Team Trio Tenzo.

"Hmph."

Definitely ridiculous.

It was probably an 'acquired humour,' similar to how there were acquired tastes to alcohol. You could enjoy one type of joke, but when it came to another it could tear away your good nature and leave you in a foul mood. Foul moods weren't thing that he particularly enjoyed portraying. He was easily excitable however, simply helping people put him in a good mood, but he usually seemed lazy. He had grown accustomed to traveling with slow movements, hands in his pockets and his eyes little more than half-lidded to continue seeing where he went.

It gave him the illusion of being lazy, apathetic, it would give cause for people to underestimate him and leave him at the back of their thoughts and dubbing him uncreative. It was perfect, as an Iron Sand user and one of the only users with the advanced element of jiton, he'd be able to take advantage of people writing him off as useless.

The scroll that he had received from the chunnin was odd, to say the least. It gave a list of the sensei's name, and the trio of genin that accompanied him. The thing is though, Jo only knew one other person on this hastily made team. And that person was Shinako Nara. The thing is though, the second girl, Manami Uzumaki in Joruri's mind was also someone that had graduated with him. He just didn't remember that far back into his days as a student in the Academy. The only thing that he could truly say as to what this 'Manami' looked like was her was going to be red.

It was a characteristic that almost everyone knew about these days when it came to the Uzumaki.

At least she'll be easy to identify when we're all there. Then, all we'll have to do is travel together. He thought to himself. Without a sensei among them though, who was the one who was going to dissolve the tension between the squad mates if they didn't take an immediate liking to each other? Countless thoughts flitted through his mind as he imagined numerous amounts of scenarios the trio could face while they were on the road between the Land of Fire, and the Land of Lightning.

Bandits, Missing Ninja, ninja from other villages who wanted to eliminate competition before the Exams started... He sighed as he tightened the rope belt around his waist, and brushed a hand through his shorter, white hair.

"It's time to go see this new team now, right Jo?" Grasping onto the windwill shuriken underneath his bed, he strapped it to his back and walked out of his room.

He had ten minutes to get there...

"I'll probably take fifteen minutes to get there anyway," he said after he sighed. Despite wanting to give the illusion of apathy, it wouldn't be too far to assume that he was actually in fact lazy.

---

WC: 625

Punctual as usual, it seemed that Shinako was the first person there. She had arrived well before the meeting time, and had, in fact, been up most of the night preparing. She wore a red kimono and black pants, her fore-head guard banded around her waist like a sash. She had packed light, with only a rucksack in addition to the satchel that she normally carried. Perched on a low anterior wall by the great gate, Shinako day-dreamed about what her teammates would be like.

She had already met Joruri, the young man with the sober demeanor; the young man who wished to be Hokage some day. He was polite and respectful, if a little reserved for Shinako's tastes. She preferred to listen as others spoke, and found herself having to carry the conversation a bit more with Joruri. She had decided after their spar that she liked him.

She imagined that Manami would be kind and determined, just as she was. Shinako had never had a sister, and fantasized that being on a shinobi squad with another girl would be a lot like that. If Manami was anything like what Shinako pictured, then they would get along swimmingly. But Shinako found that she was getting ahead of herself. She would take Manami as she came.

The personalities of her other teammates were not what had kept her awake last night. The name of her Sensei had immediately produced a cold shiver that slid down her spine like the mercury slowly falling in a thermometer. She was acquainted with Uchiha Tenzo, and could not say that she looked eagerly forward to meeting with him again after their first and last encounter.

It was nearly the agreed-upon time, and the only solace that Shinako could find was in the fact that, at least for now, she would be able to put off her awkward reunion with Tenzo. She thought back to that day outside of the hospital, and mercifully once her mind had traveled back to that scene her thoughts were diverted to the arrangements she had made for her father.

Now that she was setting out, she was forced to reconcille with the fact that her father would more than likely die while she was away. Her brothers had strict instructions for visitation, and she was assured that one of them would be at father's side almost constantly. The nurses had assured her that normal visiting hours would not be enforced. If anything happened, she would receive a notice by mail. Oddly enough, instead of worrying her, all of this made her feel as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. A cool wind blew through the gate at that moment, reinforcing her feelings of peace in that moment.

Breaking from her reverie, Shinako looked up to see a young girl dressed in red and ready to travel arrive at the scene. She stood from her seat, smiling and giving a wave.

"Hello there! I'm Shinako. You must be Manami."

The other girl looked to be about Joruri's age. Shinako was relieved that she would not have any of the younger children on her squad. She couldn't imagine being forced to work and travel with a pre-teen for multiple weeks.

552/552

Chō woke up and was up and out of bed since before the sun was even starting to rise. Since then, she has already stretched and ran the perimeter of her family home twice.  She was just too excited and had a lot of energy to burn. The Chuunin exams were going to be held in Kumo, and her parents agreed to let her participate as a spectator… on one condition. She had to find someone to travel with. Majority of Konoha has already left, Chō’s plan was to arrive at the gate and see if she could tag along with anyone. Though, before she could execute her plan Chō needed to double check that she had all the supplies she would need.

