Team 2: Day 1 Prep

The next step of the exams had commenced with Hisha finding himself paired with a fellow Kiri national, though one he did not know terribly well. He felt maybe he had heard the name here or there, but more because of how unique it was than any meaningful recollection. She had not participated in his room of the written portion, but had passed in some way so she clearly had some meaningful skills. At the same time, he began to realize that the prior round had selected for people particularly good at gathering information, or at taking tests, which had very little to do with this next portion of events, all things considered. So it did not seem obvious to him that his partner would succeed in this area. He tried to retain a bit of optimism regardless, though the sudden appearance of a jungle threw him off a bit. Even on approach he could steadily begin to feel the jungle humidity, something similar to the lava but wetter and thicker, like a soup.

 

The proctor unceremoniously told them to get lost as they were, more or less, thrust into the wilderness. Hisha had initially thought that the rebreather he had purchased would be helpful in the case of the volcano to help protect him form noxious fumes from the superheated earth, but it should help with the jungle as well. He donned it and retrieved his binoculars -more a fancy kind of headset than anything - as well, scanning the jungle even as he entered. Some bizarre chakra warping clearly allowed the sustaining of a jungle in a place like this, a marvel of engineering and perhaps some fuinjutsu, but he had little time to appreciate it. He scanned the horizon, flipping to thermal vision after a short assessment. Various lifeforms light up his vision quickly, some large and some small. He assumed they would all prove hostile and dangerous, either by nature or by nurture of the proctors. The exams had a certain penchant thus far for hostility and a touch of sadism.

 

The Hokage had indicated that they would remain for perhaps some time in these situations of the Hell Maze, likely having to set up camp, though whether they have to explicitly navigate the maze was less clear. Probably safest to remain quick, light, and mobile. They were ninja, after all. He registered no human forms that he could tell yet, but found lions and the like, as well as other beasts; a pity, as genjutsu tended to be quite ineffective against them. But they could likely figure out something. As he moved, he would speak with Lily, an almost uncharacteristic confidence coming over him despite his pounding heart. Lily, it’s nice to meet you. Glad we’re teamed up; I think Kiri seems rather underrepresented. We should probably survey and try and find a safe location for a camp. Do you have a rebreather? He’d keep both Sesa and Adzuki with him for now, up his sleeve and on his shoulder respectively.

 

More pressing for him than the camp was safety. They would need food, water, shelter, fire, and safety. Do you know how to hunt? Also, do you have any explosive tags? Hisha… did not, but Lily looked much more… outdoorsy, perhaps? Savage was probably the correct word. He scanned the area for any edible plants, as well as for a particular plant. Some of the wild vegetation seemed mostly harmless, though it was unclear to what degree that might hold true; the proctors could have poised it. He did spot a gigantic rafflesia flower though, and with a quick sign produced a shadow clone to go harvest it, holding its breath as it scooped out the vile-smelling innards. As it moved, it would spawn a second clone, which would either accept a up to 8 explosive tags from Lily or pull out a few free, blank tags and inscribe them with the explosive seal technique. His main body remained near Lily, assuming she did not run off. Looks like there’s a pretty large amount of wild animals about, probably dangerous. We probably should set up camp, somewhere defensible preferably. He paused for a second, realizing he had… not introduced himself in any proper way. He hesitated in that moment, but steeled himself. Oh, I’m Hisha by the way. I’m mostly skilled in genjutsu and fuinjutsu. I’m… hoping you have some more physically inclined skills if I’m being honest. He determined, ultimately, that a bit of sharing would be more beneficial for their shared survival.

 

Spoiler:

As the pair began in earnest, Hisha noted how quickly Lily sprung to action, wasting no time summoning a... penguin to aide her. Certainly an unorthodox choice at the very least, but she showed a good deal of gumption in any capacity. A boon in the current environment, and a potential issue in future rounds. Though he stowed those thoughts at the present moment, that headache of his resurfaced slightly, returning that low thrum that he had grown so accustomed to. And yet at the same time, he felt no eyes upon him, and in that lack of external observation, he found a level of freedom previously unavailable to him except in the most isolated of travels. He threw a furtive glance at Lily, face softening as though she had just done him the worlds greatest kindness.

He found her.... stripping. He had fully scanned the available terrain now, but had not paid careful attention to Lily's physical actions beyond the couple noises and her speaking. He realized a beat too late she had been speaking with her penguin, instructing it to... seal away her clothing which she removed. Hisha's face turned instantly red and he quickly looked away to give the child her modesty. Had Kaori been here, he may have completely fainted, and a part of him counted his blessings at her absent while a larger part of him cursed the gods for such a travesty. He could have happily quit the exams had she currently been disrobing rather than Lily. He could not argue with her logic though.

