The Assessment

Morning would come as light would shift over the hidden base. Yet none would reach inside. The windowless fortress would serve to provide no information of the inside to the outside or vis versa. One could not look out from within in most rooms. One of these windowless rooms was the one the captive Kudo Hattori had slept in. However as the sun rose so too was she expected to. There would be a knock on the door as one of Rens servants would open it to provide an assorted fruit bowl and a cup of water. A good set of nutrients to start the morning. They were expected to give their best after all. Still the servant would wait outside the door on standby until Kudo was ready. Once they stepped out of the room the young shinobi would be led to another room down the hall. Here the door would be open until they stepped inside and then closed behind them. The room itself was a plain open stone square room. With a significant walking distance of a fifty meter by fifty meter space. All that was within here were lights providing a light source in the room. 

Standing about five meters in the room was the same cloaked figure as before. His grey cloak and white mask seemed to hide all about him. There was no level of sight technique that could pierce this mask. No chakra signature given off by the man as if he weren't really there. Still he would watch her as she entered. Whenever she moved those eyes watching her shifted color from one shade to the next. As if the color were an optical illusion. Still Tadara himself was well equipped with the hilt of a relic tucked into his belt. Along with an Ocarina attached to his thigh and a pair of metal claws strapped to his back over the cloak. Still if she entered he would speak in monotone. However his voice would shift along a range of voices every other word. Somehow flowing gradually and naturally. 

"The assessment will begin when you are ready. I will be providing a setting via genjutsu where you will be tested. Granted you cannot be physically harmed during this assessment I will still provide the sensations of pain befitting the injury should you sustain one. Be sure to prepare yourself and perform well. Should you score highly on this assessment these metal claws will become yours should you want." 

Kudo would awake to a sunless morning, the windowless features of this room and the hallways leading to it making it all but impossible to figure out what time it was. Again a selection of healthy food was brought at the sound of a knock at the door, a servant and the only other person she had seen here other than the Owl and the masked one who brought her here laid the food down and waited outside with the door open. Eating with just enough haste as to not upset her stomach Kudo shifted the armor she’d slept in a little before heading out the door and taking the servants lead.

Continuing through the windowless halls she was eventually brought before the Owl once more. Genjutsu? Unfortunately it was an area she had little practice in, though in theory this was far safer than having a real test where she could easily be maimed. Those claws would make my new taijutsu skills even more deadly. Let's really kick it up for this, come on Kudo, you can do this! Upon receiving her instructions Kudo would nod and close her eyes as her arms raised to her chin with her palms outstretched facing the ground. Letting out a slow breath Kudo worked to slow her beating heart, the racing thoughts in her mind and the turbulence of worry that she had been keeping at bay. Slowing exhaling her hand followed the motion as the air left her lungs, almost as if she was pressing it out herself until her hands were both at her side. Eyes opening she felt better, glad to have prepared herself for whatever lay ahead. Her eyes moved from the mask to the tips of the claws visible on the Owls back, her eagerness for the claws helping to lessen the stress from her situation.

“I’m ready.”

Tadara would observe as the individual being tested would enter the room. It seemed silly perhaps. This vast empty space. Truthfully he could utilize it as if it were a much larger space. Tricking the mind to turn and still seem as if it is going straight. He could have her wandering in circles if he wished it. This made this training room a particularly useful tool. It gave them the ability to go all out without threatening the surrounding structure. If they were at a level that they could do so. However Tadara did not have such high expectations. Instead those empty eyes would follow her as she prepared herself. He did not move nor shift more than his eyes. Not that much could be seen. However his chakra was slowly building up. They were mentally preparing themselves. He supposed some had to hold their emotions in check. Still he would not fault them for it. Merely make a note. Still she would seem to have some sort of meditation cycle before she was finished. He would not interrupt the process. Instead when she mentioned she was ready he would pause a moment to clarify with his shifting voice. 

"I will warn you that though this is primarily in your mind....you will still feel pain. The memory of what happens to you within will be real. Your own techniques should be kept in check too as those can still kill you if misused. Now we will begin."

As if at the word begin his chakra would wash out from him. Creating an entire world around them. (For purposes of the training we will speed this up to say the two post timer kicked in as it was prelaid.) The stone room faded away as wind would blow through. A hot breeze with sand swirling around them before it fell away. For a moment it would appear as if Kudo stood alone in the deserts of Sunagakure. The mountain range at the edge of the sands leading to the minor countries between Iwagakure and Suna. Here they were wearing a different set of clothes. Traditional Iwa shinobi gear with a tanto on their hip and a mask on their face. They were dressed as Iwa ANBU. The heat in the air and coarse sand on the breeze would feel and smell real. The world was perfectly crafted with S rank intelligence. Still the rocky hills behind her were the beginning of the road to Iwa. In front of her was the desert between her and Suna. 



