Team 3: Day 1 Prep

Spoiler:

An assistant proctor escorted Hibiki and Innocence to their portion of the Maze, leaving them behind to deal with the environment. She was not fielding any questions, ordered just to drop them off and leave. "Have a good time."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Innocence exclaimed as she read the packet that contained the identity of her partner. Out of the dozens of applicants that remained, she had been partnered with the daftest of them. Innocence gritted her teeth in annoyance as Hibiki approached. The girl was her usual chipper self even as they were staring down one of the mightiest volcanos in the world. Innocence didn't reply to her quip but instead narrowed her eyes as she looked the redhead up and down. Then it dawned her. Waitaminute....she was supposed to fail the first portion. Innocence couldn't say with absolute certainty that every classroom had been given an identical test, but she was fairly certain that the fundamentals of the first round must have been universal for all applicants. She figured that the questions that were handed out were harder than what a genin could be expected to answer and thus subterfuge was necessary. Innocence had immediately assumed that Hibiki lacked both the intellect to answer them and the ambition to cheat. And not just cheat...cheat convincingly enough not to be disqualified.

Apparently the surgeon was wrong. And she was very rarely wrong.

Innocence's frown and look of frustration was replaced with a new expression. One of curiosity. Cinnamon Roll has some spice to her. Innocence realized. She is the Hokage's sister after all. She can't be that weak physically and while she's stupid, she's good at making friends. They probably helped her along somehow. Even Innocence had to admit, during the brief time they had spent while watching over Tori, she found herself disliking Hibiki a lot less. Enough to call her a friend? Almost certainly not. Enough to be her partner? To be determined.

Innocence shrugged in response to Hibiki's excitement. As they trekked up Unzen Mountain with their proctor leading the way, the surgeon would pose a single question to her partner. "Hey Cinnamon Roll....How did you pathth the firtht part?" She was dying to know what Hibiki had done to get through. Whatever Hibiki's response, Innocence would nod but internally she would analyze it to get a clearer picture of what the redhead's deal was. They'd be working together to face the most difficult part of the Exam thus far. One that according to the Hokage, put them at risk of death. Whatever their differences may be, Innocence needed to know what her comrade's capabilities were. She'd say nothing else in response to Hibiki's explanation. Instead, she'd focus silently on the task at head. She was running calculations in her head trying to gauge the level of heat from within the volcano, the amount of water they'd need to survive for several days and the amount of patience she'd need to remain being joined at the hip with Ms. Perfect. When the proctor granted them entrance into their section of the Maze, Innocence's lime-green eyes widened at the paradise that lay before them.

The heavenly expanse was totally unlike what she was expecting. As Innocence and Hibiki walked forward, she could feel her mood improving. Hibiki's voice, the stress of the Exam, the anxiety of having to prove herself. All of it seemed to melt away as they explored the grounds of the Oasis. The hellish firescape she had been expecting was apparently not what they'd have to tackle first. Which left an important question, why would the proctors drop them off in the midst of paradise? Innocence mentally toyed with the question but every time she came close to a solution, she saw some awe-inspiring piece of beauty. A delicious berry bush, an errant butterfly, the verdant green of the grass. It made it hard to focus. And with each passing second, she grew more and more carefree. She found herself eyeing the bark of a cherry blossom tree when Hibiki called her over. "Hm?" she sauntered over to her new friend and for the first time since Hibiki had met her, Innocence would smile. It wasn't a sarcastic grin. It wasn't a haughty or arrogant smirk. It wasn't even a condescending stare. It was a genuine smile. Innocence picked up the berry and examined it closely.

Despite the opiate-laced atmosphere, Innocence's intellect remained in-tact. She could see the trichomes and could match their structure to the countless plant biology textbooks she had read as a child. She pressed on it and the slight give along with the bit of red juice that flowed out was promising. She sniffed it. No hydrogen cyanide smell. Innocence crouched down and examined the roots, stems and leaves of the plants. There was nothing that gave her cause for concern. In fact, quite the contrary. The vascular structure of the leaves indicated that these plants were rich in nutrients. "Itth fine. You can go ahead and eat it." She said in a softer tone than she had ever used with the girl before.


