The sun beat down on the Land of Wind. Just like any other day. The rays of that golden orb never seemed to cease their illumination of this desert land, yet somehow this day seemed more vulnerable, more receptive to the overwhelming heat of the sun. This place, the edge of the civilized areas of the Land of Wind was practically the northern border of the village. The expansive fenced-in 'safe' area rivaled the Grand Bazaar of Sunagakure in size, yet here it was. Packed with Genin, from all over the world. Tables of clay and sand had been formed from the very earth to organize the situation. The last Chuunin exams were held in Konoha....did they have to deal with this as well?

Hodaka, the Kazekage's right-hand man and secretary, was resigned to presiding over these formalities. A black coat, probably odd for a Suna-nin, stood out from the second-floor balcony of the mainly tan structures of the Hidden Sand. While the nature of the exam itself, was unknown to him as of now, he would have to explain to the Genin before him the circumstances of the trial once he received information on it. Each Genin was organized behind a table for registration, by village so as to avoid confusion. Hodaka had laid out books for each participant to sign their names in, sort of a role-call. Only after every single Genin from the village had signed could the group move forward.

And, right as he found the Genin about to advance to...who knows what, he received an envelope from one of his subordinate secretaries. Well, now....this will be interesting. The young man was finished reading the briefing in a matter of seconds, and whispered to his subordinate. A second row of tables appeared beyond the first, summoned from the very earth like the first, by that secretary. They were good for things besides paperwork, after all. A second wave of books, again five in number, appeared and laid themselves on each village's table.

A puddle of shadows gathered on the floor, and as they rose up in a dome, an echoed voice resounded through the main courtyard, soon reduced to the raised but not shouting voice of the man that appeared from the darkness.

"All participants, may I have your attention. It has come to my notice that due to the nature of this exam, a waiver must be signed. Indeed, you all will have a very nice chance of fatality in the first portion of your Chuunin exam." Removing the hood from his Black Coat and giving his hair an errant flip, he continued his short monologue. "I am Gowa-Ken Hodaka, and I will be your proctor for the first exam. Please proceed to sign your names in the waiver books. If you do not wish to risk your life, your unpreparedness for becoming a Chuunin is apparent and certain, and you may leave.

After waiting a few minutes for the so-called Chuunin-to-be to make their decision, Hodaka noticed that their numbers were cut down by quite a bit. He called another subordinate to assist in moving the tables once more, smoothly maneuvering around the participants of the exam.

"Now, then.....since all formalities have been completed, I shall move on to the information you need. Your objective is to make it to the ivory tower.... Pointing in the general direction of the tower (he knew it by heart), he continued after that brief pause. To the northwest. The average shinobi takes three days or so to complete the trip. However, due to you being Genin and this being a test, five days will be allotted to you. The death waivers you have signed were due to the rather harsh, unforgiving, and generally lethal nature of the Land of Wind. You will face natural disasters, animals of large stature, and other hazards which you may or may not encounter. You will be supplied with one day's worth of food and water. It is up to you to survive beyond your rations. If you do not make it within the allotted five days, you will be presumed dead. Even if you are alive, you will be eliminated from the exam roster and be unable to continue."

After waiting a few seconds to let the severity of the situation sink in, he said half-smugly: "Any questions?"

OOC:

Your objective is to reach the Ivory tower. You will be given one day of water and a small loaf of bread. To complete this phase you must survive off the land, as well as navigate using the environment around you. No compasses or other external navigation tools, nor rations, will be allowed. In addition, each of you will be assigned a unique event to occur during your trip, and it must be included, or you will fail. This is not to be posted a solo thread, it is to be posted in response to this, and must be a single isolated post. Your post must span at least 1500 words. You cannot interfere with anyone else doing this event. Don't worry, there will be plenty of interaction next event, this is here mainly to test your writing ability and imagination as part of testing your worthiness to be promoted.

Note that you will have 48 hours to complete this event. Anyone who has not posted by the time that this counter [click here] runs out will fail the event and not move on to the next round.