"This is an incursion scenario. A Suna native crafter of some value is looking to shift allegiance to Iwagakure. However when he turned turncoat and left Suna he was tracked. Him and the rest of your squad moved ahead and you are tasked with taking out the shinobi following you. You have some moments to prepare but they are on your tail. What will you do?"

At first there was the sound of a new voice but more clear this time. Muffled a little but one tone as the air seemed to speak out to her. Gradually as it spoke more sand would swirl up to reveal a white haired man in a plague mask in black leather armor. He fully formed as he gave himself a body to help ease the transition in her mind. This form looked closer to the typical anbu set up as well though it did not display any weapons. The plague doctors mask had dark tinted glass over the eyes but from behind the tinted glass there was the faintly glowing outline of honey colored eyes. 

"The enemy squad is four strong. Direct confrontation will quickly lead to your death. What will you do? Make sure to note that nothing in this world will interact with me in any way. The task is yours alone. If you fall your team will be overtaken and the exercise will be considered a failure."






Name: Demonic Illusion: False Surrounding Technique
Rank: C
Activation Cost: 5
Upkeep Cost: 3
Range: 0 - 100 m.
Speed: B
Element: N/A
Skill: Genjutsu
Classification: Open
Requirements: N/A
Parent Technique: N/A
Hand Seals: N/A
Description: This Genjutsu is triggered by the opponent walking in a certain area inlaid with the user's chakra. This general area of effect can be within 100 meters of the user's location. This Genjutsu allows one to trick others into mistaking the place they're in for another. This technique's main feature is that it can be cast over an extensive surface, therefore any and all who step into the illusion's area of effect will fall under the spell. This technique allows the user to sculpt and shift the area into a place of their own choosing via illusion. This technique takes two posts to set in.
Weaknesses: N/A

Before the exercise began she was reminded of the presence of pain in the illusion, even death was a possibility if she handled herself truly recklessly. In an instant a perfectly believable environment stretched out before her, wind and heat beating down on her as if she truly was in the desert. She almost let out a laugh with the painted scenario, it was hard to tell if she had been way off her mark with the group having ties to Sunagakure or if they were just toying with her now. Ultimately it didn’t matter, none of that would change the challenge she now faced. Placing her hand on her hip she suddenly realized she was wearing different clothes and was equipped simply with just a short blade. The mask had been pretty obvious and the whole spectacle of the illusion had taken our off-guard for a moment and it took a bit to take everything in. Before anything she switched her brain to a more analytical process in order to figure out a plan in this dire situation.

Focusing on her environment it looked as if she was situated at the border of the land of wind with a fortunate abundance of stone and earth at her disposal. Four suna-nin on familiar but not wholly home territory. Forming the clone seal Kudo formed a duplicate of herself that joined her as she ran up the mountain, both of them picking up rocks as they ran. Her target was a nicely sized boulder up on the cliff that provided a nice vantage point to the where the suna-nin would be coming from. Dropping off the two dozen or so small rocks they had picked up near the boulder, the original Kudo easily submerged herself below the earth just behind the boulder after drawing the blade in her left hand. She hovered two inches below the ground, close enough to be able to hear little else than what was going on right above and round her. Finishing her disguise within the ground, Kudo suppressed her chakra to remain hidden as well as ending her stone tunneling technique, leaving her clone to sense for her and patiently waiting inches below the surface.

As the original took position the clone prepared the basis of her whole plan with a simple release of their chakra, creating a thirty diameter space from which black illusions of Kudo in her ANBU getup would rise from the ground upon the enemy team entering its space. Crouching behind the boulder to hide themselves from the incoming group the clone also enacted the sensing technique to be able to follow the enemies movements more accurately. Once the enemy caught up and had entered the space the illusory servants of Kudo would begin to rise form the ground and rocks in the area, drawing their blades and slowly advancing upon them. Immediately one of the illusions will throw its sword at the closest individual as will the clone throw a rock to line up with the projectile. As soon as the clone looses the rock they will form two quick hand seals after ducking back behind the rock and prepare to release a technique, only releasing if the illusory sword is deflected, dodged or intercepted in a noticeable way. Upon release two earthen hands will erupt from the ground, exiting with calculated movements to account for movement from dodging or standing still with deflecting and trying to grab the ankles of their target.

