A day in the limelight [Exam]

[Senju Kazuki]

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It was a sunny day. Spring was just on the corner and, while the temperature was getting warmer, it was still quite bearable in the middle of the desert, which was where Kazuki stood. The Senju Overlord was near a palm tree, in one of the smallest oasis to be found within the grand deserts that were part of the Wind Country. The sun had reached its apex in its daily route and, earlier in that day, he had sent a letter to a student of Sunagakure. A Senju known as Nazomeku, a boy that had been found deep within the sacred halls of the Senju clan. In fact, the kid had been found resting against the Sacred Tree. There was a mystery surrounding the student and the White Wolf was going to find it out. Few people outside his clan knew about the Tree or where it was located. Actually, there were only two individuals. Toraono Kuro and Takahashi Sousuke. He knew they would never deposit an infant in such a position, especially without talking with him first, thus it was still unknown who had left Nazomeku there. And how this person knew about the Tree and where it was located. The kid, supposedly, had no recollection of those events and, eventually, he had been, kind of, adopted by Saya. Once the Shadow Sword had heard he had reached a stalling point in his evolution, Reaper took matters into his own hands.[lb2][/lb2]
Nazomeku would have received a letter, summoning him to a specific spot deep within the desert. He was not going to travel alone, because traversing such inhospitable locations was very hazardous for anyone, especially those without proper shinobi training. Therefore, Nagato was going to accompany the younger Senju to ensure the boy’s safety. Until they were to arrive, the Occult Sennin could only wait and wait.​

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[MFT - 309]</TD>
<TD td0="null" td1="1">[td=null,1]Black Omen

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Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin[lb][/lb]

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[Nazomeku]

The wait was over for Kazuki. In the distance he would be able to see his young mystery Senju walking towards the oasis through the desert of Suna alongside the appointed escort. Nazomeku had received the invitation for the Genin Exam a month before and was finally prepared for it.

Nazomeku was worried that the Senju Overlord was going to definitely increase the difficulty of the Exam since the student made the master wait so long; however, that was the main reason why Nazo took the extra month to prepare. He didn't want to fail the test nor prove himself unworthy of bearing the Senju name, or worse yet, being considered a Senju due to ability yet still left as a side branch member due to the altitude of that ability not being able to match the ability of the main branch members.

These were things he knew he shouldn't of been worrying about, yet he was. His goal in life was to be recognized as a main branch member. To obtain that goal he would have to continue to train hard as a shinobi. Furthermore, since Senju’s are such skilled shinobi, he wouldn't have to only keep training, but he would have to keep training all facets of his shinobi skills and techniques: taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu.

Nagato was the name of the escort. Since Nazo was too much in his head due to his anxiety over this exam he was about to embark on, there was very little to no words exchanged between the two of them. Normally this would bother Nazo. Yet today, it felt as though the peacefulness of the silence seemed to settle him. Much like the quiet before the storm.

As they drew within earshot of Kazuki, Nagato broke the silence by addressing his master first. Nazo didn't say anything. Instead he gave a proper bow to the overlord and waited to be addressed.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

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Luckily for Kazuki, he had the uncanny ability to traverse large distances in a very short amount of time, though such skill could only be used sparsely. Since he had notified the young Senju mystery that he had been selected to be examined and have the chance to be promoted to Genin, a span of a full month had passed. Although a very patient man, the Senju Overlord overly disliked being kept pointlessly waiting for someone, especially if said person had been summoned with precise instructions. Ninjas were essentially soldiers and, as such, were expected to follow orders when commanded. The White Wolf didn’t expect blind obedience, but he still expected to have his orders followed and fulfilled. The fact Nazomeku failed to do it would be a negative mark, the first of many, perhaps, in his exam.[lb2][/lb2]

