The boat arrived in Kumogakure and a steady flow of passengers exited, making their way to the gate. All of the platforms had an incline that steepened with every step; the journey to merely get to the center of the village was a perilous one. Mountains surrounded the village on all sides and clouds drifted by closely. There was likely an event in the chuunin exams in progress but Daraku didn't quite feel like spectating right away. As soon as he stepped foot into the Village Hidden in the Clouds, he realized that he had officially been to each main village of the five great nations. Sunagakure, being his home, was the first...he recalled the day he defected and went on his way to Iwagakure. His first victim, the bulky man with the puppets, was an easy target. His own mind state back then was irreverent and destructive. He wanted to be a rogue ninja for power, infamy, and sport. This path of darkness ate away at his conscience and his assassin instinct was all that remained. Ties to Konoha, the Aoi Bara, and international criminals formed. He stayed in Hi no Kuni for a long time, longer than he had stayed in Iwa where he'd met the leader of the terrorist group. Though short-lived, his time with them was interesting; he grew stronger and trained alongside like-minded psychopaths, whilst pursuing his own personal goals. His grandmother and reuniting the clan. Every event occurred at the right time and place and by the time it was too late to turn around and he had hit rock bottom, Daraku saw the error in his ways. Then there was Suzume, the new Kazekage, to deal with when he returned home; and she met his dark heart with mercy, leaving him to a month in prison before release and promotion to Sannin, since he was one of the last powerful ninja remaining in the village. The war brought him to Kiri, and now the Exams brought him here. All five nations served their purpose in creating Daraku's tale thus far, each with their own appeals and connections. Daraku was more than the thieving murderer he thought once himself to be; he was a legend, a world traveler, and a sage now. As many enemies and ill-gotten gains he had along the way, now he had regained his sense of honor and loyalty to Sunagakure. He assigned himself to a new ninja way; that of the greater good, of preserving his clan and his fellow villagers. There were enough dangers in the world without him killing in cold blood for the thrill of it. Kills to protect and save others could be just as savory, he learned in time.

Self-reflection was a time vacuum. When Daraku came to his senses he realized he'd been standing on a balcony looking out at the clouds for nearly half an hour just contemplating existence. The streets grew less populated and the sun was low in the sky. He turned and stopped a woman who was walking nonchalantly nearby. "Excuse me, miss, do you know of any good training grounds here? I'm from Sunagakure and I've never been in the area." The woman nodded politely. "Oh, yes! Lately the most popular training area has been the Battle Plateau. It's up on that pillar over there," she said, gesturing to a large stone structure to the west. "Thanks, I appreciate the help." Daraku jumped across the balcony and over the clouds and his feet made contact with the slanted roof of a building. Chakra flowed into them, keeping his poise and helping him balance without effort. His eyes focused on the pillar once more, but since it wasn't as bright as it had been earlier, it was hard to see just how big the training area was or what it looked like. He gave up on trying to get a clear view and just hopped off the building to another, then another, and finally into the side of the pillar where he hung for a split second like an insect on a wall. His hand turned and he used the momentum to propel himself forward as he gained foothold and sprinted ahead until he reached the top. It was a flat surface that went on for at least a kilometer or two and there were a few targets and dummies set up here and there, but for the most part it was an open area that seemed perfect for sparring. Surely enough, there were two kids across the battlefield from one another. He could've watched them without intervention but that wouldn't have been any fun, it wasn't like Daraku to just let things happen around him.

They were an odd pair; a short, long-haired male and a portly female, but they both had forehead protectors that signified they were from the Hidden Leaf. Daraku raised his hand high and cleared his throat loudly to get his attention. "Hey kids. Genin, I assume? Training for the exams?" They seemed scared of him but they both nodded. "Good, good. Don't mind me, then. I'm gonna see how good you guys are first and I'll help you out after. Go on, don't mind me." He let his hand fall to his side and rested his opposite hand on Nisebi, which was strapped onto its usual spot at his lower back. The genin ran toward each other, the boy with kunai in hand and the girl forming hand signs. Hopefully they're entertaining enough that I don't get bored before I jump in...