....very well... Mortified and naturally shy, Hisha began to awkwardly disrobe too, removing his jacket and undershirt, and eventually his pants. He kept his boots on, as well as his gloves, bags, tanto, imperial launcher, and headgear, but otherwise stood naked save a pair of trunks. To anyone watching at home, they could easily note his body and how he had completely littered it with all manner of tattoo: squid tentacles, fish, rats, snakes, eels, scripts spelling out indecipherable words, and a host more. Much of his body seemed an almost bombed-out mess of overlapping tattoos, but to the discerning, they... moved. Almost as if the whole thing breathed as a singular organism, despite his best efforts to curtail their motion as much as possible. He would allow the penguin to seal his other clothing into one of the bangles on his arm, but examined the sealing work as it did so out of paranoia. I'll use the backpack they gave us for food, unles you needed it.

Summoning and ninja magic huh? He assumed she meant ninjutsu, but honestly could barely tell. What a strange little girl, but he already had grown to like her a bit. Quirky in a fun way at the very least. We may need one of those blades of yours coming up. And a tree... hm... He saw that her small stature in this at least would prove useful to her and noted gladly that the penguins could handle clean water at the very least; that would sustain them for potentially a few days if the worst should come, but he had already spotted a host of animals. Yeah, I can identify at least a few edible plants. I'm pretty sure a number of these have medicinal properties as well. He would move in her orbit, allowing her to stake out some shelter as he gathered some edible plants and medicinal herbs. While he was no doctor, he was also no stranger to rather basic survival skills and between his senses and mental capacity, omitting toxic plants was nothing beyond him. For herbs, he would target those that could alleviate pain, roots to help combat a fever, and some aloe-like leaves that produced a natural if somewhat weak healing salve. He mentally kicked himself for not remembering a first aide kit or two. He did want to study the scroll a bit too, and so as they went about, he would occasionally inspect it, not opening, but simply studying slightly.

Meanwhile, his first clone would have finished collecting the plant matter, not for eating, but for something more nefarious. He positively reeked of carrion from the flower, and quickly made his way far from the pair as they searched for more suitable shelter, secondary clone in tow, explosive tags now completed. As they went, they would scout together for any natural resting or feeding place of the various predators they could see through their scopes, eventually settling on a clearing perhaps 200 meters from Lily and Hisha. Upon getting there, the second would set up a small array of the tags before absconding to the underbrush, hiding as best he could. The first, still trailing the scent of entrails, would enter the perimeter and sit. If all went according to plan, some of the most aggressive (and hungry) beasts would be attracted to the scent trail of flesh, seeking out the clone. The second could keep watch, and at an opportune time activate the Barrier Method Formation technique such that subsequent entry or exit into the sealed space would cause a localized explosion, killing off a number of predators. The presences of the second would allow the pair to form the barrier when a large amount of enemy creatures had already entered unwittingly into the area, maximizing how many threats could be neutralized at once.

Don't follow those two, they're going to set up a trap. There are a large amount of predators both large and small here, unsurprisingly, but there seemed to be some that might not be naturally occurring, as part of the test. They should be able to draw away some of the most feral ones and neutralize them. As he spoke, he finished gathering a decent amount of plants, many edible tubers and some fruits that were not known for any levels of toxicity. With the pack well filled and organized a level of chaotic order perhaps only comprehensible to the boy, he would look to a small stream they passed. Various points of data from his observations seemed to indicate that the environment held some level of noxious material that seemed... untenable in the long run. Certain plants seemed not poisonous, but diseased in certain cases. He'd noticed a few species of animal in similar states, creatures that ought to survive in a place such as this, but for one reason or another could not. The location was plainly unnatural, and he figured it had been designed not terribly long before the exams began; enough such that the place lived slightly, but not in any long term, which would help to explain why the majority of the life here had not yet died off.

I believe there is some kind of toxin or toxins present here, so I'm assuming the water is unsafe as well. The fruits and such I gathered should be ok; some of the diseased patterns are not present on these. Either resistant or just not the weakest yet. He withdrew 2 more blank sealing tags and his brush, quickly scribing a simple seal upon both for Double Enclosure. The stream had ended at a stagnant and fetid pond with a bright orange and green bloom of some kind of algae. Might be useful later, and so he sucked the lot of it up between the two tags, taking with it a host of organic matter in the process but leaving his compatriot unharmed. Depending on how long the maze lasted, they might need some death water. His mind wandered again to the scroll, their singular scroll of which they needed a pair. Even as he wondered, Adzuki remained close but vigilant for the pair and the penguin.
 
Analyzing Scroll 1/2

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Bam!