Deets:

Tadara himself stood next to the girl. In her mind she was in this world but in reality she stood in the same room as before. She moved when she wished but if she got to close to a wall she would shift direction without noticing. Tadara of course was simultaneously running the illusion in his mind while observing the girl in real time. Noting speed and tactics on a scale he had created. The collection of rocks was an interesting move. Of course nothing was actually being grabbed but she could feel it and in her mind it all felt, smelled and looked real. It even sounded and tasted real. He had created a reality including all of her senses perfectly while multitasking and taking notes in the real world. Tadara would watch quietly as she set up delay tactics in an ambush. The purpose of the rocks made clear with the genjutsu she had used. Creating illusionary doubles. They couldn't locate the enemy combatant. Not without a sensory nin with them. He would make a note to include that in the next lesson. These particular enemies were more basic. Barely academy graduates to set a standard. However still a possible threat due to numbers. 

The enemy would arrive and quickly move into a back to back formation as dozens of enemies formed around them. The one who saw the sword thrown at them would raise a kunai to deflect it. Deflecting the rock instead before the ground would shake beneath them. Suddenly a pair of earth hands would reach up and grab her ankles. Locking her in place. Realizing how much danger she was in while immobile she would scream and start stabbing at the rocks. Using chakra flow to strengthen her kunai with wind chakra. Two of her teammates would jump to her aid. One guarding them with a fan blade while the other used a short sword to do the same with chakra flow. The fourth however would land between them and the clones. He would form the snake hand sign as he tossed up a windmill shuriken. The wind would encircle it as it unfolded and began to spin like a saw blade. He would then direct it at C rank speeds through the slow moving illusions. Using it to rapidly search through them for the enemy unit. His answer to the ambush was to use wind ninjutsu beyblade to seek her out. The one she captured dangerously close to breaking free soon.

Name: Wind Release: Verdant Mountain Gale
Rank: D
Activation Cost: 3
Upkeep Cost: 1
Range: 0 - 40 m/
Speed: C
Element: Wind
Skill: Ninjutsu
Classification: N/A
Requirements: N/A
Parent Technique: N/A
Hand Seals: Snake
Description: By using wind-based chakra, the user can infuse their bladed weapons with it from a distance and manipulate them.
Weaknesses: Doesn't add any power to the weapon, only allows for manipulation of it. Holding the hand seal leaves the user more vulnerable than before.

The clone of Kudo couldn’t help but smile as her plan went off without a hitch, even revealing one of the four to possess futon as they sliced through the multitude of clones. Chipped as they may be the two stone hands still held a grasp on the opponent who deflected the illusory sword thrown their way, though they wouldn’t hold out for much longer. Immediately after the stone hands found their mark Kudo’s clone wove through five seals to give rise to her next assistant. On the far side of the engaged group from the clone’s position rose an earthen dragon with its maw outstretched and aiming to clamp down on the trapped individual before violently thrashing them about in their clutches. It moved with a lumbering slowness to it, the clone hoped the hands would be able to hold out the few moments it would take for the creature’s mouth to reach its target. Regardless of its success of chomping on the dragon's target the creature will thrash its tail around making tremendous noise and causing chunks of stone and dirt to be upended and flung about. Meanwhile, the clones would continue to shamble about, some even retreating to their new stony brethren but mostly trying to keep a distance from the slicing winds that revealed their illusory status.

As the dragon took form and action so too would the clone leap straight up into the air from their hiding spot behind the boulder to try and catch her enemies even further unaware. Using her newly appreciated futon element and utilizing its sparring use of hand seals the clone simply swiped her arm out in front of her summoning futon chakra into a long and deadly blade of wind that she would fire off at the group of four. Being acutely aware of their positioning with her sensory technique it took merely a fraction of a moment to line up the shot, her further control of the wind blade after release allowed her to hopefully line up an accurate hit as she attempted to halve each opponent with the singular move.

Below the earth the real Kudo frowned as she felt the clone push off of the ground into the air, though it seemed she jumped straight up rather than hurriedly and away. Frowning, she realized she should really come up with some sort of code with knocks to deliver information in a similar situation, opting instead to stop hiding her chakra and simply watch from her hidden position with the sensory technique.

Deets:

Tadara would observe as he shifted through each of his illusions actions. Giving them each demonstrated emotions he had learned through observation. All of them seemed appropriate though he felt none of them himself. Calculated risks were different than emotional responses. Often he found that his calculations were within acceptable risk margins while others simply responded best to one singular emotion. Rage. Their power driven to new heights with volatile and enhanced techniques. Safety thrown out the window for sheer savage attacks. This potential student was more like him it appeared. They had quickly driven an inexperienced team used to upfront confrontation into disarray. Unfortunately this was the squad value he had most interacted with during the eradication of the elderly in Suna. Rebels put together from genin and ungraduated academy students. The basics enough to fight back but not to win against someone like him. Of course for Tadara this observation room had never changed. Simply the test in her head he was putting on. Someone would come by to drop off a couple bottles of water while she ennacted her plan almost flawlessly. However even given this situation she would be pressed by the response to her actions. 