The night before, Chō had packed a backpack to the brim of bottled water and light meals. She had eight bottles of water, three bentōs her father made for her, a wrapped pack of her mother’s homemade dangos, plus three apples. The pack was moderate in weight, but it would be worth it that she had food and plenty of water for her trip.

Luckily, Chō and her family lived near the gate of Konoha. It was only a five minute walk. The young Genin picked her backpack up and slung it onto her back. Carefully she pulled her long pale blonde hair out from being trapped between the pack and her back. She also made sure that her blue butterfly pin was secured in her hair. Before Chō left her room, she took a quick glance in her body length mirror. Her white button-up shirt was completely buttoned and tucked into her plaid green skirt, her green tie was straighten out and laid nicely over her chest. Not a single thread, or button, was out of place. Her new forehead protector was tightly secured on her right bicep, and it filled her with pride. Completely satisfied with how she looked, Chō decided it was time to be off. Her parents had already gone out for the day, so she didn’t have anyone to say goodbye to. Just to scurry out of the three bedroom home and out onto the streets of Konoha.

Chō missed the hustle and bustle that she grew accustomed to knowing. With the Chuunin Exams being held at another village, Konoha just felt empty. As she walked, Chō waved a hello to each villager she saw who remained in the village. Being such a social butterfly, she loved to interact with people so she took her time walking to the gate. Once Chō got closer to the gate, she saw that there were already two girls standing there.

”Hey!” Chō smiled and waved at the girls, her walk quickly became a sprint. ”Are you guys going to Kumo for the Chuunin exams?” she asked with her head cocked to the side, and without waiting for an answer she continued, ”Do you mind if I come with you? My parents say I am too young to travel on my own and I have to go with others.” Chō’s bright blue eyes sparkled as she pleaded her case. ”I promise not to cause any trouble, or slow you guys down…”

Manami heard her name being called and whipped her head around. A tall girl (granted, just about everyone looked tall to Manami) waved in Manami's direction. In the back of the red-head's mind it clicked. So this was Shinako? The taller girl was very pretty, dressed well and carefully primped. She reminded Manami of a princess, despite the black pants underneath her kimono and the forehead protector worn as a sash. It mirrored Manami's own forehead protector, which she was tied securely around her waist. Manami grinned at the girl and waved back, walking over to stand with her. She had to lift her eyes quite far up for them to meet with Shinako's, but meet them she did. The woman had a soft look about her, which Manami liked. "Yes. Uzumaki Manami - at your service!" Manami held out her hand for Shinako to shake, a wide smile splitting her face. The excitement was visible in her eyes. Manami had always wanted to have a sister-figure in her life, so maybe Shinako could play that part.

Manami noticed that she and Shinako were some of only a handful of people that were mulling about the gates. Usually there were more people moving in and out of the village at this time of day, and it was odd to see. Manami had expected it to be mostly shinobi travelling out of village for their exams, but it seemed that the civilian population had taken an interest in the proceedings as well. The buzz of excitement must have caught on. Manami knew she had caught it. Sure she wasn't participating, but just the prospect of watching the event was more than enough to make her feel a little hyperactive and giggly. And that was precisely what she was. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet and probably looked like a five year old that had waited to long to go to the bathroom.

She glanced around the gate area for a moment, wondering where their third and final teammate was hiding. Maybe he was just late? Manami had recognized the name on the scroll when she had received it. She was quite sure that Joruri had been in her graduating class, but that had been the last she'd seen of him, having been shoved off into the sensei-less genin pool. She had assumed the same had happened to him, and it seemed that she had been correct if the two of them were being paired up now. At least she was sure she was still able to recognize him. He had had quite a recognizable appearance, after all. 

Behind Manami another unfamiliar voice called out, this time addressing both herself and Shinako. Manami turned towards the sound out of curiosity, seeing a small blonde girl coming their way. Manami was surprised to see that the girl was even shorter than herself, but as the girl came closer Manami noticed that she had a slightly more childish face than herself or Shinako. She was probably younger, and that accounted for the height. Before either had a chance to answer the question asked, the blonde continued. The girl's bright eyes shone as she looked at the two older girls pleadingly.

Manami blinked, before a smile (something never out of reach for the girl) spread across her face once again. Manami hopped forwards, coming right up close to the girl. She had her face right in the blonde's, their noses almost touching. "Of course! I'm sure Shinako-chan wouldn't mind, would you Shinako-chan?" Manami pulled back abruptly to pose her question, spinning in place. Manami had no qualms with letting this girl tag along. The more the merrier as they say. Now all they needed was Joruri and it would almost be enough for a party. "Oh, but I don't know your name." Manami spun once more, facing the blond and clasping her hands in front of her. "I'm Manami, and who are you?" 

---

Walking down the path to the main gate, Joruri took note of how few people there were on the road. He took a shortcut through the Market Place since he knew it was going to be relatively empty. Even the clerk that he normally purchased apples from was gone. A shame, he had wanted something for the road.

