Genin Meeting

Nakaba would arrive with an appearance completely foreign to any of the ninja that had met him. A hulking 8 foot tall figure surrounded by leathers and metal with a wide brimmed hat loomed through the Kage's office. On its back was a large metal fan, reminiscent of the kind once known to be used in Sunagakure. This figure, though maybe a touch gaudy, looked entirely combat ready. Nakaba might not end up first, but he definitely was early to arrive. Bending into the door frame the figure would twist the knob and enter. A voice would resound out from deep within the figure's Hollow frame. "Lady Hokage. Good Morning." Nakaba would wait in silence from his vantage point mostly watching. The figure would stand near motionlessly as it awaited the rest of the genin to get more information.

OOC: Effective Crd|B, Effective Speed|D

See Behind the Curtain:

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

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

It was a good thing that the note the Hokage had sent out was a fairly simple one.  There wasn’t much on it beyond where to meet and when.  The latter of which thankfully was in standard and not military time which was a unit of measurement that Hibiki had a hard time wrapping her head around.  One to Twelve was easy while saying something was Eighteen hundred hours was just too big a number for her to conceptualize properly.  

She wasn’t quite sure what the part about a tire meant.  Why would Airi want her to bring the wheel from a wagon?  Hibiki had actually tried to locate one to bring with her but gave up after a while since if she kept looking for much longer she’d end up late for the meeting which was unacceptable.    Someone had told her that it was good manners to always show up at least 5 minutes early before clocking in for your job and by golly she was going to do just that.

Naturally she was wearing a copy of the same outfit she pretty much wore all the time as well as her Konoha headband.  It was virtually all she owned since she didn’t really understand the concept of shopping much if at all.   Whatever she needed like food or clothes when she had been a test subject had been supplied to her, if only in minimal amounts.  

it was much the same when she was in the hospital during her rehabilitation  and her subsequent reintroduction to proper society.   If anything Konoha had been far more generous providing for her then Hades ever had been and she was filled with nothing but gratitude. Thus  the idea of asking for anything else hadn’t even occurred to her.  Why would she when she already had more than she could have possibly dreamed of. 

Filtering into the room five minutes even earlier than she had intended Hibiki noticed the startling lack of paperwork and realized that meant this summons was probably serious and not just a social call like last time.  She arrived just in time to overhear a larger armored figure greet the Hokage good morning which only made her feel confused.  Wasn’t it supposed to be the afternoon? Had She somehow gotten the time wrong? A distinct possibility given the fact she didn’t own a watch. 

“Holy cow that’s big.”  She thought to herself unable to tell if whatever was underneath all that metal was a boy or a girl.   Frankly speaking she wasn’t even sure it was human either just because of the sheer size.  It towered over her which didn’t happen that often considering that Hibiki herself was fairly tall for her age at  5' 7"

Lining up beside the big person Hibiki openly gawked at him for a long second before realizing that was rude and shifting to stand at attention.  She was trying to look and act as professional as possible while she waited for whatever this was about to begin.  

“This ... .this is the gennin meeting right?” Hibiki asked with a shaky voice.  She only had a vague understanding on how rank worked.   She knew that Gennin were beginners, usually tasked with grunt work.  Chunin were supposed to be better than Gennin right?   Any ranks beyond that she wasn’t sure about, though she had learned the other day that a kage was the highest rank of them all. The one who leads all the ninja in a given village.  Guess that meant the Tsuchikage wasn’t a type of bird after all.  

In any case this metal and leather clad person’s tough looking appearance looked to her to be something beyond chunin let alone gennin.  It made her feel like she had just stumbled into a high level strategy meeting she had no place being in.   

[1]

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

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Innocence wasn't surprised that the Hokage wanted to chat with the genin of Konoha prior to Exams. Mercedes had warned her that the event was rife with stupidity and recklessness. Many of the common sense protocols that genin were expected to follow were routinely ignored. In some cases, genin had been known to abandon their villages, kill contestants based on petty grudges and generally act in ways that shamed the Hidden Leaf village. Innocence had no intention of doing any of those things. And if she did, she certainly wouldn't be caught which meant Konoha would experience no shame.

