Private [Examination] Red Team

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi looked at his group, as he made sure they were all getting their backs, his eyes focused on the younger student, Aria, the red eyes of the Sharingan bearing down on her. It was over in a second, whatever the Hokage had done had worked and he knew it, feeling his Chakra starting to swirl inside of him as a smirk came to his lips. Looking towards the group in that split second, it was four after all and he needed a distraction to get a head start. The bells jingled on his hips as he glanced over.

"Once you have your things, head inside and we shall start this event, though it won't be easy I wish all of you good luck, and remember in this place the forest of death is a trap, a mental assault and danger to anyone entering."

He tipped his hat before his figure started to shake and transfigure, crows pulling apart the image of the Hokage as they flew inside the forest of death, vanishing from the sight of the group and leaving the four of them outside to begin their examination, it already seemed that the tricks and tactics were into play, how would this group adapt and overcome. Would they come out on top?

Takeshi was already moving swiftly into the forest, and deep into it, from the creatures, trees, and everything else that would try and attack the group. He knew he had some time, allowing his hand to come out, a puff of smoke arrived in front of him. For the students, the traps were being set, and the creatures let loose into this world, as he watched the suit of Armour tumble onto the ground, clattering in a clearing it just lay there dormant.

Now he had turned the tables of the game, making the pray and hunters different people. He kept moving, he needed to make it tonight without being caught to really up the game.

[Shusuke, Otakemaru, Aria and Mitsuha Examination]
[Senju Aria under Genjutsu]
[Flock of Shadows Used]
[Contract Summon Used]

 

[Ayeka]

Aria quickly ran up to Takeshi only stopping for a moment to grab her backpack at the assigned spot before she stopped before the man, ready for anything he may throw at them but as his gaze moved over the prospective ninja, a flash of red caught Aria's eye and for a moment she was unable to move as she gazed into a burning iris with three dark dots swirling lazily. Aria's head fell forward for a moment as her bangs over shadowed her face while burning out of sight was the reflection of the eye the girl had just seen, As if the eye had managed to carve it's image into the young Senju's eyes before the image faded and Aria's head snapped back up as if nothing happened as she smiled happily at the Hokage while he spoke a few words before he melted into a pile of crows that flew off into the woods. "Oh my god that was sooooooo cool!"

Aria raised her arms in the air as joy vibrated from her as she began doing some basic stretches. "This is going to be fun. Super strong ninja check, teammates check and finally super dangerous forest super check!" Some higher power must have been smiling on Aria as she stood with her back to her teammates while they collected their gear. "Its like my birthda........" The white haired Senju finally turned towards her teammates but she was shocked to only find two clones of Takeshi standing between herself and the captain of their team Shu. Thinking quickly Aria pushed herself back hard towards the entrance of the forest and quickly began weaving hand seals calling on the latent natural chakra within her body. "Sage Art: Lightning Torrent!" Lifting her hands up Aria pointed two index fingers at the clones and fired two bolts of lightning chakra directly at them. Either the clones would dispel or be paralysed long enough for Shusuke to blast them to pieces. "Shusuke Senpai! Watch out and lets take care of these two before they cause problems for us." For a moment Aria did wonder where her two other teammates had been taken by the Hokage as she shouted out to Shu but for now she needed to focus on the bigger threat.

[Uses Lightning Torrent - Special Action: on Mitsuha and Take]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke would grin. He was excited for this opportunity. "Don't worry Takeshi-sama, I will make sure everyone makes it through this in one piece." He would watch as the rest of the squads grabbed their bags and darted off. He gave a nod to his students Akio, Kiriyomi, and Keniwa. Turning his eyes back towards the Uchiha he caught the end of a direct eye contact that Aria made with the Hokage. Being the student of Asuka, Shusuke knew what this could mean. He instantly became on his guard as the Hokage began to fade away leaving into the forests.

"I am glad you are so-" He was cut off at the reaction that Aria had looking back at the squad. Recognizing the handseals Shusuke darts forward and responds in turn. "Lightning Style Redirect: Lightning Torrent!" He extended his fingers to burst out the identical jutsu in an attempt to strike his bolts of lightning against Aria’s jutsu to cause the paths of the lightning to miss their targets. Shu, having slightly more practiced ninjutsu work, he felt confident that this would protect the rest of the squad. Following through his movement the boy would try and land directly in front of Aria and extend an open palm onto his sternum with a bit more force than needed. "Cancel!"

Letting out a sigh he spoke towards the group as a whole. "Aria-chan. Stop this. I will be very honest with you, If Takeshi was going to attack me, I don't know how well you will be able to stop him." Shusuke would switch his weight to drop and sit on the ground he made a single handseal where he touched his ring finger and thumb together. Yamanaka Style: Third Eye Blind. Invisible threads would leave his mind attempt to stitch the four exam participants together in a neuro-synchronicity. Shusuke raised a single finger to is lips as if to tell his squad to be quiet.

