Spoiler:

"Hey Minori-san, do genin get to kill each other in Kirigakure?" a small voice asked. It came from... Fuka? Fuki? Something. She hadn't talked much in their time together, unlike some of the rowdier kids, so Minori really wasn't expecting that sort of question from her. But she supposed some curiosity was expected... what with the history of the village and all.

"Ah, no..." Minori said, "Killing people is actually punishable by law now."

The child--actually she was probably only a few years younger than Minori--clicked her tongue in disappointment before turning away to run back to her friends (Mushi? Musashi? and Eric). That's... That's concerning, right? She should be concerned, right? From somewhere in her mind, she could hear Minoru laughing.

It was a lovely evening, and while Minori was still new to Konoha, she figured she might as well try to involve herself in the Chunin Exams. Even if she wasn't allowed to take them yet. What better way to get involved than look after some of the younger genin? Minoru disproved, loudly, but he didn't have to be involved with the process if he didn't want to be, so all was well. To help watch after their group of ten wonderful kids, Minori contacted Hisaki. The only other genin she had really gotten to know.

"Get away from me!!!"

A yell broke her out of her thoughts and Minori turned to see one kid (Takoyaki? Takayuki) chase another kid (Emil? Emio?) while holding a frog. Was it time for another lesson on the dangers of bullying? Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a group of three kids (Seth, Ichiyo, and Kit--definitely) conspiring to set off paper bombs in the trash bins.

"This is getting a bit out of hand," Minori said under her breath.

They're probably just really bored. You've done the whole 'Ninja Way' talk. They wanna see some action!

"Are you speaking for the children, or for yourself?"

Minoru was silent at that, although she could almost feel him shrug. Still some action might be good... To show the younger genin what they could do with even just a little more training. Something inspiring! A demonstration of sorts.

"Some action... huh?"

---

WC: 383

Hisaki winced at the questions Minori was getting from the group of rowdy children the two of them had been tasked with looking after. It was only natural that they were curious about her. Minori was from Kirigakure, and thus, foreign, and Hisaki was a Hibana. A good, upstanding clan that was intricately tied to Konohagakure and the Land of Fire. In short, boring. The children had been tired of her basically as soon as she opened her mouth to introduce herself.

Not that...not that that bothered her or anything.

Still, she felt some sympathy for her fellow genin. After their first mission together finding lost shoes and cornering a thieving bird, the two of them had started spending more time together. Hisaki almost thought that she could start to think of Minori as a friend, which was an odd feeling. She had never really had a friend before, at least not one she wasn't related to. So she thought she really should step in, especially since Fuyuko and Muki and Seto and Kira were definitely starting to get rowdier.

...That was what Hisaki thought their names were, anyway.

"Now, everyone..." Hisaki said, speaking up just as Minori started talking to herself--or rather, to Minoru. "Is this how we should be behaving?"

When her mother said them, those words had never failed to send chills down Hisaki's spine, stopping her in the act of whatever she was doing. So she was surprised when the children turned to her in unison, not to stop harassing Minori, but to start harassing her instead.

"We're bored!" one of the kids said. "We've heard all this Ninja Way stuff before! Show us something exciting!"

"Something...exciting?" Hisaki asked. "Like what?"

"Your clan has some fancy fire release techniques, right?" a girl asked, grinning as she came to stand next to the instigator. "We wanna see!"

"You guys should fight!" another child said. "Konoha versus Kiri! I bet you could take her, Nee-chan!"

"Erm..." Hisaki cast a sidelong glance at Minori, feeling embarrassed and out of her depth. From what she remembered, Minori was the pacifistic half of her dual personalities. She didn't fight. And anyway, Hisaki hadn't come here wanting to spar! "I don't think that's such a good idea..."

"Boo!" the kids shouted in unison, like little savages. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

And, embarrassingly so, a refrain had started up in the background of the chanting, one said by a handful of kids, but one that made Hisaki's face burn with embarrassment. "Ko-no-ha! Ko-no-ha!"