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The boy seemingly took control of the match from the very start. As they closed the distance between one another, he ducked low near the last moment and threw the kunai he had firmly in his grasp to her at a 45 degree angle pointing upward; if it made contact, it would hit just to the right of her heart, at the center of her chest. From there he rolled into a somersault and slid behind her, pulling out more ninja tools along the way. He looked to have a lot of them hidden in various compartments in his clothing. The girl, however, was one vital step ahead of him and she revealed her advantage as soon as the kunai was within range of her. Her soft eyes grew harsh and focused on the kunai approaching her, the veins on the side of her head pulsing and branching just afterward. Daraku recognized this doujutsu immediately; Konoha's Byakugan. This girl was no ordinary genin, but rather a Hyuuga. She made a precise movement to avoid the kunai's path and extended her arm just in time to catch it by the end on her middle finger. Forced to stop suddenly, it spun violently on her digit before she threw it back just as quickly to her opponent, who deflected it with a tantō and charged her again. She didn't hesitate at all and seemed to be calculated her opponent's every step likely by studying how his chakra points were activated using her Byakugan. The Hyuuga placed on foot in front of her and turned her torso, signifying that she was going to use her rotation technique to deflect the boy's weapon. He didn't seem to realize this, and had imbued his blade with a decent amount of chakra in order to augment its cutting power for maximum damage. Daraku figured this was as good a time as any to intervene.

In a burst of speed, Daraku planted himself between the two and gripped the girl's right arm. This caught her off-guard and ruined her balance which made her stumble and unable to execute her rotation technique. Simultaneously using his sword hand, he unsheathed Nisebi and blocked the other genin's incoming strike, knocking the tantō clean out of the boy's hand and onto the stone floor. "Game, set, and match. Good effort, little guy, but the Hyuuga had already one the spar. Her rotation technique would've made your attack useless and probably fucked you up pretty bad, on top of that." She seemed surprised that he knew of her clan. "So you know of the Byakugan, and even of our fighting style. I'm Etsuko Hyuuga, and this is my squadmate, Hotaka Saito." Daraku released her arm and sheathed his sword before walking over to Hotaka's weapon which was still left on the ground. He picked it up and held it horizontally, checking its weight and balance, before swinging it a few times. Daraku wasn't used to such a short blade, but it had its advantages, especially in terms of swift attacks without much strain on the muscles during swings. He looked to Hotaka and tossed the tantō back to him. "Etsuko, your technique is wonderful. I'm surprised you're a genin, the way you predict your enemy's attacks and establish your own strategies accordingly was indicative of a much higher ranked ninja than you. I'm sure you'll do fine in the Chuunin Exams." With each word of praise given to Etsuko, Hotaka's expression seemed to sink further and further until he was left with a sullen frown. "Don't get discouraged, Hotaka, you have potential too. Your use of weaponry was skilled, you just have to find your way around opponent's key weaknesses in order to win. Tell me, do you know any Ninjutsu?"

Hotaka placed his tantō into a hidden scabbard within his coat. "Just the basic academy level techniques and the Mud Wall jutsu for defensive purposes. Ninjutsu isn't my specialty, that's why I focus on physical training." Daraku thought about himself when he was a genin; he had no idea how to use any basic ninjutsu, and instead was an expert at swordplay due to his father's training and had a grasp of medical ninjutsu thanks to his mother for self-preservation and healing during battle. It was never about relying one learning new tricks in order to succeed, but rather using the skills one has to the best of their ability in order to come out with a victory. Hand to hand or weapon-based melee combat was such a versatile art that it was hard to go wrong with it. "That's alright, I'm just getting a feel for your fighting style. Now, watch me. I'm going to take on Etsuko; pay close attention to how I strike." Etsuko's eyes lit up and she assumed her battle stance immediately, completely unafraid to take on Daraku. She clearly didn't know how high-ranking of a ninja he was, but he didn't think it would've fazed her if she did. She was a brave girl. Daraku drew his uchigatana and swiped vertically toward her, not bothering to put strength or speed behind the hit. It served to add space between them, and as he expected, she jumped backward to avoid the blow. This left a solid 5-meter distance between them and Daraku intended to close that gap soon enough. He threw a senbon at her, aimed toward her eye, and she swatted it out of the way with excellent reaction time before sliding forward and forcing her palm ahead with enough power that a burst of wind barreled toward him. Daraku dodged it narrowly and didn't waste any time; he saw a temporary lapse in her concentration as soon as she had used that technique and he sprinted toward her with a forward stab. She assumed the same stance she had before, preparing to use her rotation technique. His blade continued toward her until the very moment before she started spinning, then he directed his blade down, forced it into the ground, and jumped onto it. Balancing with one foot, he made a few hand seals and created a water clone which ran around to the back of her. As soon as Etsuko's chakra faded and her rotation ended, Daraku dismounted his weapon and pulled it free before swinging at her. Just as she backed away to dodge the attack, the water clone grabbed her from behind and got her in a chokehold.