`This is my Third Eye Blind jutsu, it will allow us to communicate telepathically. This will prevent Takeshi-sama from hearing us talk to each other. We need to stay calm and trust each other okay. Lord Hokage is skilled in all three types of jutsu, but keep in mind that he is an Uchiha, which means he is deadly with Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. If you were planning on pulling any quick tricks over him with your illusions better to not or you may be the one experiencing the genjutsu, Trust me, Uchiha Asuka-Sensei has done that to me before. It's never fun.`

Shusuke began to use his finger to carve into the soil to make a general formation. Where there is one person leading, one person in the middle, and two people together in the rear. Placing his finger on the forward Position. `Take-kun. I want you to take point. You will be the front line defense and the first to react if anything comes our way. I have full faith that you will be able to keep us safe.` His hand switched to the two in the back. "Aria-chan and Mitsuha-chan, you two will pull the rear. As students you have the least amount of experience in missions such as this, so I do not want you to leave each other's line of sights. Do I make my self clear? You two must have each other's back and listen to one another. Due to your inexperience Takeshi-sama can easily distract and distort your reality.` His hand came back to the center of the formation. `I will take center point. I will be using my Chakra Sensing abilities to try and pinpoint Lord Hokage's Chakra Signature, and while I do so I will be using my Third Eye Awakened Jutsu which will allow me to share my senses with you all. This means once I find Takeshi-sama, we will all have his location in mind.`

Crossing his arms in the same manner that his legs have been crossed on the ground this entire time. `I know that I am younger than some of you but that means nothing for this mission, okay? Takeshi-sama has chosen me to lead this squad and I will do that to the best of my abilities. As Take-kun can attest I am not just some ten year old kid. I work alongside Chuunin on a regular basis. I know what I am doing okay. You put your trust in me and I will put my trust in you.`

[Used Lightning Torrent [Mastered] - Special Action: Affinity Move Jutsu Clash]
[Used Cancel - Special Action: Aria]

Spoiler: CRPJ - Yamanaka Style: Third Eye Blind

CRPJ's Effect: This allows the user to connect mentally with anyone within a close proximity, approximately half a kilometer. The recipient of this connection can feel Yamanka's extended use of Audial Genjutsu and the two may communicate telepathically by the use of hearing each other speak despite not being near one anoher, but the connection is easy to sever and requires no more effort than it does to blink to break the said connection. As the connected individuals move further away the delay in the message increases and the volume in which the message is heard is diminished until the limits are met and the connection is automatically severed.

`Mental Communication`

[i][glow=yellow]Mental Communication[/glow][/i]

Spoiler: CRPJ - Yamanaka Style: Third Eye Awakened

CRPJ's Effect: This allows the user to connect mentally with anyone within a close proximity, approximately a quarter kilometer, that is already connected through the Yamanaka Style: Third Eye Blind jutsu. The recipient of this connection can feel Yamanka's extended use of Visual Genjutsu and the two may communicate telepathically by allowing the other to see the mental images you produce within your own mind, but the connection is easy to sever and requires no more effort than it does to blink to break the said connection. As the connected individuals move further away the delay in the message increases and the clarity in which the image is seen mentally is diminished until the limits are met and the connection is automatically severed. With complete concentration the user of this jutsu can allow the connected individual to see through their eyes for a just a moment.

 

[Ōtakemaru]

Hmh… what exactly did Lord Fourth have up his sleeves? What techniques did he use? Take had to thoroughly inspect the Hokage’s actions from the get-go in order to figure out how to deal with him during this examination. Unlike some others, Take’s experience in Lord Takeshi’s company was miniscule… so he’d have to learn a lot of things in rapid time.

Upon picking up his red backpack and moving back to facing Lord Fourth, the first inspection of his came from his words… the Forest of Death was a trap. A mental assault. A danger to anyone entering… did he mean that the Forest of Death itself would be an obstacle for the three of them, but also for himself? That meant that, were they smart enough, they could use the surroundings against Lord Takeshi himself. Therefore, putting up traps would be such a useful skill.

Mental assault… Take wasn’t the greatest guessing man in the world, but did he mean- oop, there went Lord Fourth as a cloud of crows emerged from his body and flew off into the woods in front of his very eyes. Was this a Genjutsu of some sorts?! Despite the obvious point in it, having happened right in front of their faces… he’d have to be sure. “Shusuke… we’re not caught under a Genjutsu already, are we?” Take would ask out, sort of perplexed by Lord Fourth’s action.

Aria was excited for the whole ordeal like a child awaiting holidays, and Take couldn’t help but faintly blush at her contaminating energy. That was… until she suddenly darted away as if they were targeted by someone. Yet, she kept her eyes on him and Mitsuha, and after a few handseals, she did not hesitate to shoot a couple Lightning Torrent Jutsus at them! Due to how out of nowhere it was, Take barely had any time to move – thankfully, Shusuke managed to intercept the Jutsu with a replica, redirection version of it…

What on earth? Was she already caught in a Genjutsu? Aria couldn’t possibly be that on sight with her own teammates, so it was the only viable conclusion. Shusuke managed to use Cancel on her, freeing Aria from the subtle mind control she was on before Take noticed the lingual silence later… followed by an echoing voice deep inside of his head.

What a handy Jutsu. Shusuke was able to communicate with them without moving his lips… and by his signs, it went both ways. What he knew about Lord Takeshi was crucial – despite being the Hokage, despite being an expert in all three types of Jutsu – Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu – as an Uchiha, Lord Fourth’s skills lied mostly in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Using Genjutsu on him was too risky, and Lord Takeshi’s own Gejutsus were no laughing matter given by what just happened.

The plan was solid – Take took the front and acted as front line defense. It meant he’d likely be the first one to be targeted… but then again, Lord Takeshi was quick on the trigger to throw a Genjutsu on one of the two Academy Students accompanying them. Shusuke was highly adept at Genjutsu himself, so his placement at the middle – close to all other members of this team – was crucial as well.

Take could also tell from experience that Aria was good at long-range attacks. Mitsuha’s Kekkei Genkai, which he witnessed first-hand at the Academy, could also prove just as useful for close-range, if mostly when Lord Takeshi was distracted… mhm. They had a formation now.

Understood.

Take took the front line, his katanas available to be unsheathed in an instant. Uchihas were terrifying with Genjutsu, but Takeshi also needed to hide from them. He couldn’t just reveal himself via Genjutsus all the time, so he kept that in mind. He kept his eyes open, his ears sharpened, and would march into the Forest of Death with his team in row once they were ready as well.