But as a shinobi, in the Academy you were taught what sort of food was capable of being scavenged for food if the worst came to pass. He had taken his studies seriously, and the tactical side of being a shinobi was what he was proficient at, but he didn't entirely have all the abilities that shinobi of the strategic side of things take. "Shinako would be much better suited for that," he said thoughtfully. Not only was she a Nara and she was gifted with the shadow technique, she had delivered quite a beating against the pale haired genin. Something that he wasn't planning on letting happen again.

Time to hurry up I think. Then he started to move quicker. A bit of a jog started to push him on to greater speeds and then when the gate was in sight after a few minutes and on the edge of his vision he took note of something red. Is that them? He didn't know, but he figured it must be. It was about time for them to be arriving anyway, right?

As he continued to move closer, he wondered as to what the tio would be able to offer each other in terms of team work. I don't know much about Uzumaki techniques. He thought, scratching his head as he hurried along. He knew how women got, punctuality was important, even if they weren't. Punctual that is.

But then eventually, he passed a bench with a single occupant on it. His icy gaze carefully looked over her before he smiled at her and then swung back around to his team that was a handful of metres away. Withdrawing his hands from his pockets, he stopped at a respectable distance and smiled to the apparent trio.

"This is the team right?" He asked with an almost stupid tone to his voice. "Anyways, it's nice to finally meet you," he said, looking at everyone, but he truly meant for Manami. He didn't want to make her feel excluded by mentioning he already knew Shinako. "We met, once, I think." He said when he finally looked her up and down and into her eyes. "Back in the Academy I think."

But he had already forgotten his thoughts before.

"Shinako-Chan was as well."

He didn't seem to take note of Cho yet.

WC: 465

The scene was shaping up nicely. So much was happening that Shinako still had not noticed the other young woman seated down the road from her gathering, carefully going through papers. It seemed that Manami had a kind and welcoming personality, so when she approached Shinako stood and shook her hand warmly, offering a polite bow as well, to show that, even though she was older, she viewed the girl as an equal. Shinako had scarcely opened her mouth before they were approached by a third girl, this one even younger than Manami. Shinako took notice of the fact that they did not dress traditionally, and figured that they must not be from the older lineages of Konoha. However, she knew that this had no bearing on shinobi skill.

It seemed that this other girl wanted to travel with Squad 3. Of course, Shinako would have liked to maximize her time with those who would be her teammates, but she also didn't want the young girl to be forced to travel alone. She nodded in consent, giving a soft smile.

"Of course you may come with us. The more the merrier."

Just then, a familiar face, framed in pale hair came wandering downt he road. Shinako instantly recognized Joruri, and was glad to see him. She knew his worth as a shinobi, and would be glad to have him along as security. His arrival also meant that the team was all together. The Nara woman took a mental picture of the moment. She did not know what Manami's dream for herself was, but she imagined the three of them sitting together around tea, many years from now. She would be a respected and retired medical shinobi, often consulted by the medical corps, and greeted daily with the evidence of the lives that she had protected and saved. Joruri, being younger, of course will still serve, either as Hokage or a revered Sanin. His master of jutsu would be reknowned, and their exploits would be legends. Manami would close out the meetings, and though her future was yet unsure, Shinako was sure that it held greatness. Shinako could not help but smile at the thought.

She watched as the other three mingled, remaining intentionally reserved. She was the senior member of the team, but they had received no instructions from Uchiha Tenzo (she supposed that, when they next met, she would have to call him Tenzo-sensei) as to who would lead. The natural boundaries of her personality made it easy for her to take a back seat. In her imagination, they were designed for each other, with every little moment in their lives leading up to this. The other, unknown young woman would be a welcome additon, and perhaps a wonderful friend in her own right.

468/1,020

Chō jumped for joy, rattling the items in her backpack. "Thank you Manami, and Shinako-chan!" Minding her manners, the younger girl bowed to the two older ones to express her gratitude, she then stood back up. Chō looked to Manami, "Oh, my name? It's Chō. Mitarashi Chō."

In her excitement, Chō was oblivious to the new shinobi arriving on scene. It wasn't until he spoke did she notice him, and it made her jump. He seemed not to have notice her, which was possible. Chō was barely five foot, and this guy was well over that height. Glancing around to each person around her, she was clearly the youngest - and the shortest of the group. It made her blood boil a bit in jealousy, but she has to remind herself that she's still young. She has plenty of time to grow.

She shifted and pulled her backpack up, to keep it from sagging. "So, when are we going to go?" A team is usually three - there were three there, "Or are you guys waiting for another person?" Her gaze bounced from Shinako to Manami to the male shinobi. Chō didn't even know the people she was traveling with. Probably not the best situation to travel, if her parents found out - they may have flipped. Then again, it's fellow Konoha Shinobi... how bad could fellow villagers be?

Chō's sharp blue eyes glanced over each person, noticing only Shinako and herself brought a traveling bag. She began to wonder if Shinako brought food for her team, but the thought was dismissed when Chō deemed that the rutsack was too light to hold food for an entire team. The backpack she had suddenly felt heavier, granted that may have been her fault packing so much food when she probably could have just hunted on the way to Kumo. She just didn't want to miss her family's home cooked meals.