Unique events:

Adechi Shigure: Stumble across a ghost town*
Aisu, Ryuu: Get stuck in a sand storm
Bakuhatsu, Sairento: Get beset by a pack of bandits seeking to take you hostage
Dākuchairudo, Juyo: Find a band of bandits holding a young girl hostage
Gaiso, Orino: Wander into a Dust Devil Field***
Guanyin, Hanbei: Start seeing vivid mirages
Gyanburā, Kichirou: Start suffering from the symptoms of heat stroke
Hozuki, Masanori: Stumble upon an oasis with toxic water
Inuzuka, Aya: Stumble into a patch of dry quicksand**
Karisuma, Daimon: Get stuck in a sand storm
Kōga, Suzume: Attacked by a large pack of feral wolves
Kuraudo, Gaiken: Stumble across a ghost town*
Nara, Doji: Start suffering from the symptoms of heat stroke
Norokami, Ayane: Wander into a Dust Devil Field***
Ryuzoji, Ikki: Attacked by a large pack of feral wolves
Sabaku, Mizuto: Stumble upon an oasis with toxic water
Sarutobi, Mitsuo: Find a band of bandits holding a young girl hostage
Sawai, Mihou: Start suffering from the symptoms of heat stroke
Senju, Ukiyo: Stumble upon an oasis with toxic water
Sotsuji, Tenmei: Get stuck in a sand storm
Toshin, Grey: Get beset by a pack of bandits seeking to take you hostage
Uchiha, Ukio: Wander into a Dust Devil Field***
Yagatsuki, Ichirou: Start seeing vivid mirages
Yagatsuki, Izumi: Stumble into a patch of dry quicksand**

*: Ghost town as in abandoned, not haunted.
**: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_quicksand
***: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_devil


Oh and by the way, the Ivory tower is a large, snow white tower.

Ikki attentively herd and memorized every single word religiously. Taking note of a few key things, he started thinking to himself, "So all I have to do is make it to Ivory Tower which is northwest from this point. Sounds far too easy. Then again five days and one days ration of water and bread is a bit steep. I'll have to hunt for food if this trip need a whole five days to get to. If it wasn't for this shitty desert water would not normally be a problem. Hmm, I lack training in desert environments. Whatever, I'm thinking too much I'll make it work somehow."

"Any questions?"

Without responding Ikki collected his one day rations, made a mad dash towards the Western Gate, and without delay began the first step on his journey to Chunnin rank. On his mind was one thing only, succes through exellence. There was only one problem he had a horrible sense of direction. From the gate, he more or less calculated the direction Hodaka had pointed and ran full force trying to be the first one there. After a few hours of running he began getting winded. He was dehydrated so he took a chug of water, which was approximately 1/8th of the container given to him. "Crap this isn't even gonna last me the day if I don't take it easy. I have to slow down a bit," he remarked as he saw how much water he had taken in.

He gazes upon the horizon in front of him. Everything looks the same. The way the dunes waved to the way the sand's surface is wisped away by the seldom strong wind few and far between. Stuck in an ever changing environment it is easy to lose one sense of direction. And so it was, he had deviated further north than his original route intended. Now six hours in Ikki decides to stop far a bit as he was starting to feel hunger pains. He lays down his sword which is covered in cloth to protect it from the elements. He faces the handle of the blade towards the direction he is currently traveling as to not lose his way. This make that longer then he had anticipated. Without landmarks it hard to tell how much ground he has covered. He sits down beside his sword and takes out the loaf of bread. "I can't continue with out the calories. I'll eat half for now. If a find another food source before the night fall I'll eat the rest. Hope fully I can find something in this barren waste land," stipulated Ikki as he broke the loaf in half and ate. At the end of his meal he had put the remaining half loaf in his bag and chugged another three 1/8th gulps of water.

Having approximately two hours of daylight left, he picks up his sword and decides to push on to find a food source. After walking for another thirty minutes to his surprise, he find a desert hare running over a dune headed for him. He immediately unwraps his blade and draws it. Preparing to strike it seem as though the hare didn't care about him. Little did Ikki know that over the dune a ways behind the hare, there was a pack of Desert Wolves hunting this poor creature. As soon as he dropped his blade killing the hare, Ikki heard a deafening howl from the largest wolf he had ever seen. Ikki was staring at a 300 pound killing machine. "So you wanna steal my food, eh? Come close and I'll skin your over grown mongrel ass." scoffed Ikki at what he thought was a lone wolf. This wolf stood 4 feet high and 7 feet long.