The plant was definitely useful and there was probably a lot of useful plants just like this one. She needed to catalogue them and then analyze them for potential compounds. This place is a goldmine....if we could get some of this stuff...we'd be set if they put is in a harsher environment. But foraging was so dreary and so much work. The Oasis was peaceful and serene. Rather than work hard to prepare for the next round, she felt more inclined to take a nap. That's when it hit her. She sniffed the air. There was no smell. She got nothing but the faintest of highs. That's when she realized what this was.

"Cinnamon Roll...there'th thomething in the air. They're pumping it with relaxantth. Don't lothe focuth. I want you to go to every thingle buthh that lookth jutht like thith one and pick it of all the berrieth....you know fruit. Thet it athide for later. Then, I want you to rip out all the thtalkth, brantheth and rootth from the buthh and put them in a neat pile." Innocence knew Hibiki had trouble understanding her sometimes so as she spoke, she demonstrated. She picked the berries, and began carefully pulling out the branches, stalkes and roots. She set them each into discreete piles. She then glanced over at a nearby tree. "Take the peatheth from that tree and cut the fruit in half. Leave the food for uth to eat and pile up all the theedth. Don't go too far and thtay alert"

Hibiki might have had practice with being drugged, but this was a new experience for Innocence. She knew what drugs did, she had analyzed their chemical compositions and even created them in a laboratory setting, but she had not imbibed them herself. She had no natural resistance to whatever was percolating in the air. No immunity to keep her focus on what was necessary for their survival. She'd need to tap into a different source. One that she had been keeping at bay since she arrived at O'uzu Island. Innocence walked over to a Cherry Blossom Tree and sat down Indian-style.

"Do ath I athk and don't dithturb me. I'm theriouth."

The young surgeon then shut her eyes and took several deep breaths. There was only one cure for bliss, happiness and inner peace: Horror.

It didn't take long to contact them. The barriers she had erected were made of will power and chemistry. The former being far more important than the latter. As she tore them down, their intentions seeped into her mind threatening to poison it. H' ah'n'gha ah'n'gha gn'th'bthnkor! They screamed. It was a chorus of demonic voices which seemed to come from everywhere at once. The peace of the Oasis was instantly shattered and with it any hope of relaxation. Innocence shut her eyes tightly as she tried to control the flow of influence over her mental faculties. If she wasn't careful, they would overrun her psyche and drive her into murderous maddness. She could not have that. The Hell Maze was going to be brutal and even though she was not terribly fond of Hibiki, she needed the girl. They were partners and the only way they were going to get through these trials were together. Vulgtmor h'. They roared. Innocence continued to breathe as she remained eerily still. She continued to commune with them. Allowing them to speak to her and fill her mind with travesty and brutality. The air which was once sweet with fruit and flower became pungent with decay and blood. The grass which was once soft now felt coarse and sharp like glass. Innocence's eyes remained closed but she was certain that if she opened them, the beauty of the landscape would be replaced with cosmic horrors beyond her wildest imagination. Innocence's breaths became shallow and desperate.

She did not want this but she couldn't bring herself to admit that it was a mistake. She was too far gone now. She had to believe that this was necessary. That this would lead to her victory and the restoration of her family to a place of honor and respect. But even as she hoped, she conceded that the price was heavy and that the cup she'd need to drink from was foul. Innocence maintained perfect stillness and posture even as her mind was relentlessly assaulted by the Elder Gods. She could not pay attention to what Hibiki was doing but she could only pray the young woman was following her directions. When she was finished, she'd need to spring directly into action. She'd need to get to work doing the one thing that could bring her into Zen-like focus. Science. Innocence felt her adrenaline rise as the images and voices grew even more depraved. The cortisol within her veins flowed freely counter-acting the effects of the trace opiates and bringing her into a state of near-sobriety. Innocence's heart thumped in her chest and just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she flicked open her eyes and gasped loudly.