For the inexperienced genin team the dragon came out of nowhere. Two of them turned to cut at it and try and take it down but it simply lumbered through them. The girl that was caught would shove the third out of the way right before the teeth clamped on her. Blood spilling out onto the rocks at her feet before she was ripped from the ground and ragdolled. Her limp body certainly dead as the remaining three would shout in alarm and panic. The one she had pushed down managed to avoid the blades by hitting the ground as did the one on the offense. But the other two had their backs to the clone. Ending up with grievous wounds to their backs. The one on the ground looked up horrified as blood splattered on them from their friend in the dragon's maw. However the one on the offense responded with a scream of rage.  Despite not being able to fully control it yet Tadara had the reaction spurn him into utilizing a dangerous wind technique. Forming quick hand signs Tiger → Ox → Dog → Rabbit → Snake flew through his hands before he exhaled a massive burst of wind. 

The jutsu would launch forward as a massive cone for a hundred and fifty meters. Completely annihilating the surface area and throwing entire boulders. However this change in a mountain range was dangerous. Quickly the release of a terrain altering jutsu caught up with him. He stared in surprise at his own consequences a the side of the mountain shifted. The rocks and dirt moving in a landslide straight down at his frozen, dead or disabled teammates and himself as well as threatening to crush Kudo in the process. 

Details:

The member 'Tadara' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Just inches below the earth, the original Kudo could hear the maddened scream from one of her adversaries at the work her clone was doing, finally deciding it was time to join the battle as her opponents seemed incapable of reaching her hiding place nor the clone's vantage point. At the same time the clone witnessed the near flawless execution of their plan, the final hand seal was formed by the crazed adversary as the clone recognized the futon technique and instantly dispelled itself to inform the original of what was coming. With the sudden influx of information Kudo began weaving her own seals in preparation for the incoming blast of futon chakra she had practiced herself back in the Iwagakure training grounds all those months ago. The stone dragon formed by the clone lost its form, its job complete with the lifeless body now buried in its remains.

Hare. Snake. Boar. Tiger.

Forming the necessary seals Kudo rose from her hidden position with a simple paddling of her feet as if bobbing up for air in water and placed her hands on the ground to enact her technique after the gale of wind ravaged above. A large section of earth around her rose quickly to great heights, creating a veritable cliff of her own using the stone around her that stood fifty meters tall. A bastion against the incoming landslide, the cliff of rock held Kudo safely above the shifting mountain. She figured even if the landslide took the new formation with it she would at least have some proper footing and additional earth to utilize if the situation became too dire. As soon as the new cliff rose to its maximum limit Kudo rose her hands from the ground and slid the short blade of her sword from its sheath and threw it at the one adversary with fight left in them who unleashed the futon technique earlier that brought this landslide coming his way. Slapping her hands together to form the snake hand seal futon chakra connected to his thrown weapon, allowing for Kudo to control its trajectory towards its target. Hoping that the technique the suna-nin had released took a toll on his reserves he would now find himself contending with the incoming landside as well as the futon-controlled sword headed his way.

Deets:

The member 'Kudo' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

The woman would essentially duck the massive wind jutsu and then see the consequences and react to it. She was efficient and calculating. She was not moved by the battle but instead adjusted and moved it to her liking. Taking on the squad at this level for her was a simple act. However this was only the first tier of her training. Level one of his assessment. A mere point for possibly joining the light or for being tossed back. For this particular case the calculating mind and ability to throw an enemy on a larger scale into disarray was valuable. For now they were limited by their training. Something Tadara could improve upon. A good base he would acknowledge as he adjusted his statistics on his notes. Still the final enemy would be taken out by an enhanced weapon throw. Stealth implements, accuracy and clear headed thoughts. All good tokens of skills for a field operative to have. It was a good base to work on. He would note the end of the first practice and note the time in his head to the second before jotting it down on paper. The time would improve for this level in the near future. 