Not long after Ikki had spoken, around a dozen smaller wolves came out from behind the Alpha Wolf. These wolves were scrawnier and more anxious to have a meal. "Aw, Shiet. C'mon now boys you can have the hare. Now don't be greedy and try to go after me. That's gonna end badly for you," counseled Ikki, as he spoke to these creatures as if they could fathom what his words meant. He tossed the Hare over to where the wolves were. The smaller wolves snapped at each other fighting for the food. But the larger alpha kept his gaze fixed upon Ikki. Ikki knew he had no choice but to run he was at a complete disadvantage of numbers. He balled up his left fist and created a Raiton: Flash Bang to blind and deafen the wolves temporarily as he made his escape. There was no better time as they were all grouped up fighting for the food. He tosses it right in the middle blinding all of the smaller wolves which were all in the effective range of the Flash Bang. He started to run as fast as possible not paying attention to what direction he was heading. He was headed south, a direction away from both the Ivory Tower and Sunagakure. He was about to be lost.

He managed to escape the wolves for the time being. Deciding to stop and finish the rest of the bread, he scarfs it down as fast as possible. Drinking another two gulps from the container he only has 1/4 of the water remaining. The situation has become critical, if the wolves came for him he could not last the night. Night has fallen at this point and the darkness limits the range of vision.Only a half moon remains in the sky giving little light. He can here the ridiculing howls of the wolves as they close in. He sees a large rock plateau protruding from the ground with one way up and realizes he can take a stand there. By bottle necking the wolves they could only climb two at a time. Ikki like those odds. Two on one at any given time would surely give him a better chance of fending them off. He climbs to the top of the plateau. And switches on his 'Current Perception: Tracking Range' jutsu to be able to tell where the wolves are in the darkeness of the night. He senses a large group of animals coming in from the northeast. He readies four senbon, two in each hand. Prepared to make the first strike, Ikki takes a knee and bides his time motionless as the pack make thier way towards him.

Ikki quickly notices that there are only twelve wolves. The larger wolf wasn't in the range of his Sensory justu. He brushes it off to pay mind to the issue at hand. The smaller wolves were already within approximately 6 meters(~20 feet). They step inside his senbon's effective range. Ikki Makes the first move. He throws the senbon and with the element of surprise manages to Hit three wolves with the senbon. Two senbon had struck the foremost wolf in the eyes maiming it. The other two hit the two next wolves around the next area inflicting great pain as they whimpered away. The remaining wolves tried to climb the sides of the plateau but failed. Two of the remaining 9 wolves ran around the plateau, found the way up and began to climb. Ikki draws his katana, and runs towards the ledge where they are climbing. Taking a few steps back he prepares for the incoming attack. He puts his right foot forward, leans his right shoulder down and to the left, clutches the grip of his blade, building up tension to strengthen his slash, and breaths out heavily. The two wolves reach the plateau at the same time and make a mad dash towards Ikki. Ikki releases his tension twisting his waist, shoulder, and leg while extending his arm. His slash successfully kills both wolves. But what he had not expected is that the wolves caught on to the entrance quick and came wave after wave in pairs. Upon realizing how he had trapped himself up there, he hacked and slashed two more wolves as they drove him to the edge the remaining 5 wolves are now aware that he is strong and no longer charge in but are careful in approaching him. Now that he slashes and is missing the quick wolves with his attacks he come up with a another plan.

Ikki quickly stomps upon the rocky plateau and uses Doton: Pulse creating a wave of rocks as they break from the plateau and launch upwards. The wave launches three of the five wolves in the air. Ikki jumps and deals lethal neck slashes to all three with to stokes of his sword. He looks down to see the two remaining wolves retreating. Ikki chases them to finish the job so that they cannot bring more. But while running behind them he notices a great source of neural synapses lighting up his senses like a Christmas tree. The alpha was on his way. Ikki wasted no time in running back to the plateau and climbing. The alpha was way bigger the the smaller wolves and moved quicker. This wolf covered 40 meters in a matter of seconds. Closing the gap that quickly Ikki had no choice but to stand his ground. The alpha was now with in ten meters of Ikki. Ikki brow glistened with sweat in the moonlit night. Ikki exhausted quite a bit of energy chaseing the last wolves. Ikki stood atop the plateau prepared and waiting for the alpha to go around to where Ikki climbed up. The Alpha did no such thing. The great wolf jumped up to the top with a single try. Ikki grined, "Foolish creature." Ikki laid his left hand flat on the ground using Doton: Shackles. Small boulders arose from the plateau and swollowed the feet of the alpha. Ikki made haste to slit it's throat open. And as the blood pour from this neck Ikki bowed and said, "Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for dying to become my sustinance."