If there was any sense of peace and serenity she had felt when she first entered the Oasis, it was gone now. The young surgeon abruptly stood up and gazed at Hibiki. Inno's eyes were bloodshot and her hands were shaking. She appeared to be jittery and alive with energy. I need to get to work! The cosmic horror was the fuel but her brain was the navigational system. Even as the ponds were soaked with blood, the bushes dripped with maggots and the trees mutilated with the eyes, mouths and teeth of the damned, she could recall every aspect of the botanical properties. It was as if her mind could translate the horror into real practical elements of bio-chemistry. Every maggot, mouth and drop of blood represented a phyto-chemical structure. The hallucinations could not stop the unrelenting force that was Innocence's mind. She took one look at her partner and marched towards the piles that she had made.

"Okay let'th thee what we got here." Innocence said. She plopped herself down in front of the piles that Hibiki had made and began to scrutinize the ingredients. As she did, she began to form permutations and combinations of the potential chemical compounds that could be made from what Hibiki had sourced. She grabbed a nearby rock and set it down. She then took a smaller stone and began to crush the seeds. She wasn't very strong though so eventually she handed it to Hibiki expectantly. "Break the theedth up. Cruthh em into a powder." She said. Innocence would watch over Hibiki, even going as far as to take her hands and guide her through the proper motions. The redhead was definitely stronger than her and she'd be able to get this part done faster than if Inno relied on her own inadequate power. It wasn't an easy thing to admit but she was more interested in getting through the Hell Maze than winning a contest of brute strength. Once Innocence and Hibiki had finished using the rock and stone as a crude mortar and pestle, Innocence would begin to place certain stalks into the mixture. She traced chemical equations into the air and applied a bit of chakra to the mixture here and there. A dash of root, and smidge of berry was also added. Soon, a paste would begin to form. Innocence deftly scooped up the mixture and folded it within the some larger leaves. She would gather another set of seeds, hold out the stone and have Hibiki repeat the crushing process. Occasionally, she switched up the recipe, putting a piece of root instead of a berry or doubling up on Ijutsu chakra for one batch in particular. Innocence would do this several times until she had about eigth sets of paste carefully folded in a protective layer of thick leaves. She then began to put them into her satchel.

"Anti-thpeticth. Anti-bioticth. It will help uth if we are injured or need an immune thythtem bootht. That one....." Innocence pointed to another set of salves that she had created. "ith for burnth, thkin abrathionth.....over there will be a nutrient bomb in cathe we end up thtarving." Innocence would take a small gathering of the seed-dust that Hibiki would have made. She sprinkled it into the canteen that contained their spring water. She'd then shake it up. "Extra electrolyteth and mineralth. It'll help with dehydrathion." Innocence's tone was professional and clinical. She was in doctor mode now. The sarcasm and bitterness was gone, but so was the warm from earlier. Her pupils appeared to be vibrating and her clothes had a bizarre darker twinge to them. She hadn't entered Sage Mode but she had been on the cusp of using it. Innocence reached into her jacket pocket and handed Hibiki a Puppy Power Protein Bar. "That'th in cathe you get low on thakra. Don't wathte it!" Innocence warned. The sweet girl from before was dead. Inno was officially back to her old self. But at least now they had some rudimentary compounds and medicines to get them through the harsh trials ahead.

OOC: Innocence is giving Hibiki one of her six Puppy Power Protein Bars.

When Hibiki asked if Innocence was okay, the surgeon ignored her. She didn't have time for the Cinnamon Roll's pity. She was only focused on one thing right now: survival. As she worked though, she couldn't help but grin as Hibiki complimented her. Despite the torments that rattled around in her mind, there was a part of her that still longed for the recognition and respect of others. So many had withheld acknowledgement of her. That coupled with her lisp made her feel alienated and disconnected from her fellow shinobi. It was a painful and lonely road but it would never stop her from achieving her goals. Every day she became a more practiced and refined Ijutsu specialist. Every month her proficiency grew in another specialized area. Every year she mastered a new set of organ systems. It was only a matter of time before all of Konoha crowed the same praise that Hibiki did.

She knew most of her explanations would go over Hibiki's head, but if she could catch one or two things that would be good enough. It was just the bare minimum so she'd know what to do in the event that Inno was incapacitated. "One more time Cinnamon. Whothe the betht doctor in Konoha?" Innocence asked with a sly grin. She really did adore the redhead's praise. Simplistic as it may be.

