Chuunin Exam Saga
Book 1: Awakening
Chapter 1: The Rebirth of Oomi.
Training: 1,588 words / 1,575 words needed
Strength: E-2 > D
Reaction Time: E-2 > D
Endurance: E-2 > D

It’s like waking up from a dream – the kind that make you question reality. Wonder if all you’d experienced… Slender fingers tensed, bunching the white bed sheets in their clutch. God, what had happened? Her body lie there still as a rock yet her mind raced violently searching for the memory of how she’d ended up in this place. Fragments, jumbled together like looking through a kaleidoscope, danced across her minds eye. A beast, a monster… The Krakken. Pieces began to fall into place, yet this only provided further confusion. She’d defeated that monster with the aid of three other shinobi. They were victorious. No, that couldn’t be the memory she was searching for and yet it was the last she could remember – celebrating triumph. Eyes the color of chestnuts wandered about the stark room she’d been awarded for her victory. She recognized it, it being the very same she’d spent so much time in what seemed ages ago. The door of her hospital room crept open and through it stepped a brightly smiling nurse. “You’re awake, good, good.”
[Three Weeks Later]
Even now it all seems surreal – like she’d never truly woken up. They say she’d taken a nasty blow to the head. Never felt it. Not that she would have. Fingers danced across the bare flesh of her right arm, tracing the light of the sun that crept through the branches of trees. She couldn’t feel any of it. They said that she’d slipped into a coma… Months had passed since Seven Bell’s defeat. Months. Oomi spat on the ground and cursed the neatly cut grass for accepting it so readily. Months. She could only imagine the progress she could have made in all that time, the progress that she’d lost… She could sense it, could feel it in her muscles in her bones. Of course, this was no true sensation, something more akin to the ghost limbs felt by amputees really. Simply; her body felt weaker. It was this reason that she found herself in the hospitals courtyard as she had so long ago. Nurses had opposed her decision, but understood her plight and allowed it begrudgingly. Oomi didn’t know it but this was in part due to her father’s intervention in the matter. Her arms fell to her sides once more and then slowly rose as she took something akin to a boxers stance. Quickly a combination was thrown, each punch as skilled as the last. Her frame might have grown weaker with inactivity but it had not forgotten the finer points of her techniques. She moved with fluidity in her motion that told of this, that might make one believe she’d never been forced to take time off at all. Her right foot rocket outward in an arcing kick that brought her foot to the thick bark of the tree. It shook and all around her leaves began to fall. A thought crossed her mind and instantly the young woman took to grasping at the fallen leaves. Her fingers clenched around a few, crunching them before moving on to grasp at the next. Her goal; catch as many as she could before there would none left floating to the ground.
[Three Hours Later]
So many leaves had been shaken from the tree that it might have seemed a gardener had come and trimmed it back. In truth Oomi had been shaking the tree, even if it meant wrapping her arms around it and throwing all her strength into it. The ground was covered in leaves, many of which were crumpled and wrinkled after having fallen into her grasp for only a moment. A few people had gathered to watch the girl more or less make a fool of herself. Though after a while many began to watch in awe of her stamina. It seemed she would never tire. In truth, she was as tired as they come – three hours of this was no light task. Yet, she continued on, the fire that would have been in her muscles lacking presence enabling her to press onward without thought or care. Not to mention the whole thing had become a game that she enjoyed more than she should. Right up until the moment everything went black…
Four Days Later
They said she’d passed out, pushed herself too hard. She scoffed when the nurses suggested that she take it easy for a while. They meant it. She didn’t believe them at the time, or maybe she just believed that she’d be able to circumvent their authority again… Whatever the case they’d gotten their way. For three days Oomi lie in her bed the space outside her window teasing and beckoning her to it. Yet every attempt at escape was met with fold arms and a twisted frown. Today was different though, today she was being sent home. They’d kept her long enough was the story. It was more likely that the nurses had had enough of the bratty young kunoichi. Unfortunately, Oomi’s father Harou wasn’t able to collect his daughter, however. Not that the girl minded that in the least. “Rember, take it easy Ooomi. There’s no reason to push yourself right now. Take it slow and you’ll be fine.” The nurse said as she walked Oomi to the door. She went unheard – selective hearing. Oomi stepped through the double doors that lead out into Kirigakure. The sun met her face with a warmth she couldn’t remember anymore. A brief frown crossed her lips at the thought yet still she pressed on further. Powerful legs strode across the flattened dirt that served as the veins through which the cities blood moved. Beige shorts covered those legs, hugging her flesh seductively almost. Hanging just over that was the hem of her purple gi. The gi itself was tied off with a red belt, and its shoulders were frayed where they sleeves had been torn away. On the back of the purple garment was the symbol of the Adechi clan in black ink. The young woman’s chocolate colored locks had been pulled loosely back into a high sitting ponytail, which was bound with a red bit of fabric. On her feet a pair of shinobi sandals – standard issue, the only shoes she could find in the hospital and not nearly as comfortable as her geta. “Finally.” Oomi murmured as she stretched her arms out to either side and leaned back into a stretch. “Freeedoooom~!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. That was the first thing on her mind, the second was getting back to training. Training properly. The muscles in her legs bunched and launched her into a sprint toward --- the growl of her stomach put a halt in all things. “I should find food… Ramen.” Eyes darted about as if a shop might be nearby. There, of course, wasn’t one. Dejected Oomi started off in a slow trot through the city. She’d eventually come across a noodle stand, but for now the failure of happening across one the instant she needed it would be dramatically played out. For all of three minutes. A.D.D kicked in and that failure was forgotten along with the hunger that had prompted it and Oomi was off in a sprint again. A few precarious twists and turns later and she was standing outside of her home, or rather the antiques shop beneath it. It seemed… cleaner. A step through the door would reveal how much so. Inside, what had been in shambles was pristine and shining as if new. A smile crept across Oomi’s face before her gaze finally fell upon her father behind the cashiers counter. ”Welcome home, Oomi.”
[ Two Hours Ago ]
”Ha!” THUD! Knuckles dug into the bark of a tree, tearing a bit of it from its place to expose the lighter flesh beneath. Some of which was stained with the red tint of the young woman’s blood. ”Ha!” THUD! Another punch was thrown. The gods willing she’d punch this damned tree down. ”Ha!” THUD! Another person would have quit this long ago. They’d have realized the agony their hands were in, the possibility that they’d broken bones. Yet, Oomi was oblivious to it. Not only because she was numb to the pain, but because she simply refused to acknowledge the damage done to her hands. ”Ha!” THUD! Another punch. ”Ha!” THUD! This time she’d managed to throw a kick, perhaps a bit accepting of the damage done to her knuckles. A heavy breath slipped from her lips and her hands fell to her sides for the moment. ”Come on, Oomi. You’ve got more in you…” She mumbled to herself. The memory of the hospital crept into her mind and she sucked her teeth. An expletive was slurred and she turned away from the tree only to end up sitting against it. Minutes later the youngster was snoring, sound asleep.
[ The Present ]
Slowly eye lids lifted revealing the world to the young kunoichi once again. The sunlight had dimmed somewhat, but would not be gone for at least another hour or two. Frantically, Oomi jumped to her feet cursing herself for having fallen asleep. Though after a moment she calmed and stretched. That short nap had been the best sleep she’d gotten in what seemed forever. Exhaustion, she’d not realized how much she missed it until today. Yet now, rejuvenated the young woman set to her task once more; training. However, realizing that time was short she took to jogging – toward home.

– FIN –