Still as the blade caught the last target the world around her would seem to freeze. No more shifting earth. No more breeze. All of it turned black and white except her. The sensation of being entirely engulfed in a realistic world snapped away from her. The world was paused with a dying hand outstretched from the mud of one of those she had been drowning. The man dying midair with blood spray paused in the air. It was as if she had paused a game while still being able to move herself. She was the only thing in this world for a moment that was not greyed out. Then one part before her would ripple and emerge like liquid but dry to the eye. The white haired man in the plague mask and dark leathers would emerge. Never bothering to glance about as he walked passed the outstretched hand. He would fold his hands before himself as he looked down to her and spoke. 

"The initial assessment is over. You scored a B + Grade. This is good at your level but we can improve upon it further. Dealing with targets individually instead of all at once as an initial move is the reason for the lower grade. Utilizing your surroundings as a doton specialist is important. Had you led with a landslide at the right moment it could have plausibly taken them all out at once. Stealth, precision and quick reactions were your noteworthy skills today. We can continue onto the second practice now or take a calorie break to restore you." 

The member 'Tadara' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

As the wind controlled sword connected with its target and blood began to spew something shifted. Not just something, her entire perception, reality and sense itself seemed to halt as the plague-masked individual seemed to come out of… nowhere? Kudo really needed to brush up on her Genjutsu, well, certainly that was the least of her issues now. It seemed she did well, though this was only the start. Her body could definitely feel the exhaustion from the deluge of higher level techniques than she was used to in succession, nodding at the mention of a bite. “I could use a bite and drink before continuing.” She didn't try to hide her fatigue, knowing it was likely a folly attempt with one as attentive as this Owl.

She tried to gleam whatever information she could from the little she had to go off of, it sure seemed that the individual was adept in doton strategy. But that could be said across the board and was no further an indication towards anything more than what she had before. It seemed events would simply need to present themselves before her before she would know what was going on as she was. She wondered what had happened with her home, it hadn’t looked good when she’d left.

The member 'Kudo' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

The illusion of Tadara would nod before the light in the illusion would gradually increase. A blinding light eventually in order to force her to close her eyes. Eventually there was nothing but light. Once she did however the illusion would seem to be gone and she was back in the room. The empty space some ten meters from Tadara as he scribbled a couple more notes. He understood she was setting limitations for herself. However this too was an illusion. She was still locked in her mind. He was waiting to see how long it would take her to notice. To break free while being given the impression she had been released from it. For Tadara providing this reality was less exhausting than one might expect. However she needed practice noticing genjutsu and he was an expert at it. Still Doton ninjutsu was a particularly good skill. Altering the playing field affected most combatants. He was also certain they had several jutsu that would function well in her hands. 

For now the illusion version in her mind would shut the notepad. Their eyes seeming to examine them openly. However those eyes were empty. Void of emotion or want. They simply calculated while showing little. For them it was simply a time to rest and hydrate. The very air and lighting seemed the same. Tadara could create a perfect world after all. However he did not seem to go after any water himself. The illusion of him simply stood by while waiting for them to rest and recover chakra. Speaking with a methodical and empty voice. He seemed to lack emotions or empathy. Just another psychopath in truth. He felt not guilt or pride in destroying Iwagakure. Only purpose and reason. Still he would continue to provide a lecture for the time being. 

"We covered engaging a sizeable albeit weak enemy squad. Starting with prep time and advantage. The next lesson will be regarding close quarters combat against a superior taijutsu opponent. This practice is to prepare for a ninjutsu specialist to be engaged in close quarters. I would make an argument that taijutsu is the enemy of ninjutsu. Forming hand seals is difficult when pressed.  They will remain on top of you during the engagement and it will be tight spaces. This time you will be at a heavy disadvantage. How you handle it will be up to you but the pain will feel real. "

Immediately upon seeing the water Kudo rushed forward to quench her thirst, listening to the continued lecture and transition into her next test. A smile formed on her face, glad to finally be able to test out her months spent at the training grounds and gym. So elated was her excitement for this next trial that she didn’t think to consider the illusory state her mind continued to be trapped in. Not that there was anything of note that looked odd or stuck out, the young girl having very little experience with the cunning skill.

Last time she overestimated her opponents and held back, this time would be different. She was eager to plow through the challenge and see what truths she could encounter from whatever came next.

Cracking her knuckles she looked with confidence to the masked man, nodding and preparing herself with a slow exhale.

They would take a moment. Let them catch their breath and in their mind quench their thirst. The purpose of this was to reset them. Though truthfully they would need to hydrate in the real world later. However he calculated that this would not harm them at this point as they hadn't broken too much of a sweat before. The challenge had allowed him to assess their base capabilities and combat style. He could appreciate stealth and focused attacks. It was often his own style as he was an assassin by trade. Still they would take a moment until they seemed confident of the fact that they were a hundred percent again. Taking however much rest it needed to regain their chakra reserves. For the future he would suggest they arm themselves with soldier pills and given they passed training and joined the light, god pills. A creation of his own that he did not need as of yet. The genjutsu he was utilizing didn't particularly require a lot of chakra upkeep.  Still she would take a breath and nod as if she was ready to continue. Unfortunately his genjutsu was too thorough and the chances were highly probable that she was not. 