Ikki proceeded to gut and chop up the mighty beast. But with no fire was force to eat it raw. He ate his fill and sleeped atop of the plateau. In the morning he woke up and realized that he had diviated from his original course and with no land mark was lost. He looked up at the rising sun as he felt the heat increase minute by minute. "The sun!" exclaimed Ikki as he remebered the basics of navigating. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Being morning the sun would be at the east. So he pointed east with his right hand and pointed west with the other. He then moved right right hand to the direction north west. He smiled, packed some wolf meat, drank the water and headed toward the direction which he had determined. After walking for 4 hours he had finally found dry hard ground instead of a sandy pit of doom he traversed before. On this hard ground were cacti. He cut the cacti open to discover a sweet nectar hidden with in the core. He filled his water bottle with this nectar and had his supplies.He continued walking for 2 hours finally seeing the tower in the distance. What sweet relief to know that he was not lost. With all the strength he had left he ran towards the tower and within 20 minutes had made it. Not sure if he was the first one he let out a sigh of relief and fell to his knees. "I'm here you bastards and I brought some food. Hahaha." yelled Ikki as he stood up and laughed.

Jutsu/Chakra(110/150):

(1975/1500) SUPER DONE!

Orino walked silently past the common rabble that the bi-annual chunnin exams contained. Some from Konohagakure and others from Kirigakure, they were lumped together all the same. The sun shone brightly in the sky, a yellow marble among the backdrop of the blue sky of Suna. Its heat beat off the sun, giving far off objects, like the village gates that were miles away, a wavy; almost psychedelic appearance. The heat not only effected the terrain, its influence was plastered on even the youngest of the exams participants. Some removed articles of clothing like vests and even shirts, others seemed to be at home in the raging temperature. One in particular was what Orino could guess was either the village kage, or the exam procure, it could be one in the same for all he gained from the figures appearance. Clad in an all black coat that hid all but his height and general body structure, he presided over the congregation from a second story balcony of the building. Orino himself had only let the top of his white and red kimono drape over his lower back, revealing his slightly tanned skin and athletic build. At the same time it hid from view the proud symbol of the Gaiso clan that was embroidered on the back of his Kimono, but it was a small price to pay for a slight relief from the never ending sun.

Feeling his forehead and hair dampen with each passing moment, Orino took his right hand and wiped the hot sweat from his soaked brow. He proceed to flick his hand, expunging the sweat from his hand and into the sand where it landed silently. Now arrived at his assigned table that appeared to be a mix of clay and sand, it was solid as he placed his hand on one side to test the texture. Just as he thought, it was dry, devoid of sand particles on its surface; despite its sandy texture. Reaching into his left pocket, Orino grabbed his pack of smokes from his pocket, a cheap brand he had picked up at a local street vender when he first arrived a day ago. Taking one out and placing it in between his lips, the papery texture hit before any other. Replacing the pack into his pocket and grabbing his lighter he shielded the cigarette from the harsh wind and flicked the lighter on.its internal flame cam to life with a metallic click, burning the end of the stick that released the sweet aroma that he had come to enjoy.

Taking casual puff from his smoke, he would suck in the calming nicotine with the stick in between his pointer and middle finger, and release the smoke out in a small cloud. The cloud came out as black smoke, not the usual white or grayish smoke. This was because of his clans Kekkie Genkai, he had found a way to use it to filter out the nicotine from the carcinogens and expel it as the now black smoke. God, it was sweet. He could smoke all he wanted without the fear of cancer or any other illnesses that came about after a lifetime of smoking. Getting about halfway down to the end of the ciggarette, Orino finally heard the cloaked figure speak. He identified himself as Gowa-Ken Hodaka, he was from a clan that Orino was not familiar of at all. The only clans that were familiar to him were the world-renound ones, the Uchiha and Uzumaki, also lesser clans of various villages; and his own. The hooded figure welcome them and instructed them to sign a waiver that had them acknowledge that death was a factor in the coming exam trials, well no shit. It served as both a waiver and to weed out any lesser ninja of the group that feared death so much as to resign from the exams, which proved to be quite a bit. The subordinates of the proctor rearranged the tables as needed. After the runt of the litter took their leave, Hodaku began to recite the specifics of this part of the exam.