Shusuke. Your age means nothing to us … I know how amazing you are. Lead us to Lord Takeshi, so we can pass this Exam with flying colors. I don’t know why, but I’m dying to be of a little more use than last time.

Take’s inner voice was so… confident. So refined. It’d definitely be a sort of cultural shock to those who’d only met him back when he was hugging his own knees at the corner of the room. Especially Mitsuha…

If Genjutsu won’t work on Lord Fourth, maybe practical traps will be of use?

 

[Yume Izanami]

As soon as the young girl psyched herself up to be ready for whatever is to come, she was not ready when the Hokage turned into a bunch of crows and one of her teammates, Aria, decided to attack both her and Otakemaru. The young Kaguya instantly produced bones from her body and condensed them to her hands ready to try and block the attack. But thankfully, the attack never came. Shusuke had intercepted the attack and brought the girl out of the genjutsu that was placed under her. She let out a sigh of relief and grabbed her bag. Soon after, the boy had made a game plan for the group, telepathically.

He talked of how Takeshi was a master at genjutsu and ninjutsu, but also knows taijutsu. The Fourth Hokage sounds formidable to say the least. Shusuke spoke from experience, and had mentioned Asuka... It was like a switch was flipped... The girl didn't like how Asuka had talked to her that one time, and she wanted to both master her bloodline and gain Genin rank to prove the woman wrong. If Asuka is related to Takeshi, then a fire is now lit under the girl. Now she has to do this to undermine Asuka.

Hearing about a type of formation that Shusuke had in mind, the girl nodded silently. It then went on to how the boy was expressing a concern over his age and assured the group that he has worked with Chunin before. Finally, Mitsuha piped up, Wow! that's really cool! her voice would be in the other's mind. She went back to being quiet as Take spoke, or rather, thought. Once again, the young Kaguya spoke, thought, up, If it helps, I produce bones as weapons, can dance that can give us an edge on the battlefield, poisons, and traps. The traps I have on me will activate automatically once I get hit, so please don't hit me or else you will be in my trap and poisoned. Other than that, I have fire jutsu, and a turtle contract that has water jutsu along with medical jutsu. He also claims to be wise and can impart wisdom to us all. Otakemaru seems different to her, no longer a sobbing mess that she had first met.

She herself needs to change for the better. I have to prove her wrong along with get over my shyness she accidentally thought to the group. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and putting on her determined face, she would then think to the group, I know the Crystal Eye jutsu. It could prove useful to have more reconnaissance in case other things await us other than the Hokage. Also, if it counts, I have been in the Forest a couple of times With that thought, she would take the rear, and await orders from Shusuke.

 

[Hoshirei]

Hoshirei was hidden just out of sight from the group of students. She was dressed to blend into the forest, in greens and browns. Her long hair was pulled back and braided through with razor wire. The Head Jounin watched as they dispersed. Takeshi offered a bit more instruction to the Red Team before vanishing in a swarm of crows. She really needed to learn that jutsu at some point, it could be helpful. She stayed long enough to see Aria let off a lightning jutsu at two of her teammates only to be redirected by Shusuke. With a silent, amused huff, she turned around and headed toward where Takeshi was most likely to be. She stayed mostly in the next plane so as to not set off any of the animals or traps on her way. It took her a few minutes, but she heard the clank of metal hitting metal off to her right. She turned in that direction and came upon Takeshi in a clearing standing near a suit of armor. She came fully into the physical realm as she entered the clearing.

"Wonderful day for an exam, eh, Takeshi? Whatever genjutsu you attached to Aria was certainly effective. She attempted to attack two of her comrades. It will be interesting to see how they handle the forest." She paused for a moment, stretching her arms up and behind her head. "Were you wanting me to trail them and attempt to steal bells back if they get any? Or did you have another idea in mind for me?"

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi had left the suit of armor on the ground, on a path that they would be crossing, he wondered what would be the outcome of that encounter, of course, he would soon find out. As he landed on a branch, this was where the forest would get worse for them, so far in they would be able to manage to get into the forest with no issues, with nothing else getting in their way, well bar his little present to the one that considered the options of the suit of armor. He pondered for a few moments on the best way to go about the next part when he heard the approach of the other Shinobi.

"Quick as ever Hoshirei. Indeed, I was a bit nasty with that top-tier Genjutsu, it will be a problem for them to dispel. That said I have a task for you, one that I am sure you will relish, as they come into this area of the forest, hunt them. Target the weaker ones and make yourself hidden, Genjutsu only. Make the forest come alive around them, let's see if they can determine reality and fiction or if it all blends into one line. If they make it to this point, I want to make sure that they find this, you can ring it if they get near but only if they do so as a group."

With that he took one of the bells from his waist and wrapped it around the branch of the tree, the wind would allow it to gently chime away, giving away location. But he needed to reward effort considering they would now be hunted. Nodding to Hoshieri he continued inwards towards the great tree, leaving behind one gift for the team if they made it this far, or if some of them this may be the point their minds broke, he had faith for now.

As he moved into the forest the gentle ring of the bell could be heard in the wind, but this was now where things were becoming harder for the group. They had two max threat rating Shinobi in the forest with them and each one had spent years in combat situations or missions, they were at the prime of their careers and had track records to prove their skills. Against a squad that had been rushed together and forced into these harsh exam conditions.