---

WC: 436

A...fight? Minori supposed that fit under the definition of 'some action'. She chuckled into her hand as the children harassed Hisaki. They kind of reminded her of Minoru. Still, a spar might be a good idea. It would entertain the kids at least. And, if they were entertained, maybe they'd stop doing things like starting dumpster fires around Konoha.

She pulled a paper bomb out of Ichiyo's hand and walked over to the group around Hisaki. "You know, I'm technically a Konoha ninja," she said, lifting her headband to emphasize the statement. The kids didn't seem to take the reminder well, because they turned on her and all together took up the 'Ko-no-ha! Ko-no-ha!' chant. It was almost intimidating, especially considering that some of them were taller than her. But she held her ground.

"That being said, I don't think a spar is a bad idea," she continued. They quieted down at this, and Minori flashed a small smile at Hisaki. "As long as everyone promises to behave afterwards. We're all together until midnight, after all."

--

The group made their way to a large clearing that would suit their purposes well. They were originally planning on using one of the sparring grounds, but with the Chunin Exams in full swing, they were all either being used or prepared. Minori asked for Hisaki's help getting the kids to settle down in an area that would safe during the spar. "Do ninja in Konoha spar often?" she asked idly.

---

WC: 259 + 383 = 642

Minori seemed to be surprisingly alright with the idea of sparring, which made sense, Hisaki supposed. At the end of the day, Minori was a ninja, a graduate of Kirigakure's Ninja Academy. That meant that she had to do her fair share of sparring at some point, just as Hisaki had. Still, something about this sat the wrong way with her.

Maybe it was the fact that Hisaki was still embarrassed by the children's behavior. After all, it didn't exactly do much to foster inter-village relationships when the children seemed hellbent on refusing to accept Minori as a Konoha shinobi. Or maybe it was the fact that Hisaki had never had friends before, and so had never gotten used to the idea of sparring with a friend.

Or maybe, and this made her feel uncomfortable, maybe it was the fact that she didn't really know what Minori and Minoru could do and that made her nervous. Maybe it was because she was afraid she would lose.

She didn't particularly want to consider that. Because if she was afraid of losing, that meant that she was only willing to get into fights that she could win. Was that really what her Ninja Way was? The Hibana clan were strong, confident warriors. They didn't go into battle afraid.

At least that was what her mother said.

But if she lost, it would prove something to Hisaki. It would prove that she wasn't as strong as she needed to be, or as capable as she needed to be. She couldn't deny that it was tempting to avoid the spar, if only so that she wouldn't have to consider whether she could beat Minori. If only so she could shelve that question for later.

Minori was so much better than her, Hisaki thought, her eyes on the other kunoichi as they reached the sparring grounds. It might not be in Minori's nature to fight, but she was willing to do it when she had to. She probably didn't think about things like winning or losing, at least not in the underhanded, awful way that Hisaki was thinking about them. It made her think that she might be a bad friend after all.

But she certainly couldn't tell Minori all of that, so when the other girl spoke to her, Hisaki quickly looked over at her and smiled, although she couldn't help but look a little startled at being drawn out of her thoughts. "Mm, I think so," she said. "I don't know if it's the same amount of sparring as you all did in Kiri, or if it is a lot, but contests like this are pretty common."

Even contests between friends. It was important to know how strong one's allies were, in a world like this. Hisaki knew that. She knew that, and yet...

Calm down... she told herself, as she and Minori finished getting the children ready and started making their way towards opposite sides of the sparring ring. She took a deep breath, focusing on her own inner fire and beginning to warm herself up from the inside. You need to be calm, or this will be over before it starts...

She didn't know what Minori could do. It made it hard for her to plan a strategy. In contrast, Minori already knew some of what her clan ability could do. It would make things harder for her. She'd have to finish this quickly, then. Overwhelm Minori as fast as possible, before Minori could surprise her. At the very least, putting Minori on the defensive would allow her to get a better idea of her friend's talent.

She didn't want to admit that she was afraid of this dragging on for too long.

So instead, she faced Minori, a serious look in her eye, and said, "Well then, let's do our best." She bent her knees, waiting.

