one who put Muma in the hospital? Haha! Serves him!"
Yuina was taken aback. It was like his facial structure had slightly changed when he laughed. His jaw wasn't tense, making his face look a little longer. His eyes softened. His eyebrows no longer appeared to be glued to his face. He had quite an expressive face when he displayed any kind of emotion. It accentuated his youth, even if his stance was still one that could easily go into an attack.
"What's going on?" His supervisor asked.
Zabuza's sulked at the interruption. The girl might actually have a few good stories to share. Better than anything the others offered him. He looked back and forth, trying to decide what to do.
"No hard feelings if either of us gets slaughtered later?" Yuina offered her hand. His supervisor was confused without context.
Ah, what did he have to lose? He grabbed her hand and ran, tugging her along with him. He waved back and looked over his shoulder. "I'm going to have some fun! Don't wait up for me!"
It was an enjoyable time for Yuina. She got to have some fun joking around with the acknowledgement that their time together was temporary and didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. She used him as a distraction as she took care of a few things on the side. They riled up some store owners without crossing lines that would get them kicked out. They went to the night market and tried some snacks and street food. They even caught attention when they started juggling like they were street performers and not foreigners. The location wasn't a coincidence.
Their time together reassured Yuina that while Zabuza was a cut above others his age, he wouldn't be the threat she imagined. She even held some sympathy. He clearly loved his village and yet he hated all the problems that existed. A lot of the Land of Water's problems were internal. He even let it slip that he killed the graduating class because he was irritated and wanted to prove how stupid it was. That there was no need to cut each other down. Zabuza had already started building a name for himself, but every step of the way it was paradoxical.
Yuina couldn't admit her true feelings on the matter, but she found comfort that there were other ridiculous situational things in the world.
"Cheers!" The two began to chug their drinks to see who could finish faster. Loser had to pay.
A hand fell on her shoulder and Yuina was forced to stop and swallow, but ended up choking on her drink a little. "You shouldn't be drinking."
"It's apple juice!." Yuina looked on in despair as Zabuza finished his.
"At the low low price of 100 ryo," mocked Zabuza rocking his empty glass side to side. 100 ryo wasn't cheap at all. It was easily three to four times the price it would have cost in Konoha. She wasn't sure whether the expense was purely from transportation required to ship it up or if they were surcharged because they weren't from around there, but it didn't matter. A bet was a bet.
Yuina slammed her head on the counter. A damn golden eagle ate one of her weasels. She raised her hands and swept her fingers through her bangs, trying to make it look like it was from losing – which also sucked.
She grumbled as she grabbed the money to pay for the drinks.
Yuina called it a night.
She found her way to the inn Konoha was assigned to. It was shared with those coming from Kumo.
Yuina flopped face first on the bed. "A good day then?" asked Orochimaru. "Takasue was telling everyone he saw you prancing around with a Kiri-nin".
Yuina rolled to her side so her voice wouldn't be muffled. "Turns out the Demon of the Mist isn't a demon." She made signs with her hands to signal everything was still going according to plan.