[Suit of Armour Findable in your posts]
[Genjutsu Maintained]
[Bell Left]

 

[Ōtakemaru]

Bones as weapons, an arcane dance, toxins and traps… targeting her would be the most dangerous for Lord Takeshi, right? Like sticking your hand onto a bear trap – who would do that? Was Lord Takeshi aware of this? Assuming that he wasn’t, it’d be more optimal to have her lead… no… someone like the Fourth Hokage wouldn’t always attack those up front. Those who stuck behind were covered by the front lead for a reason, and that’d likely be driving the Hokage’s actions…

R-Right? At least, Take would think so… if he was ever in Lord Takeshi’s shoes. Let’s move. Assuming we’ll take some time to complete… we should find a body of water first.

As Take was front lead, he began moving – without ever having been able to notice a second, looming threat moving through the forest. Speaking of…

The Forest of Death was huge, and so was its flora – from the wildlife to the treetops, Take embraced the nature in his run across the branches, but… the tree crowns were so thick that they couldn’t see the sun any longer. Only ambient rays through green and red oak leaves managed to illuminate the forest enough for the swordslinger to see his surroundings.

Aria, the crowns up here are your home fields... any signs of him, Shusuke? I wouldn’t put it past me to think that Lord Takeshi can veil his chakra… wait, why would he do that?

Understandably in disbelief that someone like the Fourth Hokage would go to such lengths against a couple Academy Students and – from Take’s slow perspective – two Genin. However, his eyes soon found a beat path with bright sand making its presence clear at the bottom of the dark forest… and a suit of armor appeared ditched at the edge of the path.

Take would keep being up in the tree branches, but he braked in his tracks upon spotting the suit of armor down below. … Without sharp sensory skills, Take took it as a threat and loosened the tsuba to his sheathed sword with his thumb just in case while looking around the area from his branch.

Ready to move at his teammates’ behest. Armor... sorry. Let's continue.

WC: 367 [MFT]

 

[Ayeka]

Aria was pretty sure that her attack would dispel the two clones that the Hokage had left behind for them but instead of the attack hitting home Aria was surprised by Shu who surged forwards and cancelled her jutsu with with his own before landing in front of her and shouting cancel. For a moment the dull reflection of the sharingan once again appeared in her eyes but instead of shattering the illusion seemed to keep hold as the foreign chakra once again submerged itself in the young Senju's eyes leaving Aria staring at Shu extremely confused while two doppelgangers of the Hokage hung back behind him in different stances of attack but were not actually moving forward to harm either Aria or Shu.

"But all I can see is Takeshi...… What's going on and where is Take and Mits?" Aria was genuinely confused by Shu's words as she used her forearm to rub her eyes. Eventually she settled for following their leaders instructions while glaring at the two clones in suspicion while promising herself to keep an eye on them in case it was Shu trapped in an illusion. The groups resident Genjutsu master then went on to demonstrate an interesting skill that linked the thoughts of the team together leaving Aria once again surprised as other voices joined the thoughts she normally had revolving around in her mind, such as who she would like to fight. The others spoke about their skills and what they could do while Shu himself gave instructions on their team formation but the main problem Aria had with that instruction, was that she couldn't see who was Take and who was Mits leaving her greatly confused so she settled for moving behind Shu while keeping a watchful eye on the two Takeshi's whom she guessed were supposed to be her teammates. "I don't trust these two.....I wonder how hard the Hokage punches.....That Take dude was fun to fight, I wonder if he wants to fight again as less of a blob, Oh man I love those bones skills of Mits I wonder if I could smash them with the right hit." Aria had opted for a rare moment of silence as the others discussed themselves in case Takeshi was actually among them but had failed to realize that her idle thoughts may be channelled to her team as as she looked around while the team waited for Take to take point.

Aria for a time had been living illegally in these woods before she had been moved out by the Anbu but thanks to that she had a basic understanding of her surroundings and the undulations of natural chakra allowed her to comfortably jump in the canopy above and follow Take as he spoke to her with his thoughts. Aria looked left and right for signs of the Hokage but the skilled steps of an elite ninja would not reveal themselves to her as the man in question was skilled enough to not leave traces. "Nothing." Aria said to Take in an unusually restrained manner as while he sounded like himself Aria still just saw the Hokage and for someone who had not bothered to study Genjutsu it was very disturbing and causing her to act more closed off. Eventually the team passed over a suit of armour that Take had noticed but what really caught Aria's attention was the gentle chiming of bell on the wind at the edge of the clearing. Scanning the foliage Aria spotted a Bell near the edge of the clearing but didn't trust the set up to go down there herself and instead created a hand seal and attempted to manipulate the branch that was holding the bell and have it grow and extend itself up to the waiting ninja.

[Use Wooden Tendrils Rank 1 to move Bell closer to team.]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke would let out a sigh while remaining seated. He closed his eyes and tried to think of the best course of action. The girl named Mitsuha could conjure weapons as well and was a trap user. Take-kun was practically a samurai, and Aria was a Senju with a recently acquired Summoning Contract. His mind began to roam on how this situation could play out. "What can I do?" Shusuke let out a sigh as Tamashii began to speak to the Yamanaka. Having a second soul in you body could be quite annoying. Slowly getting to his feet, ignoring Tamashii, Shusuke nodded at Take. "If all you can see is Takeshi, even after that cancel then you are under a more powerful genjutsu than I anticipated. This should help." As he spoke his illusory cantrip would pulse outwards and try to force Aria to be under the influence of the Blur Genjutsu which, if she was being affected by a Visual Genjutsu, would hopefully remove the effects.

`Take-kun take to the midstory, Mitsuha-chan and Aria-chan you two will be assigned the canopy. I'll cover the forest floor.` As he spoke he weaved the handseals to create to create three Clones of himself. Each clone would extend out their hands and conjure forth identical scythes that they would hold in the ready position. `I'll have these three keeping guard on me as we go as I focus on my Chakra Sensing jutsu."` The clones move around Shusuke in an equidistant formation as the group began to move out.