Innocence was wearing her typical lab attire. The instruction letter stated that they should dress in combat attire but for her the double breasted scientist's lab coat with imprint of a skeleton on it was her lab uniform. She rounded it out with a black shirt, dress shoes and her hair kept in a pair of voluminous pigtails blessed with a white bow. She wore her Konoha headband tied to her left bicep with a green cloth which matched her neon green eyes. She had become accustomed to training with her lab fit and so if the day's activities called for rumbling, she'd be more than well-equipped to do so. Innocence arrived just after Hibiki. She heard the kunoichi ask if this really was the genin meeting which caused Innocence to chuckle from behind her. The sarcastic doctor-in-training eased her way into the open door and walked up from behind Hibiki.

No itth the Kage thummit. Baka-kage-dono. You clea-" Innocence began as her eyes drifted towards the giant standing next to them. "Holy thhit!" she exclaimed and flinched, interrupting her own quip. The man standing in the room with them was a hulk of a being. Clearly, he was Airi's bodyguard as why else would this eight foot tall beast be casually sitting in on a genin meeting? She suddenly understood the propriety of Hibiki's interrogatory. She looked at the Hokage and then back at Nakaba expecting an explanation. If none was given, she'd just give an awkward bow and remain quiet.

The Hokage that was sitting before her was not the one her father appointed. Her father had spoken highly of his handpicked successor and by all objective metrics, the wolf Kage guy had done a fantastic job. He had secured peace for the village and nothing horrible had happened under his watch. She recalled him switching out with the redhead in front of her for a bit but Innocence didn't know much about that. In either event, it looked like she was now formally the 9th Hokage which was fine with Innocence. Anyone picked by her father's successor probably didn't suck.

The member 'Innocence Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

What the hell could this be? In truth, Natsuki never got the summons. It was his overbearing mother who told him he had been called to the Hokage's office. His mind was moving at a mile a minute as he made his way there. Is it my missions? Other than that one little dog bite drawing blood, they had gone perfectly... Why would she waste her time on me?

The wriggling worry in the back of his mind, of course, was that she'd want more from him. That the Hokage would see a genin of many years, coasting on easy missions, and think it time to cut him loose. It was an easy life, all things considered, one at which he was good enough to get by. This was a job, pure and simple, and even with all the inspiration that Sera and Tōri ignited, actual combat wasn't exactly something he was looking to endure.

It was then, after having walked unaware to the Hokage's office, that he came to and noticed the riff raff assembled. Innocence, the attitude soaked medical shinobi; Hibiki, whose body outgrew her mind; and some freak stranger who looked like his body never stopped. At least I'm not alone... But what the fuck? He'd think, slinking along the back wall before leaning back upon it. His dirt speckled haori and kimono were probably not exactly "presentable," but that portion of the summons was not relayed to him. Oh shit... this isn't for a mission, is it?!

Attempting to keep a low profile, the only noises he made were his soft footsteps and the sound of his katana's hilt tapping slightly against the wall as he leaned.

The member 'Natsuki Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Nao had just finished his daily training when he received the message to meet Airi in her office, he never been summoned to the Hokage's office before. He had been called before the Hyūga Elders in a similar manner to this, it was when they placed the seal on his forehead, for the Byakugan's protection, they claimed. He wondered if this was going to be something like that, or if it was something that was more of a teaching moment. Airi was after all his Sensei, so either were possible in his mind. Shrugging to himself, Nao would head straight to the Hokage's office from the training facility. Arriving at a minute till three, Nao would activate his Byakugan as he entered the building and headed for her office. Noticing a few sources of chakra that he didn't recognize as well as a few that he did. Dressed in black pants and a black sleeveless shirt, Nao would quietly enter the office. Staying to the back of the room near the door, his purple eyes would look towards Airi while he kept himself aware of the others in the room through the use of his byakugan. The familiar chakra of Hibiki present in the room, as well as Nakaba who was hiding in a corner. Nao would note the presence of Nakaba's chakra flowing to a large beast of a man, the man was obviously more than just a crafter like Nao had originally thought about him. There were two others that Nao didn't recognize the chakra of, he wondered if he was the last that would arrive or if more would come.

---

Chakra: 135
Byakugan: -0.2
Ending: 134.8

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

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Kaori wasn't sure what the meeting would necessarily be about, but given the upcoming Chuunin Exams that she'd signed up for, it was likely just to talk about what's expected of the Konoha crew. She showed up wearing a very typical black short sleeved jumpsuit with fishnets underneath, a very normal Genin outfit. It was the best she had anyhow, and all she'd need was a flak jacket to look like any other Shinobi of the village.

Taking the time to look around at the other Genin, Kaori sized up those that would likely be her allies and/or competition for the exams.

