OOC:

Spoiler:

A stomach turning drop was the first thing Nozomi realized, as she seemed to materialize on the course, around the middle of the track. She corrected herself, and managed to land on her feet, unlike some of the other competitors, who didn't quite manage to land correctly. She looked around her, and noticed that the field they were on was some sort of race track, and smiled to herself. This wouldn't be that difficult for the speed that she was able to fight. Her opponents looked like they would be capable as well, at least for some of them. But in honesty, speed related things were what she was made for. As for the other competitors, she was sure they'd at least cross the finish line, but some of them looked far too.... bulky to even contend.

"Here are the rules! The first to finish three laps is the victor of this race. It doesn't matter if you place first, however, just that you complete the course. Throughout the course, you'll be tasked with a challenge, to avoid these three demons. If you fail to do so, you won't complete the race, and will fail the challenge. The only way to complete this challenge is to simply cross the finish line intact. No killing is allowed, of course, beyond whatever these demons may choose to do to you, and any competitor who kills will be disqualified immediately. Beyond that, any measures take are completely allowed. Once the timer reaches zero, the race will commence." the announcer motioned to the three scythe wielding Kamaitachi. They all held mischievous grins on their faces, as well as three monstrous scythes, ready to get their blades swinging. An even bigger grin appeared on Nozomi's face as she relished the challenge brought upon her. This could prove to be rather interesting for her, and she couldn't wait to get going. As she waited for the match to get on, she undid the clasps on her weights, placing them gently on the ground. She didn't want to single herself out as someone who would be dominating from the beginning, of course, and letting them free fall would easily clue people in to how much she was actually wearing.

Feeling quite a bit lighter, Nozomi readied herself in a runner's stance, lowering her center of gravity a bit to allow her the momentum building form she was used to. She wouldn't have to go her maximum for certain, the opposition wouldn't be able to keep up with her speed without a doubt, Ayakashi really being the only person she'd ever have to worry about, but luckily wasn't involved with this race. Her reactions would have to be quite something as well, in order to avoid the scythe wielding opponents but she had a plan for that. As the timer marked down closer to the zero mark, Nozomi looked at the course itself. it wasn't that wide, maybe 30 meters total for the 8 lanes it had, which gave her quite an idea. Of course, she wasn't afraid of anyone catching up to her, but the greater the lead she had, the more chance she had of winning, as she would be able to focus on the weasels without any hinderance from her opponents.

Her plan in her head, the mark down counted zero, and the racers were allowed to take off. Nozomi blasted ahead far faster than any opponents would have been able to even think possible, a blur of movement that they couldn't even keep track of, but once she pulled ahead far enough, Nozomi quickly formed through some hand signs. Her jutsu was a simple defensive technique she called the Ward of Dawn, and it spanned the entire track lanes, blocking the other participants from crossing it, as well as knocking back the closer ones to her. Additionally, it knocked back the weasels who were closing in on her, eager to catch the obvious fastest of the ninja and take her out of the race. The mere shock of the jutsu alone bought her precious seconds that allowed her to gain quite the lead.

From there on out, it was actually rather simple. It didn't take her long to complete the first lap of the course, and then utilizing another defensive jutsu, the Cascading Defense, Petal Reflection to keep herself safe from the scythe swings without even worrying about dodging them. They couldn't power through her defensive technique, and any she failed to block with the petals, she easily outmaneuvered on her own. Her Ward of Dawn had been powered through by the time that she made it around to it again, but it didn't matter, because she stayed far enough forward that the other leads couldn't catch up to her, but didn't quite make it to surpass the slower members of the race. Her lead was far too vast, and her defenses lasted her to the end of the course.

Passing the end of the 3rd lap, Nozomi finally stopped her running, and slowed down. She took a look at the rest of her competition, only a couple even remained, as they'd been picked off by the weasels. A small smile on her face, she watched as they too were relatively easily dispatched, only one of having made it close to the end of the match, cut down a few meters short of the end. The world around her faded as she was brought back to another area, with the rest of the competitors intact as they had been. Her face was slightly confused, but she didn't care all that much. The information that losing had no consequences was enough for her.

[EXIT THREAD]
WC: 949
TWC: 949

-25 Ward of Dawn
-20 Cascading Defense: Petal Reflection
Chakra: 245/290

Spoiler:

Stats:

Strength : A-3 -> A-2 [Himitsu Clan Drawback]
Speed : A-3 -> S-1 [Taijutsu-Speed] -> SS-1 [Ankle Weights Removed]
Endurance : A-3
Perception : A-3 -> S Rank [Ace Eye]
Reaction Time : A-3 -> S rank [Reflexes] -> SS Rank [Wrist weights removed]