`Mitsuha-chan. If you feel confident in your trap setting skills please begin to come up with a design long with Aria-chan. As a Senju she can manipulate this very forest to help you achieve what you need. Do not, however, forget to keep an eye out for Takashi-ojisan, as if he finds you it will be a matter of blinking your eyes and the entire world will be different.` The young boy would begin to focus into his crimson eye as he began to concentrate chakra through it to activate his Sharingan. A small trail of blood would tear up and drip from the corner of his eye ever so slowly. This eye was from Takeshi to make Shusuke Strong, and he was going to make sure he used it to it's maximum potential.

Darting further into the forest Shusuke would sense out, sending pulses of chakra, in every direction. He detected the presence of his clones. They synchronized their vision with his own using his Third Eye Awakened Jutsu which shared their vision with himself. Further away he could start to sense Take, Aria, and Mitsuha, but this wasn't going to be good enough. He needed more. He continued to push his chakra sensing to their furthest reaches and opened his Sharingan eye to help him see the chakra networks around him. He was feeling confident in this decision, that was until they stumbled upon a suit of armor.

"Everyone stay back! This is Temanuchi-sama! A contract summoning of Lord Fourths. He is not to be underestimated in the Slightest!" `Otakemaru-kun, I will be the distraction, I need you to lead Aria-chan and Mitsuha-Chan fifty yards further in. I'll be right behind you. Hesitate no more than five minutes before progressing.` As the message was sent Shusuke summoned a Scythe as well.

The four variations of the boy would stand around the armor. "Temanuchi-sama, with the utmost respect, I need you to stay out of the way. I am sure you don't to be here as much as we don't want you to be here. It is my job to make sure these students pass their Genin Exams, and honestly if Takeshi-ojisan is attempting to use you as an obstacle for us to encounter he is putting significantly more stress on these students than what is required. That being said, if you are going to follow Takeshi-ojisan's orders like a good servant, I will be the one you are to deal with." Shusuke would hesitate for a moment, unsure if he could move on or if he needed to engage with this Suit of Armor.

---

Assuming Shusuke could leave the armor while still alive, he would meet up with his team shortly after, where it appears that the squad already foind their first bell. He hesitated. `This feels like a trap.`

 

[Yume Izanami]

The young Kaguya would follow her orders, she jumped high up, and just waited there for Aira to follow suit. She was aware, through Shu's jutsu of what Aira was doing. She would perform a quick dance, one that would make bones grow over her body and form a thin layer of bone around her. Her movements would make little to no noise. This is the dance of the seedling Fern. A kaguya dance that has the sole purpose of masking her location. She would have to improvise a little bit. Using some of her ninja wire, to make a makeshift trap here could do some good. If she did get attacked, she hopes that her hidden launcher will do just fine.

She sent a thought out to the group, mainly to Aria so the girl doesn't accidentally hit her trap, Aria, when you come up here, be mindful where you step. I have a wire trap up here. Along with that, I am hiding and hopefully won't be easy to spot. Again, be careful coming up here.

The girl would stop thinking when Take had spoken about a piece of armor laying on the ground. The girl would think of it as weird and possibly a trap when Shusuke had called out, rather than thought out, that the armor was actually a contract, Temanuchi. He had ordered them to evacuate the area, but the girl couldn't help but wonder what would happen. Plus, if they lose their leader at the very start of the exam, it would mean that they aren't that good of a team, now would it?

The girl would carefully flip through handseals until she got what she needed. A crystal eye floated above her and would float a little bit of a ways above Shusuke.Shusuke, let us help you. I'll at least provide above ground surveillance in case you miss something.

The girl hoped that he wouldn't mind the extra help. But as of right now, everyone was a little bit stationary, what with this armor, and a bell that has been planted.

(Entered Dance of the seedling fern=stealthy dance)
(bone counter=1)
(casted crystal eye, eye a bit of ways above Shusuke, looking for stuff n things)

 

[Hoshirei]

Hoshirei watched as Takeshi tied one bell to a branch and had an idea. She dug up a couple of stones the same size as the bell, as well as a few larger ones, and tied them to nearby branches. She then weaved a couple of genjutsu over the area to make it look and sound like all four bells were hanging there, ready for the taking. She then hid up in the canopy and waited for the quartet to get closer. She noted Otakemaru and Aria getting closer to the bells first before she turned her attention to the final two. Through the dappled sunlight, she could just make out the glint of ninja wire from a trap that the Kaguya girl must have created. It was a clever build, but easily triggered from a distance. She waited until the girl paused for a moment and then launched a stone at the spot most likely to trigger the trap.

Just after launching the stone, she would drop into the ethereal plane and down to the forest floor. She walked through the underbrush, not disturbing anything. She did, however, start whistling a haunting tune as she walked around and behind Shusuke. The tune would stop and start as she walked in silence, up and down trees so they wouldn't be sure where it was coming from. At one point, as she whistled, she hit a high note and cast a genjutsu on Mitsuha, causing a sharp, piercing sound to echo in her mind. Hoshirei allowed the whistled tune to taper off as she walked back to where Otakemaru and Aria were. She noted that Aria was coaxing a branch closer to her and was impressed that she had chosen the right branch.

Hoshirei cast another genjutsu on Otakemaru and Aria just as the branch reached them, making them think they successfully retrieved the bell from the branch. She then disappeared back into the treetops to blend in and come back out of the ethereal plane. This would be interesting for sure.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi was already on the move again, the final meeting spot was at the bottom of the huge tree inside of the forest of death, with things getting dark and the daylight fading from existence it wouldn't be long before the kids either had to give up or tried to make there was in the pitch black. As Takeshi sat back down in those moments, he allowed himself to look to the palm of his hand, two bells, two down and out in the open for the students. They had an obstacle course to get through and he knew it, shifting one back to his belt he smiled to himself as he looked at the second bell. Bringing his hand around it, he ignited it, melting it into nothing but ash and a lump, losing the fourth bell forever.