Manami smiled as Cho gave her words of gratitude. "That's a lovely name, Cho-chan. Very fitting." Cho then proceeded to ask if they were still waiting on someone. She seemed very eager to get going. Perhaps she had never travelled outside of the village before? That was a shame. Travelling was a wonderful thing. Before Manami had a chance to converse any more with either girl, their team's third and final member arrived on the scene. The white hair was a dead giveaway and Joruri soon spoke up, asking if they were indeed the team that had been summonsed. He seemed the slightest bit out of it, more deadpan than Manami had remembered him being. Of course her memories of that time were suitably blurry, so she didn't expect her memory to be one hundred percent correct. He addressed her separately first, and she was slightly surprised to see that he remembered her as well. She wasn't exactly the kind of person that really stuck out much in people's memories. "Hai, Joruri-san. I believe we graduated around the same time, actually."

Joruri acknowledged Shinako as well, but seemed to have completely ignored Cho. Giving Joruri the benefit of the doubt, Manami didn't take it as him being purposefully rude to the younger girl. She adjusted her bag straps, knowing how eager Cho was to leave already. Manami herself was equally excited if not more. Every step she took outside of Konoha was always like a breath of fresh air for her. She was giddy at the thought. "So," Manami asked, her voice rife with curiosity, "Who's gonna be team leader?" Personally Manami believed Shinako would be the best choice, as the older girl was more likely to have the experience necessary to fulfill the job. Manami herself knew she would be useless in any kind of situation that required her to lead others. She could take care of herself fine, but team strategies weren't her forte. She would wait for the group to answer the question for themselves, giving her input only in the form of nominating Shinako for the task. 

Manami turned her head slightly, staring beyond the gates with an almost wistful look. She was so close she could almost taste it. Freedom. Not true freedom perhaps, but a glimpse of it. A few weeks away from Konoha would do her good no doubt. Whenever it was that a leader was decided upon, Manami would salute them solemnly and move her arm as if to say 'lead the way'. Should she herself be chosen she would quickly decline. She was certainly not born to lead. They had a long journey to make, and it would be best if they started promptly. They were already wasting daylight. Manami adjusted the straps of her pack, running through a quick mental checklist to see if she had everything she could need for the journey. She was satisfied once through it. "We're going to Kumo." Her words were barely audible. A small encouragement to herself.

The first leg of the journey seemed set to be uneventful. They were greeted by no bandits or enemy shinobi. The fact that just about everyone was travelling along the same route should have set it up for many mercenaries to have easy pickings, but perhaps the threat of stray shinobi wandering through kept them at bay. Or maybe it was just the fact that Manami was travelling in such a large group that made them appear more intimidating. Either way, she was glad that they weren't encountering trouble of any sorts. Thinking that way could end up jinxing them in the end, but Manami had never been very superstitious as such. Besides, the few countries that had to travel through between Hi no Kuni and Kaminari no Kuni were peaceful nations. She doubted they would run into much trouble at all. The only trouble she expected was in the form of needing rest along the way, as each person was bound to have different levels of stamina. And that wasn't too harsh a problem to deal with.

---

Joruri was a tall person, he just barely surpassed tge height of six feet, and because of that it was not beyond him to look over someone who was that far underneath him. Finally looking down to look at Cho, he smiled when saw her. For a moment he wondered as to how he could have skipped over, but he pushed that to the side and said, "Tenzo sensei is shorter than I thought." The smile all too evident on his face. Obviously he knew the joke was bad, but it would hopefully release any tension or anxiety at the prospect of being apart if a squad. After all, they were all going to be together for awhile on the way to Kumo.

Glancing over his shoulder to look at the woman on the bench. He took note of all of her papers before turning back around to the group. No doubt an office is better suited for that. And then it was pushed out of his mind and he began thinking ahead to their journey. There were countless problems, but if they stuck together and no one did anything stupid, they would be fine.

Reaching behind his back he started to pull the windwill shuriken off of his back. Just as he began to, Manami had asked the question that had invaded his mind all night and all morning. Who was going to be the leader? As he began to fold the blades into each other there were the faint lines of a smile sweeping over his face. Once he finished folding the blades, he slid it into the sash around his waist into the small of his back. "I will." Only two words. And to him, it were two words that were extremely important. It would mean that he was taking responsibility for all of them. If something happened on this trip, he would make sure sure to fix it. "I will need  your help of course at some points." It was a turning point in his life and he could feel it. Joruri could be described as a follower, but when the call for a leader was made, he would normally make suggestions, or simply give his opinion on who he thought would be a good choice. The fact that that he was the only person who had been on a squad prior to this one, had pushed him to make a decision. If he wanted to be remembered in the times to come, he knew that he was going to have to lead. The greatest shinobi were all leaders, right? So, by default he had decided he was going to have to be one as well.

"Let's go." Although he had barely been there for a minute, he wanted to get there in a week. He had memorized the path, during the week. He was ready for this, in more ways than one.