Kaori picked idly at something stuck in her teeth while she took a look around. Hibiki she'd already met. Natsuki she'd already met (assuming they meet). She'd never seen an 8 foot tall person before. She noted its lack of movement and the lack of breathing. It also seemed to sport some Suna-esque gear.

Innocence was dressed interestingly, the lisp was interesting, and her temper seemed just as much. She seemed to be quick to annoy, like Kaori was, if the sarcasm was anything to go off of. They'd probably clash heads at some point, but maybe she could avoid that. Kaori wasn't interested in making herself appear to be a decent target. Fly under the radar for now, get underestimated. If it wasn't possible to fly under the radar, just appear to be a hot headed, impulsive idiot. Which, to be fair....

There was also Nao, who had the tell tale traits of a Hyuuga. That was sure to make him one of the more likely front runners of the exams, and also someone to keep in mind. Don't reveal too much strategy in front of him, he'd notice everything. Be unimpressive as possible for as long as possible.

And of course, the Hokage. An admittedly attractive woman. She doesn't let that distract her though. Looking away, Kaori just stayed nonchalant and observed everyone for now.

The member 'Kaori Murai' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

"Ahhh, yes. Finally!" Tightening his headband around his forehead, and adjusting it to be, clearly, visible enough for all onlooking spectators, Jon was ecstatic to begin his new journey as a ninja. Despite recently becoming a Genin, it was already time for Jon to ascend up the ranks, and the best way to do so had presented itself in the most timely fashion. It was none other than the luxurious and world renown Chūnin Exams; the greatest test for a young boy like Jon. Surely, Jon would have his competition set out against him, but it did not matter who he faced for there was nothing that he feared. If they thought they were the best, then they would have to prove themselves before the might of Jon; he would, definitely, develop into the best asset of Konoha.

"I don't know who I might face, but they better watch out. I bet I can drop a Jōnin with THESE punching skills." Jon practiced thrusting his fists back and forth towards the mirror in his bedroom. Jon would fight himself if he had to, but, little did anybody know, he did not what any smoke. Jon had exhibited some aptitude for a ninja, but his most valuable skill was running away. Besides, who needed a game plan when you could just dip when things got tough. Jon really lived life like how wanted to, and that was slacking whenever possible. It is one of those things where you see him, and then you don't. Fortunately, Jon's versatility at stalling his opponents would be put to excellent use.

"I've been needing a real woman in my life. I see she calling me." Jon clenched the letter that he had received from the Hokage, Airi, and began to blush before smiling. "I must be him him if the Hokage wants me to participate in the Chūnin Exams. I should probably prepare for marriage." Jon squealed before leaping out of his bedroom window onto a tree limb hanging near its opening. It would not take long for Jon to arrive at his appointed destination. Jon made sure to silently approach the crowd of individuals who were also Genin, just like him; using chakra to stand upside down from a tree. They would have to stop what they were doing to rejoice upon the arrival of a real ninja. Placing his thumb against his chest where his heart rested, Jon would let out a shout.

"Aye! Listen up! I don't know who Y'ALL are, but I'm Jon. Jon Sumisu."

The member 'Airi Ohara' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Sera bounded through the village jumping from rooftop to rooftop cursing to herself as she made her way to the Hokage’s office. The blonde hunter had been out practicing when the message had been delivered to her household, and when she got back, the time was already creeping on 3pm.  She burst into the administrative building which got her quite a few looks from the guards. “Wait, wait! I’m supposed to be here for the genin meeting!” Sera would say as she ran out of breath. She held up the note to the guards and one of them rolled their eyes and pointed her in the right direction.  Sera ran through the halls and as she got to the office noted, she could hear the Hokage already speaking:

“-ou are free to leave right now. You will not be penalized if you back out of the Chuunin exams. I only wish to speak to the shinobi that wish to be representatives for Konohagakure on the greatest stage for all shinobi. If you do not wish to participate, you have 1 minute to leave. And I suggest you leave quietly and professionally if you do,"

Without trying to interrupt her kage, Sera would quietly enter the room and silently bow three times. The blonde kunoichi’s face was bright red and seeing the room filled with her peers made her feel even worse. It’s okay. You’re here now and you need to pay attention. You can apologize for being tardy once she finishes speaking.

If Airi were to address Sera’s arrival, she would respond: “I’m so sorry for being late. I’m ready to represent Konohagakure! It won’t happen again.” If she isn’t addressed, she would stand there quietly and listen.

