Does a Fallen Worshipper Have A Chance in Hell? [Suzume's Exam]

[Tomomi]

It was finally here! The day that everyone at the Academy had been anticipating for the past month or so to see who among the students were ready to graduate from this prestigious establishment and join the shinobi ranks as a fresh, new Genin. The sun was already high in the air and the air surrounding the educational facility was dry and tainted with blood as many students had already had their moment to graduate and failed to capitalize on the opportunities that were presented to them or they simply left their nerves get to them far too much. Their slip-ups, if one wanted to call it that, left many of them bleeding from their injuries while a few of them had been met with broken bones and a small handful had to be rushed to the Hospital simply because they had been left in a critical state that forced them to have to seek immediate attention.

As you would approach after receiving a letter a week in advance designating the time and the location of your exam, you would notice that there were many adults in the training ground where you were suppose to have your exam, but the majority of them were too busy trying to clean up the area that had been tainted with the life essence of the young and the old who had met one another in combat. You could see that only a few individuals had their clothing stained in blood and you could likely assume that they had been the examiners that had sent many of your fellow classmates home early with their tails between their legs. Would you prove to be another number and have to take your graduation exam again when the Academy decided to have another one or would you prove yourself worthy enough to be given your own headband that clearly marked that you were a shinobi and warrior of the Hidden Sand, the strongest village in the world depending on who you asked?

According to your letter, you had two options when you first entered the training grounds on the outskirts of the Academy's grounds. Your first option was to demand that you were given your examination immediately regardless of what the scene around you was and by choosing this option, you would begin your session promptly with an examiner entering the designated area clearly marked off for the students that wanted to begin their graduation exam. However, your other option was to wait until your designated time slot was reached, which was 11 AM for you, and then one of the shinobi that were assisting the Academy would come over to you and get you squared away in a timely fashion. Aside from these two options and when and where to meet for your examination, your letter gave you no other information that would prove helpful unless you considered the standard "good luck" to be helpful which many did not. You likely were begging and pleading when you originally read the contents of the letter to at least know what you would be doing and who was your examiner, but unfortunately, you lucked out like the rest of your classmates did.

With yourself where you needed to be and with roughly ten minutes before your scheduled time to begin your exam, what would you do?

 

[Kazumi]

Locked away in a restroom on the first floor of the academy, Suzume sat on the closed toilet seat clutching a small metallic symbol in her hands. She had been in there for nearly half of an hour, attempting to settle her nerves as her appointed time rapidly approached. Her mind quickly shifted from worry about her lack of preparation to pride that she was far beyond capable and back again. She silently spoke words of reverence for her patron who offered her more placebic comfort than actual, but it kept her form chickening out all the same. She pulled a small pocket watch from a pouch at her side, reading the time as fifteen until eleven. She had plenty of time, but she couldn't afford to keep herself locked away for much longer.

The girl was strangely dressed, at least by Wind Country standards. Her outfit strongly resembled that of Tea Country's design, though she had it tailored with some minor differences by one of her clan's weavers. The outfit afforded her ill protection to the country's harsh weather, given its light and airy design that was perfectly at home to the more temperate climate of Tea. She was not entirely impractical, however, with a long white airy scarf draped around her neck to protect her head from the desert sun and wind, all the while leaving the majority of her legs exposed to the elements. She had received more than one bit of criticism from the request, but Erika, the previous host of this body, had preferred this type of clothing, and Suzume found that she now did as well.

Sliding the watch away, she clasped both her hands onto the symbol of her newly found faith and softly whispered a prayer of request to her Fallen Lord. In his current state, he could do little to air her, but as his Chain she still believed she would hold a place of favor in his eyes. She hoped that would be all that she needed. So, with a long deep breath, she pocketed the symbol out of sight and stood. When she exited, there was no line, any such that might have formed had eventually left after it was obvious the occupant was not vacating their seat anytime soon.

It had been modestly difficult to reestablish her seat at the academy, given she no longer appeared to be the girl that she was before, but thankfully there were those in positions of power who trusted her word enough to vouch for her. It was to them, in part, that she was thankful for her opportunity to take the graduation exam, but as she made her way out of the building, the smell of blood on the air caused her to hesitate a moment to reconsider that opportunity. Reaching into her pocket, she held the unseen symbol in her hand for support, feeling a faint surge of confidence roll through her. Suzume increased her pace and made her way to the appointed location with a few minutes to spare. She was confident, at times, but the vast majority of her time at the academy had her leading down a path that would have ended in failure. If only in this, she was going to take the more prudent route and actually use her head for once.

As the last few minutes of the timer ran down, Suzume looked around the area, trying to ignore the smell of blood and the worry of failure that seemed to be all around her. Even if she were not alone, she would keep to herself, preferring to converse with herself and her unseen god from the safety of her own mind. Absently she began to check the straps and knots of her outfit, making sure that she wouldn't suddenly get caught off guard by a loose strap or ill-fitting strap. Suzume was not normally the type to pay attention to details, but as the minutes stretched on, she needed something to keep her mind in check, lest it wander off to the furthest reaches of the sands and not make it back in time for her turn at the chopping block.

{{Will be waiting until the appointed time without leaping headfirst into a bad idea.}}

 

[Tomomi]

The next victim student that was going to take their examination was Oushi-Ouja Suzume, a member of the exclusive Toraono Clan. She had been at the Academy according to some accounts for a significant amount of time preparing herself for this examination that she was going to endure and likely also trying to get some of the nerves out of her system since it was natural to feel nervous about taking an examination. It was very natural to feel anxiety and having one's nerves shot when the examination was one that decided if you would be graduating from the Academy soon or be stuck in it for a little while longer to perfect your abilities to a level that was deemed acceptable for a new Genin.

However, Suzume must have took this extra time today to prep herself mentally and physically as she looked like she was in peak form as she was motioned by one of the instructors to step into the designated testing area of the Academy grounds. If she would look to the other side of this area, she would see a young, beautiful looking female approaching her with a bow in her hands and adorable cat-ears on her head which meant only one thing in the Lands of Wind Country. It meant that this woman was an a member of the Toraono Clan as well, but in particular the Byakko Clan who housed Lady Yanshi who resided over the clan and her husband wife significant other who went by the adopted name of Byakko Kyuji. If one knew more about the Byakko Clan, they would be able to make out who this individual was that was approaching Suzume, but alas it was unlike that Suzume knew who it was especially since this cat-lady didn't exactly make a name for herself nor was as infamous as Lady Yanshi or Lord Kyuji.

Nevertheless, she would stop a few feet from the Oushi-Ouja girl and simply ask her: "Why do you want to be a shinobi, Lady Suzume of the Oushi-Ouja Clan? Explain to me why you are worthy of being a shinobi in this cold world and not simply another member of the Toraono Clan who attends to family matters and ensures the entire clan is safe and sound." Her words, direct. Her voice, so cold. It was almost like something was troubling her or she simply did not want to be here dealing with these nuisances since she already had to deal with two of them as they grew up in the Byakko Clan: Yanjirou and Kyushiko. Nevertheless, time would tell what was really going on. Maybe, it was just another test to see how Suzume would react since this was an examination meaning people needed to be on their feet and ready for anything. Then again, it also could have been all the blood that was reeking the air that had set her into an annoyed mood.

 

[Tomomi]

OOC: Per a mutual agreement, Suzume auto-ranked to Genin and I will handle their Chunnin Exam when they are ready ^_^​