Her sensory had she focused it inward would have told her that her chakra system was infected. However she had let her guard down and not noticed it in time. Now as soon as she indicated that she was ready the reality right behind her would ripple and the white haired plague mask version of Tadara would emerge at B rank speed. A strike aimed at the side of her head with C rank strength in her mind and C rank coordination. Aiming to box her ear and rupture her eardrum in a split second. No change in scenery or warning. Just an assault on her from what she had believed to be real. After the initial strike the illusion would press her. Staying on top of her and matching her speed and coordination as it alternated between attempted strikes to the solar plexus, neck and jaw and slamming his hand through any attempted hand seals. She was being ambushed by someone who could match her every move and keep hand seals from forming. Each strike designed to have the effect of disrupting breathing and rattling the brain. He would press her to figure out to genjutsu kai out of this or come up with a way to fight without using seals. 

"Never assume everything is as you believe it to be. Sensory is a useful skill if properly utilized and can save you from being at a disadvantage like this one."

Finally back at her full reserves there wasn’t a moment to spare as she gave a non-verbal cue to her readiness, instantly assaulted by the plague-masked version of the Owl. Turning she barely had time to react, her physical attributes matched Kudo realized she needed to sense where the next attack came from if it came from the- Her mind stopped mid sentence as she realized what her words meant. But we exit the illusion earlier…

This realization came at the cost of her attention and a blow to her stomach before her reactions caught back up. Eyes shooting forward at her target she activated the sensing technique and found her chakra network to indeed be infected with this illusion. Leaping into the air with all the muscle and agility she could put behind it just before their next clash, feinting a series of kicks as she simultaneously formed the Tiger seal to release herself from the genjutsu and activated the hand signless fūton technique that caused the robes under her armor to begin flapping with wind chakra now coursing around her.

If the feint was successful and she was able to release herself from the illusion she would scan her environment and likely find the Owl in the form she knew from outside these illusory tests and just stare. Her jump into the air was no small thing, bringing her at least five feet into the air, though she would not return to the ground so simply as her armor and technique kept her in the air as she slowly floated to the ground. Unsure if the person attacking her in close quarters was simply just an illusion or someone dressed up by the illusion so as soon as reality began to fade back she prepared to flap her armored plate with wind chakra to avoid any incoming attack. Putting herself in the air was usually a bad idea, one that she hoped to exploit with this enemy were they to continue attacking with her ability to skillfully maneuver midair. Kudo would display a level of speed wholly outside the realm of her physical limits till that point were her preparation to pay off.

If her preparation went unneeded she would simply continue to stare the Owl down as her slow descent continued with arms at the ready, sure the exercise couldn't be over so quickly.

Techniques Used:
- Genjutsu Kai | 5
- Petal’s Dance | 10
- Petal’s Dance: Ignition Step (Prepared) | (3)

Stat Changes:
- Speed: B → A (A++)

Chakra: 95 (92) / 110

Techniques:

The blow would feel solid. Like it was going to rip the air out of her the moment it landed. It was bordering on peak physical ability in her mind and was no small thing. However he had limited it on purpose. He didn't want her mind convincing her she was dead. Instead he would jot down a note about her ability to recover and reassess a situation. The fight against a close range opponent was drawn to an end as she focused her genjutsu kai. Forcing out his chakra as the room returned to normal. The illusion pressing forward as if to savagely beat her would burst like dust in the air and fade away. Though she would feel the immense difference in how much chakra she would have to use to release the genjutsu. His illusions were so real it would be difficult to ever tell if it was reality they were conversing in. The sensory ability she held would be good to experiment against as it was a weakness of genjutsu. He would calmly glance up to her as he took down some more notes. Her element of wind holding her in the air for the moment as she was prepared to defend herself. 

Still he would mark her grade on his paper and actually tuck his notebook back into his pocket. His pen he would click before pocketing it as well. He had assessed that she was skilled enough and held enough potential to be a valuable recruit. But there was more to consider. If she would be loyal to the light or if she would defy them and betray them. He would fold his hands behind his back as he calmly would walk up to her. Not looking like he was there to endanger her. Nor was any chakra visible to her chakra sensory. Not even the chakra that should be signaling from his own system. Instead he would stop below her and a little in front of her. Speaking plainly. 