When Hibiki refused her protein bar, Innocence raised an eyebrow. She doesn't trust me? That didn't make sense. She eagerly accepted Inno's food back at her quarters before the Exams. Maybe someone had taught her better or perhaps she really did not want to impose on Innocence's personal supply. The young woman shrugged and tucked the snack away. When Hibiki suggested the get a move on due to the pollutants in the air, Innocence paused and gave it thought. She couldn't identify the exact parts per million in the air but it was indeed saturated. Nevertheless, they could not just run into the next section. They needed to sleep. They had undergone the first portion of Exams and spent nearly all day trekking towards Uzen Mountain. The rest of the Maze would be brutal and they likely wouldn't get a full night's rest ever again for as long as the second round continued. It was better they rest here now while it was peaceful. Once they got a full recharge, they'd be able to run on less sleep for the rest of the Maze.

"No we need to thleep. But you're right that the air will thoften uth up too muth if we thtay long. Go ahead and thleep for a few hourth, I'll take firtht watth. We'll thwitth off and then get a move on thoon." Innocence pointed to a nearby tree. They didn't need to make camp or get a fire going. There were no hazards or difficulties in this section of the Maze. Which was precisely the point. A lesser shinobi would dally. Waste time. And even remain in this section for the entire test. Innocence had no such plans. While Hibiki got some shut eye, Innocence would battle with the visions that infected her mind. She had told Hibiki to rest first because she knew that she was not able to sleep in her present state. She'd get little sleep and the terrible nightmares would be worse than the waking hallucinations. She reached into her coat pocket and downed a few pills of her drug cocktail. The anti-psychotics would keep the worst of it at bay for the time being.

In order to keep herself occupied, she formed a handseal and created two shadow clones. The constructs ventured further out into the Oasis to find potential exit points or gather other supplies of interest. Meanwhile, Innocence crouched down in front of the hopefully sleeping Hibiki and kept watch.

Rolling for Survival!

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

---

'Surgical Dice' : 78

Hibiki adjusted her earpiece and smiled as she heard Nao's voice through the static. His steady response brought a sense of comfort amidst the challenging environment of the Hell Maze.

"Steel Titan to Thunder Eyes, I'm good! I've teamed up with Innocence and we're in an area with some hot springs and cherry blossom trees. No lava or bridges here, thankfully."

She glanced around, trying to get a better sense of her surroundings. "I think we're on the east side of the maze, not too far from the volcano's base. I'm gathering some extra supplies in case we run into other Leaf ninja or need to share with you guys later."

Hibiki paused, her thoughts turning to their next move. "Stay safe, okay? We'll try to find a way to meet up once we have a better idea of where everything is. If you need anything, let me know."

Her grip tightened on the radio as she waited for Nao's response, feeling a mix of determination and concern. The maze was full of dangers, but knowing they were both out there, doing their best, gave her a renewed sense of purpose.

Hibiki tried to focus as Innocence ran through the explanations again, even though most of it sounded like complex science gibberish to her. She knew it was important, and she was determined to understand at least the basics.

"Uh, okay, so this one is for cuts and stuff, right?" she said, pointing to one of the salves. "And this one helps if we're sick or something."

She smiled at Innocence’s question, catching the playful tone. "You're the best doctor in Konoha, Inno," Hibiki said with a grin, using the nickname Innocence had given her. "I know I'd be lost without you."

Hibiki nodded, still smiling from their exchange, and turned her attention to the remaining berries and cherry blossom petals. She carefully gathered them up, making sure to leave none behind. These could be useful later, and she wanted to be prepared for anything.

"Alright, let's get these packed up," she said, grabbing a spare bag from her gear. She started stuffing the berries and petals inside, being as gentle as she could to avoid crushing them. The process took a bit of time, but Hibiki's determination kept her focused. She knew that every little bit of resource could make a difference.

Once the bag was full, she tied it securely and slung it over her shoulder. "Got everything we need, I think," she said, glancing over at Innocence. "Ready to move on?"