Maneuvering past the trio of females when Manami began ushering them past, when crossed the threshold of the village gate, Jo felt as if he had all of their lives in his hamds. For this journey, was he not responsible for the team? He sure thought he was.

"What are you all able to do?" Now that he was the leader, he needed to make a mental list of all of their abilities. He had an idea of Shinako's,  but not of Manami's and this child that was accompanying them. Truth be told, having one so young bothered him, even if she was a genin like him.

The trip so far was uneventful, they were in the Land of Hot Water for a few minutes, and he knew he had oushed them for long enough that day. It was probably bad to have gone so hard, but even he was breathing a little hatder. "Stop for the night, I think." He said as he walked towards the edge of the road and as he passed a tree, he said, "we can make camp he-!" And there was an explosion of dust and grass all around them.

WC: 712

Shinako had gone along silently with Joruri's decision to lead. She did not have a clear idea of who should lead, but only knew that she did not want the burden. It struck her as a good sign that Joruri was so willing to take the reins. Manami had asked the question, which led Shinako to believe that she also did not want the job. As they left the Hidden Leaf Village, Shinako did not give a single glance backward. Though they only walked at a brisk pace, something in her flew through those gates, hoping to never return, at least not completely unchanged.

After a while of traveling, stopping only for short intervals to dip into the bush and return with a small brush-fowl or rabbit, Shinako began to secretly regret the decision to let someone else lead. It seemed that of the entire group, her tolerance for walking long distances was the lowest. In fact, though she said nothing about it so as to avoid the embarrassment of being the squeeky hinge, her stamina began to flag about half-way through a day of traveling. Each day was a grueling endeavor for her, though she bore the fatigue with as much grace as she could, hoping that her teammates would not notice.

On the way, Shinako filled the group in on her story to date: how she had become a shinobi very late in life to please her dying father, and her dreams of being in the medical corps. She talked sparingly about her Inton, letting them know that she could control her shadow for the purpose of subduing foes, but not much more than that.

By the time they had stopped to rest in the land of hot water, Shinako's feet and lower back were throbbing. However, just as she dropped her pack, the percussive pop of an explosion sounded. She raised her arms in front of her to shield herself from any debris, but it seemed as though the explosion was not dangerous. Her mind began to whir through the possible situations at hand.

The explosion was close to the road, but not close enough to be harmful. Either the trap was set poorly, or it was not intended as a primary attack. She slid into the underbrush, not on the side opposite the explosion, but directly towards it, veering off of the path to the right. She stayed low, looking for signs of life that were not the fleeing squirrels and birds. If this was an ambush, she knew that fleeing further into the kill-zone would not be a good idea. This attack point had already been covered, and was most-likely a good staging point to fight through.

After a brief moment of action, Shinako realized, much to her chagrin, that she had left her teammates behind. Thinking quickly of how she could signal them. She reached into the satchel that doubled as her purse, pulling out her compact mirror and catching the sun on it, angling it to flash brightly three times at the edge of Joruri's vision. She knew that he was the one calling the shots, and even if he wanted to do something different, he at least now knew her position. She dropped the mirror back into her bag, and then drew a senbon needle, preparing to defend herself.

564/1,584

Chō smiled wide when Manami said her name was lovely. Then she quickly began to feel embarrassed, realizing this was the first time that this particular team has assembled. In her mind, that's a sacred tradition for just the team but they were kind enough to let her tag along. She ran her hand through her long, pale blonde hair. Finally the enormous one finally took notice of her and joked that she was "Tenzō-sensei". "Haha, very funny..." she thought, looking unamused, but the smile on Joruri's face made her loosen up and smile some.

When the team was posed with the question of who would be leader, Chō kept to herself. Looking over each person of the team, she wouldn't know who would be better qualified. Out of sheer looks - she would have to guess Shinako because she looked to have more experience than the rest. Granted, this was not her team. She had no say, so she wasn't surprised to hear Joruri pipe up saying he would.

Joruri said the magic words, Chō couldn't help but jump for joy. It wasn't too often she traveled out of the village. On occasion, her father would take her camping and training in the forest but that was before he fell ill. She was also allowed a few times out of the village to run the perimeter, but she was never out of the Land of Fire.

Beginning the journey, Joruri had asked a question of their abilities. It seemed to be reasonable, after all he was the leader of his team, and with a non-team member traveling with them he needed to know just in case they would run into trouble. Chō waited her turn to explain; she had just recently graduated to Genin, hence why she is so young. She was honest, she didn't know very many jutsus outside of those that were taught to her in the academy. Thinking of how Shinako explained her dream, Chō pondered. The only reason she wanted to become a shinobi was to make her parents proud. Her father had fallen ill when she was younger, and so her mother was the only able body shinobi in the household.

Thanks to Chō's rigorous stamina and endurance training, she was not tired at all when they reached the camping spot. Yeah, she was a little sore but nothing she couldn't handle. In fact, since they left Konoha, the pack on her back was starting to feel lighter. Chō was kneeling down so she could sit and unpack a meal for herself when everyone was put on alert by an explosion just a few feet in front of them.