Eventually a cloud of dust in the horizon would indicate there was someone approaching the oasis the Shadow Sword had selected as his temporary base. Although his eyesight was far greater than the average human, he was still not able to grasp who was drawing near. Minutes would pass until he fully understood who was out there heading his way. He sensed two power sources, one that easily eclipsed the other. Nagato and Nazomeku. Eventually he would be able to see clearly and he patiently waited for ultimate arrival. The older Senju would address Reaper first, after they had finally reached him. The Occult Sennin would listen to the report of his, most probable, successor within the Senju clan. After grasping everything he wanted from the Uchiha’s words, he would dismiss him. ”You did fine. Return to the village at once and make sure you support the Kage and remaining Sennins while I am absent.”<i></i> With a simple nod, the blonde man would warp out of there, leaving just the Deep Court Hybrid and the mystery of the Senju clan.[lb2][/lb2]

Kazuki would silently gaze the academy student for a full, long minute until he broke silence. ”You are late. Explain yourself.”<i></i> the Senju Overlord would calmly request. This was no ordinary exam, there would be no written tests, no tests of skill. Nazomeku would be tested on the field as he helped the White Wolf do a task he had set himself to. They were going to enter a crypt and find why it was there, while uncovering any secrets and retrieving any relics they could find.[lb2][/lb2]

[MFT - 405]​

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<TD td0="null" td1="1">[td=null,1]Black Omen

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Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin[lb][/lb]

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[Nazomeku]

The air seemed stifling. There was a different aura and feel about Kazuki. It sure as hell wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type of feeling either. Nazo kept silent throughout the entirety of Kazuki dismissing the escort, Nagato. He didn’t feel brave enough to speak up until he was addressed directly.

The tonality in which the Overlord asked the question didn’t give Nazo the impression that he wanted a cute, sweet answer either. So Nazo told him the truth, “I apologize for my lateness Kazuki-san, however, my lateness is in part due to my training regiment. I wanted to come prepared for whatever task you set before me, rather than show my face to you as a weakling.”

The wind would whip after Nazo’s words ceased. His tongue now lay still as the two bodies of the men who looked back at each other. “I trust whatever you feel is appropriate for my Exam, that I will not disappoint you.” He clinched his fist showing his intent to live up to expectations in earnest. The thought of bringing up the lack of being able to access the sap of the tree crossed his mind; however, he decided to wait a little longer and get more of a feel for Kazuki before he went asking for such a huge request. He knew his place as a side branch member. That was made perfectly clear. Though he knew to break the paradigm and to find some lateral movement within the clan, he would have to take some untraditional methods and risks that others weren’t willing or capable of doing.

WC: +267

 

[Senju Kazuki]

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“I apologize for my lateness Kazuki-san, however, my lateness is in part due to my training regiment. I wanted to come prepared for whatever task you set before me, rather than show my face to you as a weakling.” that would be Nazomeku's answer. A feeble attempt of excusing himself in Kazuki's point of view. He had received an order and it had been expected of him to obey it. Preparing was good, no doubt about it and preparing for an exam even better, but the student had to understand having the chance of preparing oneself for something is a luxury people rarely had. An ambush was the perfect example of a situation people rarely could prepare for. In a guerilla war, something they were under at the moment, was all about sudden skirmishes. He had done a good thing by preparing himself, but making his leader wait had also been a very poor choice. "I do hope this waiting you forced me to will pay off, otherwise, you will be very sorry for your choice." the Senju Overlord would warn him. He was not threatening the boy's life, even if it sounded that way. But he was promising pain nonetheless.[lb2][/lb2]

He was about to start explaining what he expected of the young Senju when his headset received a transmission that stole his entire focus, as wrong as it was. "It seems I have to place your exam. Or better yet, make this exam very differently than I had thought. I have been summoned with urgency for a meeting with the Kazekage. You are to return to the village alone. If you survive, you will get your Genin rank. Use this headset if you become in mortal danger and I will rescue you. You are dismissed." the White Wolf would instruct him. He had designed a different method of examining the hopeful Genin, but fate had determined something else.[lb2][/lb2]

[MFT - 319][lb][/lb]
[Topic left]​

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<TD td0="null" td1="1">[td=null,1]Black Omen

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