She gave the area one last look, making sure they hadn't missed anything important. The relaxing atmosphere of the oasis was starting to make her feel a bit drowsy, so she was eager to get moving again. They had a mission to complete, and every moment counted.

Hibiki listened to Innocence's reasoning about sticking around a bit longer and nodded. "Alright, Inno, I'll get some sleep first. Just wake me up when it's my turn, okay?"

She made her way to the tree Innocence had pointed out, the exhaustion from the day's events starting to weigh heavily on her. Finding a comfortable spot, she settled down, Reaching behind her neck, untied her scarf and rolled it up to use as a makeshift pillow, making sure not to crush their precious supplies.

Hibiki sat near the tree, her brow furrowed in deep thought. The idea of filtering the air to make it safer to breathe nagged at her mind like a persistent itch. She recalled snippets of conversations about purification jutsu and basic elemental manipulation techniques from her training, but putting them together into a practical solution felt like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.

She sighed, feeling frustrated as her brain struggled to process the information. The effort made her head feel heavy and her thoughts sluggish, like gears grinding against rusted metal. Hibiki rubbed her temples, hoping to ease the strain, but the solution remained elusive.

"Maybe... if I could just..." she muttered to herself, trailing off as the effort to think became overwhelming. The air around her seemed thicker now, not just with pollutants but with the weight of her own frustration.

After a few more futile attempts, Hibiki realized she needed to rest her mind.With a resigned sigh, she leaned back against the tree. She glanced at Innocence one last time, seeing the strain in her friend's eyes. Hibiki wanted to say something comforting, but her own fatigue was quickly taking over. "Thanks, Inno. You're the best," she mumbled, her eyes already closing as sleep overtook her.

Despite the uneasy atmosphere and the subtle effect of the pollutants in the air, Hibiki's exhaustion allowed her to drift off quickly. She trusted Innocence to keep watch and knew they needed to be at their best for the challenges ahead. As she slept, she subconsciously tried to remember everything Innocence had taught her about the salves and their uses. Even if the explanations had been complex, she hoped she had retained enough to be useful.


[4]

Innocence patiently confirmed Hibiki's guesses with a nod here and there. When Hibiki said those magic words, Innocence's grin grew wider. "You're goddamn right" Her grin wasn't as idyllic as the smile she had shown earlier but it was a positive development in their relationship. She even let Hibiki's use of her short name slide. She had heard Hibiki talking into a radio and she surmised that she had been in contact with her boyfriend. She didn't know anyone else the redhead would be trying to talk to who might fit the moniker Thunder Eyes. Innocence grinned as she formulated a plan to herself. Hibiki was her partner but perhaps she could leverage that against Nao Hyuuga somehow. Unlike Hibiki, Innocence was not pure of heart and is she saw an opportunity to come out ahead at the expense of the pair's relationship then she'd take it. The Cinnamon Roll was sweet, perhaps not a friend but certainly a worthy partner. Unfortunately, she was not kin. And thus, Inno prioritized her well-being behind herself and Natsuki.

Innocence also didn't like the idea of sharing supplies with the other Leaf ninja, certainly not Nao. But she'd address that at a later date. For now, she was content letting Hibiki beleive that they'd be on good terms with their countrymen. No sense shattering that delusion right this second....

When Hibiki drifted off to sleep, Innocence couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She was still wiling to use the redhead as a tool but it seemed her comrade really beleived in her. She had relied on her heavily during their time in the Oasis and she was so willing to give the validation that the surgeon had sought. More willing than even Natsuki. Innocence sighed as she kept watched Its whatever....she'll abandon me once she meets up with Nao. She's just playing nice. She doesn't know any better. Innocence had a hard time believing a non-clansman would respect her so quickly. Even Natsuki's admiration was tainted by the fact that he had next to zero self-esteem. Only the broken and the stupid took a liking to her so quickly and so she couldn't let their opinions of her cloud her judgment too much. Hours passed and her clones returned bearing some more fruit and a few skinned squirrels and chipmunks. She put the meat away into her satchel. They'd need protein for their journey through the maze and the extra herbs wouldn't hurt either. The clones poofed providing Innocence with a veritable wealth of knowledge as to where they should head to next. Innocence knew that she'd need some sleep before they headed out, but she also wanted to set them on the right path. She walked a bit aways from the sleeping Hibiki (not wanting to disturb her) and flickered through some handseals and slammed her fist into the ground. There was a light rumble, a burst of green sparks and the death of the surrounding grass. A zombie eagle burst from the ground. It was covered in maggots and rotting flesh but it retained the functionality of its living predecessor. The Gene-Seeded Copy took flight and soared off in the direction that Innocence's clones said would lead back into the maze. The direction was promising but greater investigation was needed. She directed the eagle to fly through one of the unmarked caves on the edges of the Oasis hoping to see something useful.