As each new genin walked in Nakaba simply waited as each new genin came in. With his focus split between Jutsu, he would manipulate the puppet, almost forgetting about his actual body as he manipulated chakra strings from underfoot. As Hibiki arrived he felt a small grin cross his face, and as Nao appeared his grin only grew larger. Even knowing that they were joining, it was different entirely to see them here in this meeting. Once it seemed like everyone was settled the Hokage began to speak. Immediately he had a chill ripple down his spine. He'd royally messed up.

Silently rising from the shadows, Nakaba would respond, "Yes, Lady Hokage." He wasn't planning on revealing himself as a Chunin exam contender, but he probably could have gotten the Hokage's permission before storming into her office like this. A note for next time. He really had a different idea in mind for what was going to be happening it seemed. Simple movements from his left hand would gently walk the puppet to the indicated corner where it would tuck into a ball as he snapped the chakra strings off of it. Revealed as he was Nakaba rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly now that the jig was up. In his bright, prison orange jumpsuit, Nakaba had three katana on his right hip and two on his left. Somehow he was more garish as the shadows melted off of him like water from a surfacing diver. Lastly as Sera walked in his mood would shift nodding to her as a greeting with a smile on his face.

As if the redhead wasn't to be outdone, Innocence was tormented with the arrival of more annoying genin. Although most of them seemed normal and professional, a couple of loudmouths were beginning to make her wonder whether there was something in the village's water supply. She had heard such conspiracy theories and she regarded them as bumpkis but why else would several shinobi be tempted to shout cringe-worthy statements in front of their Kage? Unfortunately, Airi didn't see it that way. She didn't admonish them for their stupidity but rather Innocence for her mean-spiritedness. A retort found its way to the tip of her tongue but was quickly swallowed.

No sense aggravating the new Kage on day one... She did, however, meet Hibiki's glare with a furrowed brow of her own. This one is already getting on my nerves.

Innocence would make a point not to break the glare until Hibiki did. Even if it meant getting into an awkward stare down in front of the whole room for the entire meeting, she would NOT break eye contact first.

Innocence would note the arrival of her former patient. His status as a fellow clan member earned him a curt nod of acknowledgement. Another interesting development was that the giant in the room turned out to be puppet operated by a fairly normal genin. Innocence raised an eyebrow in shock. She was a bit angry that despite her intelligence, she didn't even notice the trick. He'd be one to watch out for.

Once the meeting was underway, Airi indicated that this meeting was only for those that fully intended on participating in the Chuunin Exams. Those who would be withdrawing were, free, no, commanded to leave the room. Innocence stayed put and even tucked her gloved hands into her lab coat's pockets. She wasn't going anywhere.

Despite her disrespectful attitude, Innocence cared what others thought of her. More importantly though, she cared what her family thought of her. Her father Nyguyen had been the Hokage and had died in service to the village. Her sister Mercedes was the golden girl who was rapidly ascending the ranks of the military. She could not pull out of the exams like some kind of coward. It would bring shame upon her family and clan. It would be dangerous and difficult though. She had never been an exceptionally strong shinobi and she knew she'd need more than her medical skills to get herself through it but she was going to confront this challenge with every fiber of her being.

“Big sis, I'm not backing down before I even begin. I'm diving into this with all my heart, just like you would!"

Innocence resisted the urge to roll her neon green eyes. The Hokage was apparently related to this girl so she'd need to tread carefully. Instead, she made brief eye contact with Natsuki the Wolf Slayer. It was the kind of glance that practically said: Get a load of this idiot.

Natsuki gave a nod to Kaori as she entered, much more quietly than the boy who followed. Despite his posturing, it was the Hokage who commanded the room with a very terse "now be quiet."

She may have been diminutive in stature, but her presence was anything but- and those eyes... They're not sharingan... perhaps another kekkei genkai..? "As you all know, from the summons that this is a meeting prior to the Chuunin exams..." ...She couldn't be blind... Could she? No, she was just reading... Unless... "Let me start off with saying that if any of you have any doubts of joining the Chuunin exams, you are free to leave right now." ...Oh look, it's Sera! Should I wave at her? Would that be rude? The Hokage is speaking... "You will not be penalized if you back out of the Chuunin exams." ...I mean, surely it wouldn't be that bad, what is Lady Hokage even talking about..? "I only wish to speak to the shinobi that wish to be representatives for Konohagakure on the greatest stage for all shinobi." Oh wait, oh fuck, she's speaking! What was she saying? "If you do not wish to participate, you have 1 minute to leave. And I suggest you leave quietly and professionally if you do." Participate in what? Should I leave? Fuck, I can't ask her to repeat what she just said...