"Well now we will see what they do in this situation, of course, the future is bright for this team, however, it was down to what they would do and the actions they would take to see them through this."

Takeshi sat there, the final bell just left in the open in front of him, if they made it this far, they would have to have the other two bells on them in person. He wondered how that was going for them in those instants, and of course, how the team leader would live up to the challenges of what the future held for him, it was his choice that would steer the fates that wove this team to success or failure. Takeshi allowed his hand to press the mic around his neck.

"Hoshirei, move the second bell further in, let them get to it, however, make it cost them something to do so, I am sure you understand, the first bell will begin their trial now, let's see how they fair with fate."

................................................

The armour began to move and shift on the floor, weaves of fabric coming out to list it up to a standing position like a person, as it met with the group. It seemed that this was the first trial they had encountered the question now was to see what they would take of it.

"Shusuke, your no fun, I just want to have some playtime, it's not often I am aloud out, and here you are running that fun for what? Just because?"

The suit of armour moved forward and prodded a weaved arm into the Shinobi's chest, one could describe the suit of armour as in a pouty child-like tantrum as it moved away from the group, stopping it turned around to face them. The voice once more echoed out of the suit.

"I will make you trade, a fair trade that one must accept sometimes happens, I will take one of your team, they will be gone for the rest of the exam, but in return....I can give you a bell. That is the offer on the table, one of you must put me on, and we will go for a little walk, that person can either keep the bell I offer, or you can take it, but those are the terms and nothing can change them."

The suit of armour waited to hear the group's thoughts on what had just been offered to them after all it was not every day a bell for an exam was given up, but the trade-off for that bell, well that was going to be a high price considering they still had the rest of the exam to go and losing one person now could hurt them.

[Bell Offered]
[Genjutsu on Aria stopped (from me)]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"So if I put you on one of my teammates can heave the bell? Is that the offer you are making? That's pretty straight forward now isn't it." Shusuke would step forward as he utilized the Stunt Double Jutsu, causing his true form to vanish into the forest as a perfect replica of an Elemental Clone would be left in his wake. "Then here, take me instead. Leave the bell behind and I am sure one of my team members will find it. I afterall, have a lot less riding on this exam." The clone would speak as he walked towards the suit of armor.

Shusuke on the other hand was hidden away in a nearby tree branch `Don't worry team, that's not actually me, just a simple clone. Le-` His thought stopped as he heard an eerie whistling sound dancing around the forest. His first reaction was to perform the Cancel Jutsu on himself, but upon realizing that this sound wasn't resonating with a Genjutsu his eyes would narrow. They weren't alone. Shusuke was getting pissed. Why was it his team that was getting hit by Genjutsu when none of them had the aptitude like he did. He would rather this had been a brawl of some sort.

He closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself. Raising his hands to form a few seals Shusuke's Chakra would pulse out from his body like echolocation. Take was on a nearby branch. Aria was mid section of the forest as well. Mitsuha then reached out offering support. `We aren't alone, I will reinstate my Third Eye Awakened. Let's see if we can find our unwanted guests. Everyone, stay at full alert.` Shusuke would strengthen the telepathic bond he had already established to allow the squad to see what he could see. He began to come through the forest to try and find where this whistling was coming from. `Keep in mind, we are up against a Genjutsu user. Do not fall for his illusions. Things may seem real but do your best to try and detect with world around you with your other senses.

---

Actions Used:

• Stunt Double - Elemental Clone: No Element/Taijutsu buffed by Presence Erase so my +DC adds to my +Stealth
• Cancel
• Crystal Eye (flavoured as a Chakra Sense Technique)

 

[Ōtakemaru]

… I’m right here… I swear.

Aria’s predicament sounded wacky, what, with seeing Takeshi where her own teammates were. Paired with her reply that she saw nothing of Takeshi yet… as in, the real Takeshi… it was tricky. She’d have to keep her eyes out at all times and remember who her teammates were. In the meantime, Take took a new position – at the branches making the midstory of their path, making sure to keep his eyes open for any anomalies. As Lord Takeshi had emphasized… he might as well reiterate that nothing he saw was what it looked like.

But Take had no means to distinguish reality from illusion other than Cancel. Other than that, he’d have to trust his own instincts and intuition, and he’d have to make sure to communicate with the rest of the team. As long as he did that, hopefully, they’d be able to work through any Genjutsu that Lord Takeshi planned to rain upon them.

Mitsuha was preparing something as well, performing a certain rhythmic move in the midst of their advance. A wire trap was placed, and things would’ve advanced further had the suit of armor not grabbed everyone’s attention. Take advanced per Shusuke’s request, making sure to note both Mitsuha and Aria to follow suit – however, it’d take a handful seconds before so due to later events involving the armor… speaking of-

Shusuke intended to focus on the Chakra Sensing Jutsu, making three Clones of his keep him guarded. However, upon facing the suit of armor, Shusuke was the first to be alerted of its secret threat, warning the rest of the team to stay back from what appeared to be a Contract Summoning of Lord Fourth. Noticeably, the tune of Shusuke’s voice made it sound like he was talking from afar- ohhhh, he wasn’t using the telepathic ability here…

Not until he laid out a plan to Take. And Take was advancing per that plan, spotting the faint glow from four bells each tied to a tree… another obstacle. No way in hell would Lord Fourth just leave them here, so some or all of these were a fake. One thing was for sure – the branch that Aria willed towards the two held a bell… or not…

Alright, we got one bell. Aria, let’s check the other bells, too, he replied to her, unaware of whether or not Aria had retrieved the real bell from the branch she had pulled towards them, There’s most likely an illusion up, so I’ll try and double-check if you got the real bell. With that said, he’d attempt to approach the bottom, but Shusuke’s telepathic warning reached him again – they weren’t alone. Despite having tried to finesse the armor with a Clone, someone entered their vicinity but not their visibility.