The boy they had designated to start the spar raised his hand. "Begin!"

Hisaki quickly moved her hands through a series of hand seals, Snake, then Ram, then Bird. Minori would be expecting fire from her, so Hisaki could start with something unexpected. As she finished the Bird seal, the wind rising up around her, Hisaki gathered her chakra and clapped her hands tightly together. A four-pointed star appeared in the air over her hands, turning end over end before accelerating towards Minori.

As soon as the star left, Hisaki started running, trying to come at Minori from the side while she was distracted by the star. She took a kunai out of the pouch at her waist, thrusting it at Minori's torso.

---

Chakra 220/230:

Warming Up 1/2
WC: 793 + 436 = 1229

Hisaki seemed to be all poise and seriousness as she answered Minori's question. There was no way she didn't notice how Hisaki seemed to bore holes into her with her stare as they made their way to the sparring ground. What was she thinking? Was she formulating a plan to win? It would be a bit difficult given that Minoriru hadn't yet revealed what they could do. Not for any sinister reason, though. It just never came up. Perhaps she was just preparing herself for the spar, thinking up moves and combinations that would show her skill to the other genin.

Nevertheless, Minori hoped that a little bit of conversation would lighten the mood. And also give her some insight into Hisaki's training. She needed to come up with her own plan, after all.

You want me to take this one? Minoru asked from inside her mind.

Minori didn't respond as she walked over to her starting position, but she did take her headband from around her neck and tie it around her head. Hisaki might notice that this was what Minoru usually did when they switched. It was a feint. And at the same time, it was her way of saying that she was serious about this spar.

Spars were... not her favorite thing, and she spent most of her childhood handing them over to Minoru. It wasn't that she couldn't fight. She just didn't see the appeal or the necessity of most spars. Not when she had someone as eager as Minoru to trade places with. Minori didn't like to cause unnecessary pain or exert more effort than necessary. Fights were, to her, distasteful.

But this was different.

Being honest with herself, she had to admit that Hisaki's focus was contagious. She wanted to put her best foot forward and not run away. The children asked to see her fight, after all. They wanted to see her skill. And... she was a ninja. How could she say 'no'.

Minori got into position and waited for the signal.

Well, if you're sure... Minoru mumbled, Just watch out. She's strong.

As soon the signal sounded, Hisaki began to make hand signs for a technique. Minori focused in on it. It wasn't fire, which she was expecting--there was no Tiger sign. It was wind! Her eyes widened and she moved to the side just in time to narrowly dodge Hisaki's pinwheel, a tear appearing almost instantly on her sleeve. As she did, she let out the breath she was holding, the air fogging in front of her from the chill. Tricky girl, not using fire right away.

A second later, Hisaki was at her side, thrusting at her chest with a kunai. Minori didn't move and the kunai connected. Hisaki would feel no resistance as the kunai pierced what seemed to be Minori dissolving into mist. A thick fog would begin as Minori, now invisible to Hisaki, snuck around her. From the fog, copies of Minori formed, keeping a few steps distance as they walked around Hisaki. None of them approached her and if she tried to attack, they would simply move out of the way.

Minori took out three senbon from her bags around her thighs and waited for her chance. She noticed the children staring at her, whispering to each other. She smiled at them and raised a finger to her mouth in a 'Shhh' motion. They seemed to understand, because they settled back down, their faces clearly reflecting a mix of worry and confusion. When Hisaki was squarely turned away from her, Minori would throw the senbon at her back and then move to a different location within the fog.

---

Chakra 240/250:

WC = 628 + 642 = 1270

Hisaki's eyes widened in alarm as she realized that her kunai was on target. She twisted her hand to the side a little, because injuries were part of ninja life, but she didn't actually want to hurt Minori. To her surprise, however, the kunai kept moving. It didn't meet any resistance. It just passed straight through Minori, as if the other girl weren't even there.

A clone? No, that's impossible. I would have seen the hand seals...