Leaving her pack that was already on the ground, Chō quickly got right back up and into her fighting stance. For all she knew this could have been the teams sensei testing them, but it could also be bandits. She wasn't taking any chance that it was the latter.

Manami was slightly surprised when Joruri came forward and offered to be the team's temporary leader. She didn't doubt his abilities of course; how could she when she had never seen them before? He just hadn't seemed the type to want to lead others, at least from she could gather of her first impression of the boy. He seemed eager enough, though, so she acquiesced to his decision. Manami was mostly glad that she had not been chosen herself. She would make a terrible leader. Strategy just wasn't her strong suit. 

The made good time, setting off at a brisk but steady pace that carried them far out of Hi no Kuni during the day. Along the way Joruri asked for a rundown of each of their skills. Manami supposed that it was a good idea to look at their individual capabilities, if only for the sake of seeing what potential they held as a group. Shinako's explanation was brief, and Manami found herself curious as to what exactly Shinako could do with her Inton. It wasn't an element she had had the privilege of witnessing before. Manami's own rundown was similar. She had proficiency in Fuuton and Katon, as well as Fuuinjutsu. Nothing particularly different to others in the elemental nations. 

By the time the sun was beginning it's descent on the horizon the group was already well on their way into Yu no Kuni. The sky was almost blood red, and for some reason Manami felt something uncomfortable in her throat at the sight. It wasn't a common sight for the sky to be so red in the afternoon. She didn't voice her thought, however, choosing to rather keep herself quiet. Joruri soon gave the order for them to stop for the night and set up camp. Before he could even finish his sentence an explosion rang out and dust clouded the road. Manami's first instinct was to get herself somewhere where she could defend herself, but the thought that she had teammates that could potentially need her help stopped her. She cursed internally and brought out a kunai, gripping the hilt tightly enough that it physically hurt. 

She couldn't see anything through the thick smoke cloud, but the sound of a sword being drawn nearby and of a small scuffle made her hold her breath. She needed to find her teammates - fast. She didn't take even a step before their was an arm slung across her chest and cool metal pressed to her throat. Manami went stiff, and her grip on her kunai tightened even further. The uncomfortable feeling from before solidified and rose up into her throat. 

A feminine voice came out cold and clear near Manami's ear, and the sounds of fighting in the vicinity evaporated at her commanding tone. The blade dug deeper into the delicate skin of her neck, but managed not to tear it. Manami didn't dare breathe too deeply for fear of killing herself in the process. The air cleared enough for Manami to see the woman's associates. They revealed how the woman had been tailing them since Konoha. She cursed her own stupidity for not being able to pick up that they someone following them. The words that followed made her blood turn icy. They were being stripped of weapons all because of Manami having gotten herself caught. A more apathetic side of her reminded Manami that she didn't even know these so called teammates of hers yet. She had only her own life to worry about. They aren't important. She clung to this thought, trying desperately to find a way out of this situation. She couldn't let herself die. Not now. 

---

Multiple thoughts rushed through his mind when the smike enveloped him. His first thoughts were for the little girl in their group, Cho was it? He couldn't let any of them be harmed, not as their leader anyway. If they were depending on him, he certainly did feel the responsibility.

The tree beside him was perfect. He had immediately collapsed to the ground in a kneel as he placed his hands on the tree and infused his chakra with it for a future substitution. He had no idea that he was in danger until he heard the sound of a shuriken bouncing off the Windwill Shuriken that secured the small of his back. His movement paused as he was struck with a shuriken in his shoulder blade, and another in the back of his thigh. Now, he was actually leaning against the tree.

Beyond that he was ignored and within the moments following that, it was over, and when he got up and did as the womanly voice commanded, he saw that the rest of the group gathering together and it didn't occur to him that Manami wasn't among them.

When he looked over to where the voice had come from, he saw Manami restrained by another person. A familiar woman, the woman he had seen on the bench back in the Hidden Leaf. He growled to himself. There is only the mission... And the mission is to lead this team to Kumogakure... right? His fists clenched as he slowly pulled his weapons out of his pouch and off his body. "Manji Formation" he said deathly wuiet as he brought his hands up. Outwards to Manami's captor.

His head rotated to the two other figures that were accompanying the woman. His fingers moved back and forth as he calculated how long it would take their sole Nara's famed shadow technique to lock their captors down. Back when he had combated Shinako he had made sure to remember how fast the shadows moved, he had pictured their speed again when Shinako had ran down her abilities.

"Shinako." He said quietly with relatively no emotion. He wanted her to pay attention. He closed off his emotions, if Shinako wasn't ready for what he wanted they could all die within one fell swoop.

Despite the state of mind he was in, he took the smallest step he could manage towards his team mate.

"You know, you would do much better just killing us all. Taking a hostage does nothing." Despite the feelings he had locked down, he stayed careful to only open himself so slightly. He only had eyes for Manami, and he smiled. A genuine one that reached his eyes.