Take was on full alert, his vision suddenly twisting to accommodate for the introduction of Shusuke’s as well. The latter’s warning… made Take second-guess himself. He approached each bell, one at a time, feeling them up – they looked like bells, and they made the same ringing noise when shaking them… but they felt rough to the touch. Like that of… stone. Also, a couple of them were much heavier than the rest-

That convinced him, upon which he’d perform the Cancel Jutsu upon himself. Aria, these bells can’t possibly be real bells – likely made of stone. We’re under another Genjutsu again. Check the bell you just picked up. Still, he was assured at first that these three bells were fake, but to be hit by this Genjutsu out of nowhere was a little eerie.

He’d begin to focus on Shusuke’s field of vision – once an unwanted guest was spotted, Take would lead the counter-attack should his speed allow him to do so. He still took the front line of their formation, after all.

Actions:
[Advanced forward as Shusuke interacts with Temanuchi-sama]
[Performed Cancel on Self upon inspecting the 'fake' bells that Hoshirei tied up at the nearby branches]
[Requests that Aria do the same as things begin to get absurd - the bells look and sound like bells, but they feel like random stones]

 

[Ayeka]

Once again Aria felt the sensation of her vision changing as the world gradually got blearier giving the poor girl a headache before it snapped clear and Aria could see again clearly. Looking to her side Aria also noticed that her teammates once again looked like themselves which was a massive relief for Aria's gradually boiling brain which had been the plaything for others since this exam had started. Nodding to Shu with a grateful smile as he began to issue orders again, Aria refocused her efforts on retrieving the bell that had been gradually shorshanking their way to Aira's position and having only just made it far enough for Aria to reach out an take it. Grabbing the bell from the vine Aria looked down as Shusuke had decided to intercept the suit of living armour that had been left behind for them and judging by his thoughts was trying to trick the armour into taking false prey. If anything Shu was distracting the creature so once again Aria kept her silence knowing vaguely that her lack of tact would probably get her trouble. 'As Keiyaku once said if you don't have anything to say just keep it zipped.' Thinking to herself Aria turned her attention to Mitsuha's words but it was mostly just a warning about the traps she had set up higher in the leaves surrounding them.

A flash of black hair shot by Aria causing the girl to blink in surprise as Take finally burst into action having spotted a few other bells in the area.

Alright, we got one bell. Aria, let’s check the other bells, too.

Aria's vision once again swan and changed but this time she could see what Shu was seeing almost making the Senju fall from her perch from sudden disorientation stemming from the fact she now had two sets of vision. Trying her best not to puke, Aria looked down at the bell in her hand and went to slip it away into a pouch on her person when Takes words once again ghosted into her mind. Aria, these bells can’t possibly be real bells – likely made of stone. We’re under another Genjutsu again. Check the bell you just picked up. Aria grit her teeth at the though of more Genjutsu to the point she could hear her molars start to strain as her temper sparked to an all time high. Lightning chakra began to course around her body letting sparks arc off her body into the nearby branches leaving hem scorched while her body accumulated burns up and down her arms as she tried to force the Genjutsu from her mind with pain. As the jutsu ended Aria watched as the bell in her hand seemed to almost turn to mist and fade away as the one on the branch reappeared sitting there merrily with a small jingle as a cold wind blow over Aria further inciting her rage as she stood up and snatched the bell from the branch and roughly shoved it into her pouch.

"That's it no more nice Senju!!"

Jumping up to the higher branches while avoiding Mitsuha's designated traps Aria sent chakra to her legs and launched herself from the tops of the tree while running through a set of seals. "Summoning Jutsu!" Aria was encompassed into a massive cloud of smoke for a minute before a dark shadow formed inside and quickly expanded, pushing the smoke away the form of a titanic turtle appeared in the air shrouding the area beneath in darkness as the turtle slowly plummeted to the ground. Quickly sending her plan to her teammates she thought. 'Might wanna get out of the way guys! I'm flattening this place!" Seemingly being push to the edge of her patience Aria sent an warrant thought to her team as she stood on the head of her turtle summoning knowing that such a small drop for her turtle wouldn't hurt him at all but even a small drop with an incredible amount of mass behind would easily flatten the area and force the ninja messing with her out of the shadows.

 

[Yume Izanami]

The girl would hear whistling and as she turned around she would notice that her trap had been activated but failed to snare anything. In mere seconds, her head buzzed with a loud piercing sound unlike that of the whistling. But even so, she would take notice of someone moving around fast with her Crystal eye. It wasn't much, but... She shook her head, best relay what she seen and is experiencing. First off, does anyone else hear a piercing sound? Also there's definitely someone else here. My Crystal Eye caught some movement down below.

She looked up to see Aria jumping up high above the trees and yelling out summoning jutsu. Good, they just might need the help of a small friendly creature to find a way to get further away from this genjutsu mess. That is, until the sky darkened. "Hm?" And then she heard Aria's thoughts run through her mind. No Way. No. Fricking. Way. The Kaguya's eyes widened as the gigantic mass started to fall down. She would try her best to make some distance, and when she was far enough away to not get squished, form a bone shield to block any debris that might kick up.

That was a crazy move, but it did give her an idea. She also had a turtle friend, not one as big as her, but he should come in handy. Forming hand seals, and placing her palm on the tree branch that she was standing on, a small blue turtle about half her size poofed into existence. Before he could talk, the girl hushed him and whispered into his ear, giving him a quick rundown of what's been going on. He would nod, knowing his assignment.