Fog pooled around her ankles, filling her vision. Hisaki looked around, searching for a clue. Shadows rose up out of the fog around her, shapes that looked exactly like Minori. A jutsu? Which one of them was real? She twisted around, swiping her kunai back through the air and towards the figure that stood nearest her, but that Minori stepped back, managing to avoid her strike by a hair's breadth. Hisaki stepped closer to her, bringing the kunai up over her head and thrusting it downward, but again, the shadowed figure only stepped back.

This didn't make any sense. She could feel herself starting to panic a little. And no, that wouldn't do. She couldn't panic. She had to do something--but she wasn't even warmed up yet--

Ah!

Three pinpricks of pain in quick succession, coming from her back. Two across her shoulder blades, one just to the left of her spine. Hisaki reached behind her, the tips of her fingers coming into contact with the cool metal of a senbon. Behind her? She whirled around, but she could see nobody there. Just the fog. She could hear the kids, though. They were shouting, cheering for her.

Her heart was pounding so fast. She couldn't think, but she knew that she had to act. She couldn't just stand here and let Minori take her down.

What would her mother say?

The thought of her mother's face, staring down at her in disdain, spurred Hisaki to action. Her hands moved before she realized she was moving them--Dog. Boar. Her mind caught up with her body before she finished the last seal. All she had to do was keep Minori off of her for a little while longer. She was almost warmed up, she could feel it. Just a little while longer, and then she could figure this out.

Ram.

Two could play at that game.

Five clones burst into existence around Hisaki, and the six of them quickly started running, switching places with each other and weaving in and out to hide Hisaki's real position. Her back burned where the senbon had struck her, but she was hoping the fog would impair Minori's vision as much as it did hers. If not, she would at least hope that Minori had lost track of her in the chaos.

She just needed a little bit more time. A little bit more time to figure out what to do about this fog.

Or do to something really irresponsible. But the children were genin, they would be able to get out of the way.

Anything to not see that look in her mother's eye.

Almost there.

---

Chakra 215/230:

Warming up 2/2
WC: 536 + 1229 = 1765
Clones: 1/3 posts

Minori struggled to stay silent as Hisaki summoned her clones, weaving between them as they ran. She had to admit, it was a good move. For a second, she considered switching with Minoru to just be done with this whole facade, but where was the honor in that? Her decision did limit her options, though. If she left her own radius, Hisaki might be able to see her. And if she ever came in contact with a clone, the clone would dissipate and Hisaki would know where she was.

A figure whizzed by, running barely a few inches from Minori. Was it a clone? Was it Hisaki herself? There was no way to tell with the way they were all moving around. Even if Minori did manage to track the original Hisaki's movements, the fog wasn't helping her stay on target.

She had to get creative.

Minori took out six senbon and gripped three in each hand. As she wove between the clones, she pushed some of her chakra out to her fingers. A greyish-blue glow began to form at the tips, stretching slowly until the resembled strings. The strings wrapped around a senbon each and Minori let them go. They hovered in the air above her fingers, suspended by the chakra strings. Each senbon corresponded to a finger--six in total--and Minori found that by moving her fingers slightly, she could change the motion of the senbon.

Now... how did she want to do this? She decided that the best way would be as instantaneously as possible. Test each figure at the same time to see which was really Hisaki. Problem was, there was no convenient location to get them all.

After giving it some thought, Minori ran out of her fog so that she was just able to reach the full radius of the fog with her senbon. Doing so might let Hisaki see her, if the kunoichi was paying attention to the area outside the fog and not Minori's mist clones. It was a safe bet that with the commotion in the fog, she could remain hidden for a bit longer. Or at least until her genjutsu wore off.

As quickly as possible, to avoid testing her luck, Minori manipulated the senbon so that they pierced a figure at roughly the same time. The location or strength of the attack didn't matter--this was just to see which was the real Hisaki. When the clones dissipated, she would take the five senbon and surround Hisaki with them.

Then, she readied herself, not knowing if the next attack would be in the fog or come directly at her.

---

Chakra: 235/250:

Mistwraith: 2/2 Posts -- Should dissolve either near the end of Hisaki's post or at the beginning of mine.
WC: 446 + 1270 = 1716