He willed the chakra from his body, expending it from his hands towards Manami. Witg the relatively short distance, the magnetic pulse launched itself towards the two. If it did strike the two of them, he would immediately rip the kunai from the womans hands and pull it towards him.

Now was the time to reveal his kekkei genkai...

WC: 515

125/150 Chakra.

Chakra Used:

Shinako's mind jumped from scenario to scenario as the scene changed in front of her. Three assailants had revealed themselves, and one of them had taken Manami hostage. The other two stood on the road in a flanking formation, behind Joruri, off to Shinako's left. Shinako thought quickly, raising her hands above her head in a surrendering posture. She stepped out onto the road between the two sides of the ambush, directly into the center of the scene, with Manami and the other young woman up the road, and the other two men back down the path that they had just traveled.

The sun was setting in the west, stretching Shinako's shadow far behind her as she confronted the two brigands. However, their shadows were at their longest and falling almost directly at Shinako's feet. She met their eyes, giving the same disarming smile that Joruri had. She knew that if they were doing to have any chance at success their strikes would have to be coordinated. She nodded to Joruri as he spoke her name softly, dropping her ninja tools not far from his feet so as to give the illusion that she was unarmed. Luckily the men seemed distracted as Joruri began speaking.

Little had they noticed that the young woman's shadow had stayed attached, at the very tip, to a dark divot at the edge of the roadside, under the shade of the trees, where it moved freely, creeping slowly but surely down the road toward the two unsuspecting men, invisible under the cover of darkness just off of the pathway. A single bead of sweat formed and slowly began to slide down the left side of her face. The sun was in her eyes, so she squinted, attempting not to keep a clear view of her opponents, but of their shadows. This was a technique that she had trained, in which she guessed her opponent's actions by watching what their shadows did in real time.

In the space of about ten seconds that it took for Shinako and Joruri to offer their mock surrenders, her shadow made it down the road almost level with the two uncouth attackers. the distance between them was roughly twelve meters. Her shadow had covered ten of those meters, before she felt it strain and stop, stretched thin and tugging tightly at her inner energies.

She listened for the definitive moment, and as Joruri made his move, Shinako formed the sign of the Rat.

Silently as the void, her shadow shot forward at maximum speed, striking at the very middle of her quarry's shadows, so that if they somehow detected the attack, neither moving forwards nor backwards would help them escape.

457/2,041

Chakra: 135/150:

Chō hadn't moved far from her pack. Her pack just didn't hold food and water, it also had a kunai and a couple of shuriken hidden away in it. She always had a kunai on her person, but Chō wasn't going to give it up anytime soon. How could the mysterious woman know what weapons that they had? Chō felt the cold gaze from the woman holding Manami hostage. She didn't want to risk Manami's life though, however she also wanted to make it to Kumo and back alive.

She slowly back towards Joruri and Shinako's position, trying to remain in her combat stance. Chō watched as Shinako placed her weapons down, maybe she should have too. She was taken aback by what Joruri said, taking a hostage does nothing... With a disgusted look,  Chō revealed the hidden kunai she had and placed it with Shinako's belongings. While doing so, Chō analyzed her surroundings. If she could, she probably could use one of her elemental jutsus... Joruri and Shinako already preformed hand signs, but what jutsu they preformed was almost unnoticeable.

Chō formed the necessary hand signs for her favorite jutsu then brought her hand to her lips. Piercing her lips, she blew a chakra-infused ball of wind into her palm. ' Wind Release: Spiraling Wind Ball!' Chō smirked as she took careful aim at the mysterious woman's head. She had to be sure not to hit Manami, keeping that in mind... Chō pitched the ball with as much force as she could muster. Hopefully her aim would stay true.

Chakra Used: 145/150:

Before Manami had even an inkling of a chance to try and think of some possible way out of her situation Joruri seemed to freeze. The red-head's eyes locked onto the pale boy's movement, wondering exactly what he planned to do. He only seemed to draw out his weapons, seemingly giving into the woman's orders. Manami watched as Shinako also emerged from her hiding place. It seemed that she hadn't been the only one who had automatically thought of defending themselves. They would need a lot more practice if they were ever going to get used to fighting as a team. That was, if they made it out of this particular situation alive. That seemed a bit of a dim possibility at the moment. At least for her. 

She had no way of escaping her captor's grasp. No information regarding their assailant's abilities. They were only genin, and for all they knew these people could be high-level nukenin. They probably didn't stand a chance. Manami couldn't shake off the pessimistic tint that this scenario had made her see. Joruri dropped his weapons, Shinako following soon after. Manami couldn't force herself to let go of the kunai in her hand, her muscles not allowing her to do so. Cho moved towards Shinako and Joruri, following their lead and disarming herself as well. Joruri's words made Manami freeze for a moment, and it was obvious that Cho was surprised by them as well. See, they don't care about you. Manami felt something a little like disappointment stir up in her stomach, but quashed it. She had no time to be feeling sorry for herself. A sudden memory hit her, reminding her that Shinako was capable of manipulating her shadow. Judging by the time of day, the Nara girl had plenty to work with. Maybe, just maybe, Joruri's words had been a play for time all along?