I think it might be best to regroup or at least get back into formation. Aria's little helper did make me bolt. She would send the thought message out to the group.

OOC Actions
Summoned Crush
Crush has ancient wisdom general contract ability
Mitsuha and allies have +1 to Nin Acc/Nin Dodge/Gen DC/Gen Save, and +5% Ninjutsu/Genjutsu damage.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi sat there for a few moments, as he allowed himself to listen to the nightlife come out inside of the Forest, it seemed that day one for the group would be over. Leaving himself a few moments to sit and enjoy the sounds, he slumped against one of the huge roots in the tree and set himself in for the night after all they would be wise to set up camp and not go looking too far into the forest in the pitch black, but he would be prepared if they were ready. He allowed his hand to come up to the neck for a few minutes as he called out to Hoshirei.

"How many bells have they got currently? Also, report to the tree, the night is now catching up, and at the tree will be the final part of the mission, they have had traps, and tricks so far, and now we will see how the group deals with having two threats in front of them instead of one, and see what they do to get this final bell after all two out of four so far is a good start to the day, but with the night coming in, just come back and make sure that you are not seen."

With that, he removed his hand from the neck for a few minutes and pondered how long it would take her to get here, he would leave the night to the forest as after all, it was full of dangers for traveling, snakes, spiders and all things creepy crawly that he wouldn't recommend getting involved in if it could be avoided but that was down to the team, after all right now he had completed what he was designed to do and would not say anything against their choices till after the same. For now, he would wait for the moment that Hoshirei met back up with him and go from there, a plan formulating in the Hokage's mind as he pondered the possibilities and prepared himself in case they did come this way, he wouldn't be caught napping that was for sure.

................................................................

The armor would sit there and just chill out for a bit, as the group approached it listening to the words spoken by Shusuke after all the boy had known him and he had known the boy, interesting how they continued to meet up so many times, but hey the boy made the office that was going to be accepted, after all, it was a fair trade, and if he thought that tricks would make the suit of armor happy, a mistake would be made on that front.

"Sounds good let's do this"

The armor allowed himself to wrap around the Clone in front of him unaware that it was the clone, the bell coming out and being offered to anyone who would take it as part of the team, it was their call on who wanted this bell and they had to decide.

With light fading the team was doing well with two out of the four bells up for grabs that would already be in their collection, they now had a choice going forward on what they wanted to do next as a group.

[Bell Found on Branches]
[Bell offered by Armour]
[Night Setting In]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

From the ringing sounds and the appearance of a mountain of a turtle, many events in this thread happened in quick sessesion but it eventually came to the point where everything seemed to calm down slightly. There were two contract beasts summoned into the fray as one was planning on leaving. Shusuke would remain in the shadows for a few more minutes as his clone would don the armor and begin to walk away.

Shusuke would let out a sigh, the night was coming and the events of the exam seemed to be slowing. The whistling sound all but stopped and the contract summon faded away with one of Shusuke's clones in the distant. The day had become evening and it appeared as though Takeshi was allowing the children a time to rest and recuperate. He was being to gracious. "We have two bells it seems. Aria-chan and Mitsuha-chan, take these bells. WIth them you will be granted the rank of Genin." He paused for a second as he would make sure the two young girls would each have a bell. Shusuke would conjure forth his nearly invisible blade into his hand. "If you two want to stay back from this point on I would not blame you nor would you receive any retaliation from Takeshi, I will personally make sure of it. You only job rght now is to stay safe and out of harm's way. Conceal your bells and keep them to yourself. Do not take them out for any reason until this exam is over." Shusuke spoke with a soft smile on his face and held it for a moment.

Turning his face over to Take, "Take-kun, you on the other hand... You and I are about to go fight the Hokage for those last two bells." Shusuke said with a serious look on his face and tone in his voice. He wasn't aware that Takeshi had already destroyed one bell, but that didn't matter. A bloodthirsty grin came to his face. "There's no time to rest Take-kun, let's show him what we can do together." He looked back for a second to see if Aria and Mitsuha were going to follow before pushing deeper into the woods tracking down Takeshi like a ravenous wolf.

OoC:
- Making sure Aria and Mitsuha have the first two bells

 

[Hoshirei]

Hoshirei was keeping an eye on the goings-on while in the upper canopy of the forest. She noticed when the young Senju became agitated and started the hand signs for the summoning jutsu. As soon as she saw the size of the creature summoned, she cursed in Fiero, immediately dropped back into the ethereal plane, and dashed quickly out of range of the super-sized turtle. She noted that the branch the bell had been tied to was still intact. She landed on the branch without affecting its position. She heard Shusuke's plan. It wouldn't be bad if it was just Takeshi, but Hoshirei had her orders.

She spoke and her voice was hardly recognizable. It sounded almost like it was coming from all around the quartet but slowly getting quieter as if the speaker were getting further away as well. "You have done well so far. Remember, this is a test of teamwork. Show you can truly work together. When you're ready, come and meet your fate." With that, Hoshirei ran out of sight of Mitsuha's Crystal Eye before turning to join Takeshi. It took her almost half an hour to navigate while avoiding the denizens of the forests but she made it finally to the Hokage's side.

Hoshirei dropped back out of the ethereal plane as she walked up to Takeshi. "So far so good, I think. Shusuke is showing good leadership. Mitsuha's trap and crystal eye combo was a great idea. Aria got a bit tired of the genjutsu. Did you know she was contracted with the turtle clan? Tried to drop a giant one on me. Otakemaru was quick to not just trust his eyes and ears when presented with the bells. I would like to see a bit more, but I think they work well together so far."