A short time later, the sound of a muted explosion would ring through the jungle and a flood of information would swell in Hisha, aware that the initial clone had successfully lured in a collection of beasts, dodged about where possible, and ensnared a wide band of the predators before his partner sprung the trap, at which point the next incursion or excursion trigger the whole group’s death. The noise, light, and smoke would in the short-run frighten away a mass of creatures, and in the confusion the second clone would dart out to gather up some smaller birds and mammals as additional potential foodstuff. He would then creep back to his master with the utmost stealth he could muster, trying to keep out of the sight and smell of any lurking predators.

Having not yet made a fire, the clone would remain a distance off with the trappings of the explosion. Not the cleanest kills by any means, but a bit of substance to see them through. He kept away though in case he was tracked, and in case the smell of the meat drew any creatures before they had a chance to cook it, especially as he was as aware as the main body that the place abounded with edible plant matter. They may not need the animal parts for now, and if not, they could provide an additional and useful lure to further assaults. He thus positioned himself in view of the tree the other two ultimately ended up selecting in case anything terrible befell him, but remained a good 80m away from them.

He followed Lily’s lead mostly as they went, observing as she blazed a trail through the underbrush. She seemed much more versed in wilderness survival than he was and he counted his blessings he didn’t get paired up with some egg head more similar to himself than not. They seemed to compliment each other in meaningful ways, which honestly made sense. They were both Kiri ninja after all. Her body moved in almost unnatural ways, lithe and nimble and under perfect control of her mind. For himself, his body had toughed in the last few months, his flesh taking on an almost stone-like texture that prevented most any damage from errant thorns or burrs, while his boots still protected his feet. After a few minutes he mostly forgot his own nakedness.

As she selected the tree, he would scale it behind her and begin fiddling properly with the scroll as she set up some hammocks. Extremely clever, all things considered. Thanks. He would busy himself with a bit of trickery with their scrolls. It looked, more or less, like any old sealing scroll save a few embellishments, which he had fully clocked through careful analysis. He took out his brush and ink and quickly add any appropriate designs or markings to one of his blank scrolls he had. He would then form a few rapid signs and touch the scroll, binding it with the Triple Enclosure Technique woven into the inward facing paper, set to trigger if anyone other than he or Lily touched the scroll. Within that seal he would weave the Genjutsu: Kuramagan technique, affecting those who trigger the Triple Enclosure. The encoded message would burrow into the mind of whomever should be unlucky enough to take the scroll, commanding them:
 
This is one of the Chunin Exam scrolls you need. Guard it carefully. Do not let anyone, including your partner or pets, to touch it. Do not seal it, but store it separately, on your person, at all time. Those who tell you this isn't true are no friend of yours. They may even be an impostor posing as an ally.
 
While essentially a cocktail of non-verbal emotional pressures, subtle inculcations of base-level drives and desires, and direct linguistic commands, the total effect would more-or-less mirror that golden command. He had debated a more deadly trap, but had settled upon something more subtle. Anyone who stole or attempted to steal this scroll should fall victim, believing it to be important, and worthy of protection. They would prevent their partner from handling it as well, which could drive a wedge between the pair, and if they tried to disobey they would suffer a large shock to their psyche. Then, he would place it into the backpack, along with their food before hanging it from a vine at Lily’s instruction. The backpack was rather plain, but also clearly the one handed out to each team. A logical place to look for a scroll. The real one he would put in one of his hip pouches with his two occupied scrolls, finally moving his last remaining blank scroll to a second hip pouch. By the time he was completed, Lily had mostly cleaned up the tree for them to spend the night. He looked at her approvingly, quite impressed by her directness and tenacity.

We should try and rest in shifts; I suspect that the proctors have retained some capacity to manipulate the situation from afar, based off of what Airi said. He thought back to her very pointed decision not to reveal some information, but leave a kind of hanging ellipses of unspoken dangers. Best, at minimum, to remain vigilant. From their vantage point they not only had a degree of visual cover and should be largely out of any sphere of awareness of the majority of creatures, but also had a great view of the surrounding area. I can take first watch, if you like. It did not much matter to him who went first, but he would make sure that Adzuki would help her keep watch; he had a great level of perception and assumed Lily did as well, but he’d lend the hawk’s help to his teammate.

Adzuki can keep watch with you, and he gestured to the bird that had flown up a few branches higher. Sesa could remain awake with him and help with his own watch. With the set-up, they should remain safe, mostly dry, and well-kept for the most part. Adzuki and Sesa, in their turn, would keep special eyes out for creepy-crawlies, snakes, venomous lizards, insects, and the like, snapping at and killing them as they slunk around the tree. With the layers of protection and security they had, they would sleep soundly through the night, or at least could do so safely. Something told him that Lily would probably sleep with an eye open, just in case.