Manami hoped so, and played along, trying to appear distraught. When the dagger pressed to her neck flew out of the woman's hands Manami sucked in a deep breath, needing to after regulating her breathing for so long. Two things happened almost simultaneously. Something slinky and black shot out from the tree cover and attached itself to the shadows of the accomplices. Cho brought a hand up to her mouth and formed a sphere of wind chakra. Manami's eyes widened as she realised that Cho was aiming for her captor. She would likely be hit at the same time. The woman holding her spun Manami behind her back, as if protecting her from the projectile. That conclusion made no sense, however, considering that the woman would have nothing to lose should Manami be injured. A few words were shouted in the confusion that followed and a barrier of flames rose up around the two. 

Manami was unable to process exactly what had just happened. A puff of smoke followed, revealing a tall (very tall, from her perspective) man in the place of the woman from before. The man's words were somber and dampening, and left Manami with a bitter taste at the back of her throat. Had all of this been real she surely would have been dead. The barrier parted, and Manami and the man stepped out. "I apologise for allowing myself to get caught. I had no short-range technique to free me from you, sensei, that didn't have the adverse ability to injure either myself or my teammates in the process." Manami lowered her head a little, resolving to be more prepared the next time. Each of her teammates gave their own explanations and Tenzo spoke once again, this time without the undercurrent of annoyance from before. He seemed to belive that there was still a chance for them to change for the better, and that helped Manami to feel better about the situation.

Manami was mostly happy just to know that thy weren't yet being punished for their collective foolishness and instead were simply continuing on to their destination. She declined speaking fro the rest of the journey, something which she ordinarily wouldn't do. Instead of the original plan of staying in Yu no Kuno for the night they continued on their journey. Manami was surprised to find - once they eventually made it to Kumo - that their sensei had offered to pay for their accomadation for the first two nights. Manami smiled at Tenzo. "Arigato sensei!" She bowed slightly and took her room key. She wanted nothing more than a bath and a chance to sleep away this trip. Hopefully tomorrow things would be different. 

---

Before Joruri could even step to the side of the knife that he had torn out of the woman's hand had passed by him, he saw the form of the little blond girl leaping and collapsing onto Manami and her captor. When he saw her pull her backwards, he didn't move, he didn't see what else he could do. His plan had only extended to deal with Manami's immediate danger. But after seeing Manami be tugged around, he raised an eyebrow in question.

No way.

From there, the most unexpected things that could happen... Happened.

A puff of smoke, and then a masculine voice and from there, Joruri folded his arms over his chest in annoyance. They had all failed in the eyes of their sensei, and they weren't even going to get an immediate reason? Fine, he still explained himself in order to not seem as foolish as he no doubt looked in action, but there was no point in doing so, they were only going to be told in the Land of the Lightning.

Maybe one day I can be a Leader. He thought to himself as he gathered up all of his weapons and then sent out with the rest of the group. What he didn't do was move as quickly as he had. He was distraught after what had just occurred, and he remained behind the group for the rest of the trip, keeping the group on the edge of his vision.

I'll have all their respect. Watch me.

When they had finally arrived to Kumogakure no Sato, and their sensei had offered to pay for all of their rooms, Jo could only nod and accept the offer halfheartedly. The moment he had opened and locked the door behind him, he collapsed in a heap on the ground, not even bothering to get to the bed.

Losers don't deserve beds... Were his last thoughts as he slipped into unconsciousness and realized he had bit his tongue.

WC: 346
TWC: 2663

600/600 Travel to Kumogakure from Konohagakure.
2003 left over words.

--EXIT THREAD--

As Shinako's shadow connected with the brigands' it grabbed hold, freezing them in place. She saw the confusion register on the men's faces as they felt their bodies betray them, paralyzed in place. Though her back was turned, and her teammates could not see, an almost cold smile played briefly over Shinako's face. Instead of feeling her muscles relax at having overcome the threat, she felt a tense excitement at the control she had asserted over the men. The fear on their faces was evident, though before they could even register what was going on, a voice that Shinako recognized sounded behind her, and though she felt the glow of heat from a Katon technique, she instantly shivered as a cold sweat washed over her body. It didn't take her long to understand what was going on, and when she did, she released her shadow's grip on the men before her, turning to face her team, and Tenzo Uchiha.

"I apologize, Tenzo-sensei. I have very little training with hostage situations, and I panicked."

With that, the group moved on, much to Shinako's chagrin. She was already tired, and now had used a significant portion of her chakra. However, she did not complain.

When they did arrive in the Land of Lightning she was glad to hear that they would have comfortable accomodations. During the trip it seemed as though Tenzo was content to leave their prior meeting behind them, and the young woman was not sure whether this comforted or unsettled her. At any rate, her first excursion with her team had been a failure, and she was glad to once again be alone. She thought briefly of how her father might be faring, before deciding that it was best to focus her efforts on the upcoming exams.

~exit thread

305/2,346

Travel and Training: