Ryusei thumbed his nose as he stood before the gate which stood between him and his goal, advancing in the chunnin exams. He glared at the ornately designed golden gate. So much effort put into such a pointless event. How many times had the other participants had it hammered into their brains that the exams were an integral part of their advancement as shinobi? Ryusei saw these exams for what they were, a herding of sheep into a cage, waiting to be slaughtered for the amusement of the privileged that paid admission to watch children throw their lives away. “And they call me a savage,” he scoffed, awaiting the signal to begin, “I can’t wait to be done with this nonsense.”

Truth be told, Ryusei wanted nothing to do with this farce. He rejected the shinobi world and their customs, but certain concessions had to be made in order to complete a job. The Chunnin exams brought out all manners of people, high rollers included. The social importance placed with the events was made evident by the festival that now came with the exams wherever they went, and the people it attracted. The years had made the Exams more entertainment than professional advancement, but there were still those, mostly the more shady members of society, that still saw the exams as something of a recruitment ground. His prey was among that group, but that wasn’t why he wasn’t being hunted. Apparently this man was a retired shinobi that had abandoned his village and sold information that resulted in the death of over twenty people, mostly civilians.

Ryusei had no sympathy for the village that he abandoned, but the blood he spilt had to be repaid. Everyone faces a reckoning. It just so happened that this man had the misfortune of meeting his in the form of a very unforgiving Shiryo. Somehow the man had weaseled his way into the group that was associated with running the exams. Ryusei had no idea how he managed to accomplish that, but he had successfully protected himself from any normal way of getting to him. Ryusei’s only option at that point was to enter the exams in order to get closer to his mark. Unfortunately that meant being forced to jump through hoops for the entertainment of the elitists he resented by competing in this bloodsport.

His agonizing wait would soon come to a halt as what appeared to be fireworks shot skyward from the center of the structure and the gates before him swung open to reveal a darkened path. He knew not what awaited him inside that labyrinth, but he knew that whatever it was, it had no intention of helping him. What the beasts inside didn’t know however, was that a far more dangerous predator than they could ever hope to be was now prowling about in their den, fangs bared and guns drawn. Gently tracing the outline of his weapons’ triggers with his index fingers he would step forward into the darkness. It was time to hunt.

---

512~

[Rolling for first scenario]

The member 'Ryūsei' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Exam Scenario Dice' :

For all of the flashy ceremonies and pageantry that accompanied the beginning of the Chunnin Exams, what awaited him inside the overly hyped labyrinth was decidedly anticlimactic. The ornate golden gates that guarded the labyrinth’s entrance immediately gave way to the dark and earthen toned walls that awaited within and the thunderous crackling of the fireworks that had previously flown overhead gave way to the eerie silence of complete and utter isolation. He’d give the ones responsible for organizing the event one thing, they sure knew how to put on a show for the spectators. Compared to the glitz and glam of the opening ceremonies, the dark and dead void that they called the Great Labyrinth was like a whole different world.

With firm but cautious steps Ryusei would march forward, deeper and deeper into the unknown territory that was the first testing ground for the genin participating in the Exams. As any hunter worth his salt would he remained on alert as he trekked forward, not for one moment allowing himself to lax as he actively searched for anything that might be amiss, which he knew was inevitable given the nature of this competition and the ominous foreshadowing done by the event’s organizers. There was no way they were going to make something as conveniently sinister as a labyrinth part of the exams and not throw a few curves the way of the participants. After all, what part of being a shinobi does aimlessly wandering the halls of a labyrinth put to the test. No… there was something more.

With each step forward he heard nothing but the echo of his own boots coming down upon the hard earthen floor. The distinct lack of any other noises made Ryusei uneasy. Life in the jungle had taught him that there were only two scenarios in which the world stood completely silent: before a storm and when an area is devoid of life. Needless to say, neither of those scenarios instilled much peace in his mind. But it wasn’t just the lack of audible stimuli that disturbed him. There was no familiar scent to follow, the air was sterile and empty, just like the halls he walked. His vision was limited to the artificial lighting and occasional torches that lined the walls of the labyrinth, but the lighting was made almost irrelevant by the fact that the only thing he would ever see are the reddish brown hues of the earthen walls.

A short while into the labyrinth, Ryusei’s arms would begin to grow weary of holding his weapons at the ready for such an extended period of time. Even his body was only so durable and eventually the fatigue in his muscles would bring his arms lower and lower, and before he realized it they were completely relaxed and at his side. And for a moment the eerie silence he had grown wary of faded into a unique serenity, something that could only be experienced when one was completely alone. There was a peace in the solidarity of the labyrinth, a peace that would be broken by the sudden emergence of trees from the earth all around him. Immediately upon noticing the disturbance he would raise his arms once again, pointing the barrels of his guns out and resting his fingers on the triggers of his weapons ready to shoot the first thing that popped out from the shrubbery.

His gaze would shoot back and forth, scanning the area for potential threats as the trees that emerged began to coil and intertwine, creating a wall of bark and leaves that seemed to surround him entirely. He remained still and ready to shoot for a few moments more, expecting something to jump out at him in this cage of trees he found himself in. The sound of rustling behind him would cause him to turn violently and fire a blind shot from his light gun, but when his target came into focus all he would see is a smoldering hole in a branch that seemed to be moving to the side as the wall of trees divided to reveal a path. Ryusei was wary of the path. It was obviously to convenient to be a coincidence, but what choice did he have?

He would walk forward into the tunnel, weapons at the ready, before stopping about 25 feet in. Well rather, he was stopped as he rammed face first into what he could only think was a wall. Covering his face with one hand he would growl and use his free hand to retrieve on of his weapons that he had dropped beside him, pointing it up at the direction of whatever hit him. To his surprise however, there was no massive foe standing in his way that struck him down. There was nothing at all. He stood, still cautious of what he thought might be an invisible foe, grabbing his second gun and holstering it as he proceeded to walk forward holding one gun out in front. After a few steps the barrel of his gun would clank against… nothing? He poked his weapon forward once more, and once more it would be stopped by an unseen force. Next he would place his hand to the spot, and it as well would be met with resistance, but as his hand came into contact with the wall a surge of light would pulse along it from the point his hand had touched.

He stepped back cautiously as the pulse of light had illuminated what appeared to be a message written on the previously invisible barrier reading, "I am great and powerful, my roar knows no equal, yet a simple stone thrown at me can bend my path. What am I?" The irritation Ryusei was experience was so strong that if a drop of water had touched his body in that moment it would surely have turned to steam. THIS was the ominous and mysterious test that the event organizers had prepared for him? A riddle?!? All of this build up and suspense for a stupid riddle? Ryusei was not a man that would ever be mistaken for a scholar or one that relied on his wit or cleverness to get by. He would have much rather just bashed the face in of a small army than have to deal with riddles, at least the army would make a good story.

It wasn’t even a particularly good riddle at that. He ran his hand back through his hair and glared up at the illuminated words, racking his mind for the solution he needed. Really, if the organizers wanted to make this event a challenge they should have at least not made a riddle about the damned location of the Chunnin Exams. The fact that even Ryusei could come to a decision about the answer to the riddle only proved that it was too simple. The answer was great and powerful. That could have been anything admittedly. It’s roar knows no equal. That is where the possibilities began to dwindle in numbers. A lion perhaps? No, that would be too straightforward, not something the kind of man who would design a riddle would select. A simple stone would bend its path. That was the key. The fact that it had a path that could be bent meant that it was not a creature, but rather something that flowed… like water. It was just like running ones hand under a faucet and watching as the stream split around your fingers. All that was left was to apply it to something that a riddle maker would think was clever given the circumstance.

“You’re a waterfall,” Ryusei would proclaim, pressing his hand against the barrier. He waited a moment and nothing happened, leading him to think he had been wrong, but just as he was about to pull away he would feel his fingers begin to slip through the previously impassable obstacle. A smirk formed on his lips as a smug sense of satisfaction came over him. So much for him not being a clever man, huh? As the barrier began to fade away Ryusei would push his fingers in further until his entire arm had passed through, and then a leg, and then another leg, until eventually he had passed through completely. First obstacle overcome.

---

1398~

[Rolling for second scenario]

The member 'Ryūsei' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Exam Scenario Dice' :

Having overcome the first obstacle this labyrinth had to offer, and one demanding the use of his brain rather than his brawn no less, Ryusei was feeling rather smug. If that was the level of challenge he should expect from this competition  they might as well hand him whatever prize there was to be won and let him go on with his life. Obviously there was nothing here that could stand between him and his victory. He stopped himself after that thought, feeling the sting of disappointment come over him as he reigned his enthusiasm back in. He was not here to win. He wasn’t entered into this competition to be a competitor. This was nothing more than a means to an end for him to complete a job and the entire Chunnin Exams event was nothing more than a farce. He had no business harboring aspirations to win this event as a participant. Once he had finished his job he would be done with it. Isn’t that what he had agreed to beforehand?

Shaking himself free of such thoughts he would continue on, finding himself coming upon a straightaway in his path, going on for what seemed like forever, although in this lighting there was no way to be sure whether the end was in sight or not. Ryusei paused at the sight of it, staring intently down the hall for a moment as he rested his hand onto his weapon once more. Something was off. In a competition like this, nothing was ever so convenient and harmless as a random straightaway. It was too random, too harmless. Even its positioning within the labyrinth just a short while past the first obstacle, close enough that contestants might still have their guard down thinking they were in the clear after the first test, but far enough to not rouse suspicion by normal genin. But Ryusei was not a genin, nor was he one of these children that came out of the academy thinking they knew something about the world.

Ryusei was not a shinobi and the hard life he led made him skeptical and jaded. Such an obvious ploy would not catch him off guard. But just like following the path that had opened up for him leading him to the barrier and riddle before, it was not a matter of if he would continue on the path. There was no other option but to go along the straightaway, just as the event organizers had planned no doubt. With his right hand he would remove one of his light guns from its holster, holding it ready at the hip for the moment he might need it, and stepped forward into the straightaway. Unlike earlier in the labyrinth however, there was no peace to be found in the solidarity of the labyrinth. This section of the area was dark and cold, but more importantly Ryusei didn’t believe for a second that he was still alone. He couldn’t. Even the air in this area was heavy, giving a cue to the dark presence that watched from the distance.

If being a hunter had taught Ryusei anything it was a familiarity with the feeling of being watched. It was for that reason that even his footsteps had become more cautious, keeping them light as if he was trying to hide his presence from potential unwanted guests. For some time he would continue on like this, not noticing anything changing in the area as he proceeded. That remained true until his ears would be forced to perk up at a foreign sound just barely audible in the recesses of the cavernous area above him. The sound of rustling and crawling from directly above him confirmed his suspicions and compelled him to look upwards. Unable to see anything in the blackness that covered the ceiling he would fire a single slug from his light gun skyward with the intention of the flash of light illuminating the area and giving him a glimpse of what he was dealing with. Much to is dismay, his plan had accomplished exactly that. What he saw as in the brief flash of light created by his shot would send chills down the spine of even the most experienced hunter.

His eyes widened in shock at what appeared to be a giant, rotting hand crawling about on the ceiling above him, using it’s long talon like nails to dig into the roof for footing. In that moment Ryusei regretted ever thinking that the challenges that awaited him in the labyrinth were below him and silently wished he could have simply had another riddle. Ryusei had killed many a savage beast and almost just as many savage humans, but what he saw he had no intention of confronting. Ryusei would dart of down the straightaway, running as hard as he could down the hall, but the further he ran the louder the rustling became as the monstrosity above him came in pursuit. Even with the knowledge that the creature was following him Ryusei could not bring himself to stop and check its position again. Instead he would notice the shadow beneath him as he fled growing larger and larger as he approached the end of the straight away that had only just come in sight after he took off.

As the “finish line” became closer and closer, so too would the speed at which the shadow below him grew accelerate. Looking up for a moment Ryusei would finally notice that which he had feared happening the most, the grotesque creature from the ceiling was now descending upon his location. Focusing fuuton chakra onto the soles of his boots Ryusei would wait until just before the creature collapsed upon him and then release the chakra into a burst, sending him dashing forward and out of the creature’s grasp. At the same time he would turn mid dash, drawing both guns from their holsters and unloading every round he could directly at the monster. By the time he would stop pulling the triggers the stones powering his light guns had already reached their heat capacity and became completely unusable.

Ryusei snarled as he saw the fiendish hand continue in his direction, not phased by his shots. When the beast lunged forward at Ryusei once more however, Ryusei would stomp his foot to the ground before pushing off backwards with another burst of fuuton chakra. The stomp on the ground would create an earthen imitation of Ryusei’s body that would erupt from the earth right between the hand and him. As the creature gripped the earthen decoy tightly and squeezed down, the doton chakra infused mound of earth would expand and surround the beast, binding it in stone. With the creature restrained Ryusei could probably have used that time to finish the damned thing off, but he didn’t care how tough or manly he was supposed to be, he wasn’t going anywhere near that thing. Restraining it was good enough. And with that he would take off swiftly and get out of the straightaway before any more of those… things showed up.

---

1196~

130/150:

Ryusei ran from the straightaway and would not stop running until the hairs standing on the back of his neck fell back down and the monster of the labyrinth was nothing more than a distant memory. What the hell were these people thinking putting something like that inside of the exams? He would have much rather faced off with a minotaur than one of whatever that thing was. By the time he stopped to rest his heart was nearly beating out of his chest from exerting so much effort when sprinting through the labyrinth. Not paying any attention to the path he was taking, so long as it was away from that thing, he would stop and lean against the labyrinth wall, allowing his back to slide down the wall as he stopped to rest.

Breathing heavily he would take one gun from his holster, prepared to fire it upwards to scout if need be, but upon touching it he would immediately remember that his light guns had become essentially useless after overheating. Honestly he was less upset about the guns overhearing, that happened more often than he cared to admit, by the fact that every round he could fire all unloaded onto that thing at once didn’t so much as scratch it. He was lucky that he had his doton decoy jutsu, otherwise he would have had no clue as to how he was going to fight that thing. Letting out a frustrated huff at the overheated gun he would knock his palm against the side of it before returning it to its holster where it belonged since it was now of no use to him.

His rest would be interrupted by the sounds of hinges opening not too far in the distance, prompting him to look up and to his right where the sound originated. It sounded almost like… doors opening. Upon looking up he would see a break in the darkness, a sliver of light shining through at the end of this hall with no turns in sight. Another obstacle so soon? Deciding that he had taken enough of a break after running as fast as he could away from that hand ‘thing’, Ryusei would pick himself up, dust himself off, and walk towards the light. A bit annoyed that his guns were out of commission for the near future Ryusei gripped a single one of his oversized trench knives and held it in front of him as he walked.

Carefully opening the door with his free hand he would find himself in a large circular room with a woman standing just a few paces before him. He barely listened as she explained that he had successfully navigated his way through the Great Tree Labyrinth, instead just focusing on getting the hell out of this place once and for all. His eyes scanned the area for his mark, just in case his target was to have a role in this part of the event as well, but not seeing anything noteworthy Ryusei put away all of his weaponry and moved on to participants lounge that the woman pointed out to him to wait for whoever was left.

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531~