"You hold potential to be stronger than most of Iwagakure. Save for perhaps Diana, Masaru, Yui and Chen. Each of them a Kage in their own right. You can return to the ruins of your home now without any memory of this place if you wish and hone that potential yourself. Or you can join us. Fight for an ideal greater than yourself or a governing body. Free to go where you are needed and to fight for what you wish to. Join the light and I will train you and build you towards your peak form. The choice now rests on you. However do note there is no option where you leave us and keep your memories of this place."

Gently floating down after the vicious illusion, Kudo felt a more taxing toll on her reserves than initially thought, though the world did indeed return to normal as the Owl walked up to her slowly. Releasing her wind technique Kudo dropped to the ground, though she maintained her sensing to ground herself and to not be snuck up upon. While she knew of the capability to hide one’s chakra from novice sensors like herself she wanted every available asset at her side.

It seemed perhaps the test was over, though she remained less than entirely convinced. As the monotone voice mentioned the Tsuchikage’s name and other old names she surely heard back in the academy her thoughts continued to drift back to her original suspicions, unfond as they may be. The mention of lost memories caught her off guard, assuming far worse than that.

She took her time to respond, her mind had been in survival mode for so long that she hadn’t seriously spent much time preparing for such a moment. While her village was in a dire strait when she left there was a definite resistance fighting back so she wasn’t terribly worried about the totality of its ruin.

Kudo would be lying if she said the prospect of the freedom to go anywhere didn’t sound appealing upon mention. Not that it was ever explicitly forbidden to her, but there was something untethering about the prospect offered she hadn’t known to desire before. Without any real friends or family members she was in good contact with to hold her in place, she could feel her grasp on her identity falter as she considered, however briefly, of a life outside the land of stone.

“Before I give an answer there is one thing I have to know.” Clenching her fists for a split second she hoped with all her might her intuition was correct.

“You’re not affiliated with Sunagakure, are you? By all rights that is what I figured with what was going down in Iwagakure and all, with all that to steal some secrets.” The last bit was purely conjecture, but all she could surmise from the masked individual’s action in the Tsukage’s office amidst the chaos.

“But my treatment and your generosity to wipe my memories rather than behead me has me believing this is no simple act of revenge. Though shinobi are anything but simple.”

Having rambled on a bit further than she intended Kudo regained her composure and tried to look her bravest, the armor surrounding her helping to boost that confidence a smidgen.

Tadara would let his eyes shift over the others form. He would take in her attributes and assign stats to her as he did so. She wasn't all that strong now in comparison to the members of the light. Even in comparison to himself who was the weakest of the three. Yet Ren wanted to establish him as the leader. All of them were in some way or another renegades. Raijin was a war criminal who was responsible for the destruction of multiple minor and major nations. A powerhouse of techniques and sheer power with a regenerative ability set that made him near impossible to put down. Perhaps the only person he had heard of that had come back from a beheading. Ren was another factor. The founder of the group and just as powerful as Raijin. Though he was still operating under the guise of being loyal to Konoha the man had his own plans and defied the village itself. Both of them capable of destroying entire villages alone. Tadara on the other hand was a specialist. While on the surface he had been the villages lead surgeon and a special jounin at the height of his career the village leadership knew better. 

Tadara was an assassin type. A history of doing black ops missions for the Tsuchikage Chen at the time and even accompanying him to Suna under the guise of the Owl. Tadara had been responsible for the coordination of the systematic genocide of all the elderly in suna. None of them had escaped his scans with his bee's. Rebels had been put down as well as any soft targets they were protecting. Politicians to elderly he had been responsible for droves of blood. None of it had mattered to him. It was all just statistics. He had returned to Iwagakure shortly before the total destruction of Sunagakure though to reestablish his cover as a lead surgeon. However upon some direct questioning from Diana he had found that his chances of survival were higher. She had found him too valuable to kill and yet had placed restrictions upon him. He had even defeated her Jounin commander Shigo in roughly a minute. Having gouged her eyes out with bee's. He had healed her of course after the fight. However despite that they had set impossible conditions for him to progress further. Even keeping hidden techniques from him.

The destruction of the village was because of how lax it had grown. Tadara had watched a decline in overall point value for the average rate in the village. In the end only Diana and himself had any real point value to speak of. Shigo having gone into a coma and no replacement for her. There were those who directly followed under Diana but one of them wasn't even human. In the end the destruction of the village was to provoke their members into seeking out strength. So this girl in front of him had potential and thus had been absorbed directly. In his mind it was a variable to the experiment. If they trained her directly instead of simply setting conditions would she improve enough to be of a notable point value. Still they were curious on if they had an affiliation with Suna as an organization. 