In his panic, Innocence's gaze caught Natsuki's attention, though he did not hear Hibiki. All he saw in the young medic's eyes was a look that said get a load of this idiot.. He blinked at her, before pointing to himself and flaring his eyes slightly in a glance that said: Me?

A few more would trickle in after Nao, he didn't recognize either of them but would make a note of their presence. As Airi rose and began to speak all eyes would be upon her, though Nao would pick up the familiar chakra of Sera just before she arrived in the middle of Airi stating that those that did not want to represent Konoha should leave. Nao would watch the others in the room, though none of them seemed to budge from where they stood. All of them willing to represent Konoha, even the late Sera. Nao couldn't help but think that if this was the best the village had to offer, that he had to hope one of the other villages would offer someone that would provide more of a challenge. There were a few here that probably could, and he was sure that they each had their own specialty, but he was looking for something more. Of those present, Nakaba and his puppet seemed to offer the most as far as a challenge. He would have to think strategically to be able to reach the puppet master if it came to them in the arena, Hibiki he knew already was strong. He was sixty percent sure he was faster than her based on the spar they had, he just had to ensure he avoided her swings. Sera was a threat at range, though less so in close quarters unless she improved since the two of them trained with Tōri. The others however were an unknown factor, he had not met them before and he did not know what they might be capable of. They would need to be watched if at all possible so that he could learn whatever he could about them, in case they were paired to fight. For now, he would just remain quiet in his little corner of the room while he waited for Airi to continue, mentally sizing up those that would be his potential opponents in the upcoming exams.

---

Event Point: 1

One more Genin arrived, a blonde girl. Raising an eyebrow at her being late, Kaori was rather surprised. Even that loud mouth Jon had come on time.

Nakaba's hiding in the shadows and using the puppet was of most interest to Kaori. Of course, a puppeteer. That explained the reminiscence to Suna. This was turning out to be a good information gathering session for her. Better to know ahead of time. Sorry Nakaba, some secrets couldn't be kept.

Unlike Natsuki, Kaori was able to read the room and keep an ear on Airi's instructions. Leave quietly if you didn't want to join the exams. Judging by her telling Jon to be quiet earlier too, Kaori assumed that she didn't like a lot of talking for this meeting, so Kaori kept her mouth shut, but otherwise didn't move to leave.

Well, Kaori wasn't about to walk away from this, and even if she would have, she certainly wasn't going to be the first to walk away. She looked around to see if anyone would actually do so. This group didn't seem to be the sort. Maybe Sera would get disqualified for being late. Kaori smirked as she though that, glancing at Sera.

Her eyes scanned the room, and something about Innocence drew her attention. She didn't know what, but the girl had some resemblance, although Kaori couldn't place where she knew her from. Eyebrows furrowed, Kaori's gaze burrowed into her. That was going to drive her crazy until she could figure it out.

-
Bunny post 1

For a second, Nakaba's mind shut down as he realized that he was going to be receiving enough money to open up a storefront. For that same moment he was no longer a Shinobi. He was designing roads and infrastructure all throughout the city to increase efficiency and productivity. He probably wouldn't even have to do the Exam to get his name out there, since the shop was already paid for. The money was for the Chunin Exams though, and, no matter how he wrapped his head around it, it felt like he was stealing each time he considered it and every time he would consider it after he left. His mind did wander to Sera and Nao. They'd had some relatively straight forward requests that he could work on now.

Hmm. The Will of Fire. Nakaba's attention lay entirely on the Hokage as she spoke. Nakaba wasn't sure if her instructions felt obvious or natural, but something about them felt right. Whatever it had felt like to be part of a cohesive team had to be at least this much. He could feel his blood boiling as a slight smile spread across his face. Seven genin under a single jonin advisor, that didn't seem like an enviable position. As Lady Hokage finished and dismissed them Nakaba would flick some chakra strings at the puppet, "Understood. Lady Hokage." It would stand, and they'd both give a deep bow. Nakaba would grab one of the bags before carefully making his way out with the puppet doing the same.

After he left and as he was walking down the hallway, he'd look out a western facing window. Eyes wide as saucers he would look out in disbelief. The Sun's so high... It's afternoon. The calm walk from before would speed up. I'm an idiot. A certified idiot.

Total Exp: 150
Total Event Points: 2
[Attempted Exit]