Analyzed scroll complete 2/2

Spoiler:

 

After settling for the time, the heat of the test had started to get to him Growing up his whole in Kiri had made him accustomed to a certain level of humidity, but not this degree of heat. Removing their clothing had certainly helped, as had the lessened movement, but mostly the ending of the day gave the greatest reprieve. He tested the hammock, ensuring its integrity, and found it impressively well constructed. Broadly speaking, they had succeeded in their tasks and were well set up for a safe evening, but the adrenaline still throbbed dully in the boy's head, preventing a quick wind down. Lily suggested that he take the first rest, and a prick of paranoia lit within his mind, suspecting her of some nefarious deed or plot, but calmed himself a moment. Lily would be poorly served by his death as judged by their short time together, and Adzuki would not sit idly by. On the other hand, she moved as if she had no weight, so she probably could blitz either or both of them, so why wait until night?

As he shook off the invasive thoughts, he busied his mind with something more similar: allowing his final clone to bring up the remaining food to the group before releasing it. He wrapped the bits of meat up in some of the non-toxic plant leaves, which would prevent very little but would let them steam the stuff if they made a fire. If not, they could just chuck it all from their perch without much difficulty. As the clone dissipated and he finished the final pieces of preparation, he sifted through their memories as they streamed in, the act of cataloging various memories and appropriately storing them giving him a measure of peace and calm. Ok. Thanks. Be nice to him, he said, referring to the bird. Adzuki continued to survey from high up, occasionally making a wide round of the area, occasionally killing a snake or spider. Even as he drifted off he continued the tedious work of keeping what amounted to a live inventory of his own memories.

Lily would later wake him, and he would stir easily, having been slightly rested. When home he slept well, easily even most nights, but in the field and abroad kept him lightly wired, and his Id reveled in the heightened sense of activity, even though it seemed to somewhat calm it at the same time. Morning he said, despite the moon clearly visible still. Adzuki would soon return, perching on the branch just above Lily's hammock to get some rest as Sesa stirred, sampling the air. Hisha felt slightly blinded without the bird, a new sensation as he rarely had occasion to share. His watch proved rather uneventful, the wee hours seeing most creatures resting, with the larger, nocturnal hunters mostly prowling far beneath them. Hisha kept watch and tried not to let his mind wander too much, but began to take in the vista, trying to understand the mechanisms that would create something like this inside an active volcano. Fuinjutsu at a minimum. How to get into that control room... or get any amount of access to it. That was the real question. And yet he did not feel the prying eyes on him. Between himself and Sesa, they would scan not only for dangers, but for cameras, microphones, and any other surveillance tools.

Eventually, the sliver of the sun - or whatever facsimile they were fed - shown through the night. He'd let Lily rise for a few minutes before setting in. I wonder how long they want us to stay here, or if they'll move us somewhere else. Keep an eye out for anything weird, yeah? Not just natural dangers, but mechanical. I think it's the calm before the storm.  

Analyzing environment 1/2

Spoiler:

 

His partner had a strange way of speaking at times; he'd been a touch confused by her description of fuinjutsu and was confused again by her mention of the potentially unnatural nature of this place. He thought he mostly got the gist though so he went along with it. The night's rest had not been amazingly rejuvenating, but for a night in the field - especially a field like this - it wasn't too bad. He once more found himself disappointed in his own foolishness for not buying a first aide kit or something of the like. At least the handful of blood clotting pills he'd grabbed should help if either of them should experience a complete emergency, but hopefully it would not come to that.

As Lily spoke about her assessment of possible directions for the pair to take, Hisha would listen, visually following her voice to scope out the area, scanning and zooming as appropriate on his binoculars. His survey had not revealed any obvious way of escaping the maze nor any special indication of how to find the exit. Lily's catch on the animal paths was a good own. He'd begin packing up the few things they had deposited on the tree. Hm... good call on the animal paths. I'd say we should explore those a bit and see if there's anything there. The animals are surviving somehow, so there might be food or clean water. And we might learn more about this place. But we should gravitate towards those that move towards the center. It's more a gut feeling but I have to imagine there is some internal connection between the zones. If there aren't spare scrolls, we're going to have to find another group. It's possible these sections are all part of a wheel with a connector of sorts in the center. Though other groups might have a similar idea. We should have early warning though.

If Lily wanted, he'd let her carry the food, but he would move for it first. The backpack was rather cumbersome and might inhibit quick movements from her, and she seemed to rely on her body to a greater extent than he did. Plus, he's stored a scroll away in it as well, though it wouldn't affect the girl even if she did touch it. Regardless of who wanted the pack, he'd be ready to move out quickly. Adzuki seemed mostly unperturbed by the environs and he'd allow the bird to venture farther, giving them a high-level vantage of the place. He was still puzzling about how to best locate other teams, navigate this place, and ideally locate that central room. 

Analyzing environment 2/2
Exit to Encounter

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