OOC: Using the Eagle Eye Perk on Harley to try and get the tracking bonus for Pets.

Spoiler:

Tracking Roll!

+5 Pet [Harley]
+5 Perception
+5 Coordination

+15 Modifier

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

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'Surgical Dice' : 92

The eagle had soared through certain parts of the Maze and it had brought back some interesting tidbits of information. The suregon grinned as a devious plan formed in her mind. While Hibiki caught her shut-eye, Innocence walked over to the tree and examined it closely. There were droplets of moisture in the air which condesended on its trunk. Innocence' carefully scrapped it off with a leaf. She then set to work making a basic E-Rank blow dart out of wood. It was incredibly crude but it would serve for her purposes. She chipped off a few splinters from the tree to form a basic dart. She then rolled the ends of the ammo in the condescended opiate dew. She loaded the blow dart and tucked it into her coat pocket. This is a surprise tool that can help us later. Just as she had finished preparing the weapon, Hibiki was starting to awake. As usual, the Cinnamon Roll was nothing but compliments and sunshine. Ordinarily, it would make Innocence annoyed but when it consisted of praising her genius, it did nothing but further keep Hibiki on Inno's good side. The eagle that had been circling the sky returned to Innocence arm and rested. Its maggot infested head turned to Hibiki and tilted to one side as if examining her with curiosity.

"Thanks. Wait till you thee what elthe I can do." Innocence said with a mischievous grin. She nodded in response to her comrade's offer to take the extra berries and to keep watch while she got some shut eye. Innocence wasn't expecting a peaceful sleep but even just an hour here or there might make a difference. She allowed the eagle to crumble into dust before plopping down in front of the tree. She crossed her arms and proceeded to snooze for a few hours. Innocence was tormented by nightmares but the sedative effect of the atmosphere kept her from startling herself. She was able to get a few decent hours when one particularly brutal nightmare involving her deceased father caused her to awake with a start. She'd cry out and look around in a panic before realizing that it was only a somatic hallucination. If Hibiki expressed any concern, Innocence would brush her off. "I'm fine! Leave it alone dummy!" she'd say reverting back to her juvenile insults as a defense mechanism. She was giving Hibiki a warning not to tread on that path. It'd be a blunt reminder that while the two were coming around each other (or rather Innocence was coming around to Hibiki), she could backtrack if she pressed on certain subjects. Innocence's apparent night terror was one such subject.

"I know exactly what we need to do and where we need to go. Leave the thinking to me. Itth not your thtrong thuit. Jutht...try and keep up." Innocence would stand up, gather her belongings including the satchel filled with salves, ointments, balms and other basic medical necessities she had created from the bounty of the Oasis. The surgeon's pace quickened as she led Hibiki into a cave on the far side of the Oasis. The cave grew warmer and warmer as they exited the moderate climate of the Oasis and went back into the Hell Maze. She had the information from her clones and eagle to guide her and she knew just where to go. Hibiki might not like the idea she had in mind, but she'd just have to go along with it.

[Exit]

OOC: This post marks the end of the Preparation Thread. Hibiki and Innocence have completed the Prep Thread in under 48 hours and should receive the +10 boost which would bring our total to Survival of the Fittest. Given the +25% recovery, Innocence's chakra is completely refreshed and she will enter into the next thread with her full stamina pool.

We also rolled the maximum for the Tracking Roll when modifers are figured in. Team 3 will be ambushing a PC Team of our choice in our next post. (Note: Modifier is +9 rather than +15 as previously stated. Doesn't change the result but just clarifying)