"And that's it. It's all about exploiting a weakness once you find it, and using your skills to your advantage. I noticed that there were moments where Etsuko lost concentration just after using a technique with her Byakugan; during these times, she didn't seem to be tracking my chakra points and where I was focusing my energy. This was obvious when she used that air technique, and so I went in to bait her to use rotation which I figured would leave a perfect opportunity to strike when it ended. So, I used a water clone to get her weak point once she finished the jutsu, and once she's trapped, you go in for the kill. Obviously, you get the point I'm trying to get across." He released the water clone jutsu, and thus let Etsuko go. Hotaka watched, amazed by the entire maneuver. "Now it's your turn, Hotaka. Surprise me." Hotaka seemed nervous but nodded. Etsuko grasped at her throat for a moment, clearly disoriented by the chokehold but prepared for the next round nonetheless. The length of time she could maintain her byakugan without growing tired was a testament to her excellent chakra control.

This time, she made the first move. She jumped into the air and threw a barrage of shuriken down toward Hotaka. He waited a long time before dodging them, all the while watching Etsuko and waiting to see her next move. As soon as she landed, she gathered chakra into her palms and rushed Hotaka. This was her ditching her defensive tactic and going full offense, a riskier tactic that also put Hotaka in a much tighter spot. He reacted well, though, not letting himself get hit. Her technique was slower than his, so it wasn't difficult to dodge the blows; he must have known that if he did get hit, even just once, his chakra points would be damage and the match would be over almost immediately. Finally, they reached a point where Etsuko deviated from her regular pattern of left-right open palm strikes and swept her foot underneath him. He watched her eyes move from his torso to his legs which served as an indicator of what to do next. Before she had time to even land the kick, he jumped over her and countered with a hidden kunai thrown down at her leg. She deflected it with her left hand and do to her adjusted stance it was clear she was going to follow up with a strong attack with her right. Hotaka took out his tantō and blocked the incoming blow with it, cutting her hand in the process, and when she recoiled from the pain, he elbowed her in the face and finished with a downward slice, just enough to graze her torso. She collapsed backwards with a hand raised to defend herself. Daraku smiled and applauded Hotaka. "There it is. That's all there is to it. See how much you improved with just a little bit of guidance? You have the potential to be just as good as Etsuko, just gotta think on your feet." Hotaka put away his weapons again and smiled at Daraku with wide, happy eyes. "I understand. Thank you for the help, sir."

Daraku walked over and helped Etsuko get to her feet, and she brushed the dust from her clothes. "No problem, Hotaka. And you can call me Daraku. Anyhow, I'd love to watch you guys spar some more but it's already dark and I still haven't found an inn to stay at. I'm only in town for the Chuunin Exams, heh...so I'll see you guys in the next round, I guess. Good luck to you both." The sand ninja put away his weapons carefully, his eyes set to the village platforms below. He gave one last wave to the two genin and went on his merry way. Hopefully whatever rooms where available in the village weren't too expensive for a last minute check-in, since he had ryo to spend but he didn't feel like wasting it all just on a room. And he'd heard that a new casino had opened up in Kumo just recently, probably to accommodate the influx of tourists and visitors and to bleed them dry for all they were worth. It had been a long time since he'd gambled; maybe he would drop by the next day and see what all the hype was about. Plenty to do in the Land of Lightning, that was certain.

[Exit, Thread Closed]

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