"We have many villages secret techniques as we are not interested in their need to covet such tools. However we are not affiliated with any village. The point of the Light is to be free to do as we wish and prepare for world tier threats. The village system is flawed at a fundamental governing level and leads to wars easily. What I offer you is freedom. Not a new village to answer to."

With already eroded suspicions she felt confident in a lack of connection to Sunagakure for the moment, though the thought refused to leave her mind entirely. Particularly with the weaponization of her own mind that she had experienced with and without her knowledge. It was a chilling experience that she wouldn’t soon forget, one of many lessons gleaned from these trials.

There was a certain penultimate sense of things, like she was on the precipice of a change she hadn't yet dreamed of. Yesterday’s ambitions of training in the empty grounds seemed so distant now, it was hardly believable to have only been that long ago.

As her mind already began to formulate an accepting answer she recalled the other masked individual, though her grasp on reality began to slip as she second guessed that person's existence with the illusions fresh at hand. A question bubbled up that she desired to ask, but at the prospect of having her memories wiped she second guessed herself and thought the point to be made moot. I’ll learn what I need when I need, no need to make this any longer than necessary.

“If you are true to your word Owl, and it is indeed you who trains me… Then I accept.”

She would make no attempt to hide in her tone this desire, not wanting to be handed off to anyone else who she could only imagine to be less qualified.

Tadara would watch from behind the mask a moment. His eyes shifting color still as the person before him contemplated their next move. He was uncertain but so was she. He would be patient though. These normal people took time and considered things. The data didn't run in their heads like his did. It was less than satisfying to watch the process. He drew conclusions quickly based on available data but these people were so cautious. Still they would accept on the condition that she join if he were the one to train her. An interesting development. Most did not enjoy their heads prodded into and would lock up the moment he was near. Doing whatever they could to keep him out. Not that it mattered much. It was exhausting for the common mind to keep up a guard constantly. For now he would have them train to do so passively. A reflex could be built into the automated part of the brain with repetition. Still he would cover this for the time being as he would remove his mask. His face already altered to one no one had seen before. Along with his chakra signature changed. The moment his mask was removed his chakra would suddenly become visible to her sensory. That mask had masked him from sensory entirely. 

"Very well. Welcome to the Light. I am  Kiyogi Uso. The leader of the village hidden in the sound. I will take over the bulk of your training. Of course the other two are stronger and you should consider any wisdom imparted by them. Should they choose to reveal their identities they will do so later. You may design your room as you see fit of course. Speak with the staff for any meal, clothing, or decorative needs. Speak with me if you have any requests for equipment. The assessment is finished for today but training will be continuous. I will be creating an illusionary world for you frequently and at random. From meals, to direction to the passage of time you will practice keeping your guard up against Genjutsu with Sensory. Do you have any questions or input Kudo Hattori?"

Shortly after accepting the Owl revealed their face behind the mask as well as a name, thankfully Kudo’s chakra sensing allowed her to confirm the reality of what she saw. Or at the very least gave her confidence in its authenticity. Village Hidden in the Sound? This was the first she was hearing of it, though there were many minor shinobi villages that she wasn’t nearly as familiar with as the big five.

It sounded like the other members of this organization were no small fry indeed, with Kiyogi claiming them to be stronger than himself. This was a strange comment with the additional fact of him being the Sounds Kage, clearly the village was nothing like Iwagakure or any she had heard of.

“No further questions, sir.” Unsure how to address the ever changing appearance and name of this Owl, nor someone of with the familiar status of kage in a system designed so opposite to the one she knew. She simply desired to eat and ruminate on the days events and unexpected outcomes. Having been prepared to fight her way out of what she presumed to be some sort of Sunagakure prison couldn’t have been further away from the truth. What that truth really was would take time to fully appreciate, but for now she had the prospect of teachers the likes of which she never could have dreamed of.

Tadara would stare at her a moment blankly. His eyes seeming to look through her. Passed her a moment before without any change to his expression he would nod. "Dismissed. I will have you summoned for your next training session. Keep your sensory up until its passive for you. Otherwise you will fall victim to a different reality. " He stated with his voice monotone. He would turn and walk out of the room first. Slipping the mask back upon his face as his chakra signature vanished. The mask was somehow responsible for concealing him so entirely. Still he would seem to pay her little mind for the time being. One of the staff would soon arrive. The one who had been bringing her meals before. He would wait for her wishes to be spoken and see to decorative or nutritional demands. A quiet and obedient man but somewhat capable....as anyone in this place was.


Attempted exit