They were to make it to the Ivory Tower in five days with only a days worth of supplies, the rest they had to either gather en route to the tower while fending off the landscaped parrels and predators. It was a rigorous test, designed to test the ninjas wit, strength, will power and ability to think on his feet; a worth test for any genin. Orino had all he needed to know for the upcoming trials. He had no doubt he could over come this obstacle like he had done with so many others. After all, he had the honor of the Gaiso main branch to uphold and his own self respect. He had no doubt that, in the unlikely event he would fail, he would be severely chastised; he wouldn't have it any other way. Failure deserves nothing but correction, at least that's what he believed and was taught to believe. After the proctors monologue, the remaining genin were set loose into the wilderness of Sunagakure and left to fend for themselves. This would be fun.

The first day of the exams were for the most part, uneventful and dreadfully hot. The first day had came and went, most of his time was spent walking toward the tower at a brisk pace. Stopping periodically for a sip or so of water and a bite from the bread. With his management, the allotted supply lasted the whole first day, he was off to a great start. The second day was a bit more eventful. He could see among the sands many dunes some of the participants that did not manage their rations and energy too well, they were either resting in the hot sand of passed out from dehydration and heat stroke. A sad but self appointed death. Orino had spent a bit of the morning of the second day searching for the one thing that was of abundance besides sand, scorpions. The little arachnids were seen scurrying about at random times the day before. He had stockpile a few now dead scorpions, their bodily juice would serve to replenish anything he sweated out. Whenever Orino felt overly tired and panting, he would take the scorpion and rip the tail and sharp parts of the claws off and take bites out off the animal. It blood was hot, like drinking a bottled water that had been setting out in the heat far too long. That taste, coupled with the crunchiness almost made him gag. But he knew it was one of the few sources of nutrition in the vast wasteland. Day two had came and was now coming to an end, the sun loomed in the horizon sporting an orange color. The sands cooled to an almost comforting temperature, Orino would have to rest for the night, he needed his strength. Taking off his Kimono and using it as a pillow, Orino drifted off into exhausted sleep.

The third day Orino was awoken to the now accustomed heat of the sun. Fuck it was hot out there, he was on his third and hopefully final day of his journey to the tower. The participants that he would see were now few and far between, if seen ever. The scorpions also had also dissipated, only rarely showing up long enough for Orino to kill one. He had two in reserve from the other day, way off from the eight to ten that took to half way fuel his failing body, but he had to push on and find a source of water. If he didn't he would surely fall and be swallowed up by the ever blowing and eroding sand. After exhausting his 'rations' of two scorpions, Orion was dangerously in need or nourishment. Dangerously so that he could not do a brisk walk without panting and his body becoming slick and wet with sweat. To do himself a favor he started to wipe the sweat from his upper body using this Kimono. After that, he would tie it around his head to make an improvised cloak. It provided a bit of protection from the wind and the heat alike. Hours into his day long trek, he had stumbled upon a holy grail in the mist of the desolate place. A cactus, a beautiful green motherfucking cactus! It was a relief to see that green thorny bastard.

Orion could see from the top of a sand dune, only a few minutes trek away. The closer he had gotten to the god sent fruit, the more the wind whipped, causing him to turn away and shield himself with his makeshift cloak. The wind grew so unruly, Orino had to turn his head and walk blindly into the shifting sands; tripping over the sand as a few times. Tired of the abuse that nature had delt him, he peeked through his held up finger to see the very air itself swiring to the call of the desert. Making a moaning sound all the while. He was in the middle of a damn dust devil, not only one but many, very large ones that produced a whipping mini sandstorm. Just his fucking luck,but no body was going to stand in his way to get that beautiful cactus. Mustering his strength, he made the desired handsigns and inhaled the sandy air. With every nerve in his body begging to throw up the pound of sand that was now stuck in his throat. He did just that. With a mighty exhale, a fuuton jutsu was released into the sky, disrupting the spinning of the multiple dust devils and calming the storm.

Using what spit was left in his mouth, he tried to spit out the sand that he could still resided in his mouth, gross. To no avail, Orino decided to wash it down with the one thing that his eyes were focused on, Cactus juice. Reaching the cactus in mere second, orino unsheathed a dagger from the holster under his arm and sliced the top of the cactus off, producing a wet slosh sound. Restraining himself, Orino had to peel the bottom of the slice of risk a painful prick. After what seemed like hours, the slice was devoid of skin and shoved down Orinos throat. The juices with each chomp slid down his throat overpowering the previous sandy taste and replacing it with a tangy yet sweet flavor.

After gorging himself on Cactus, Orino saved a few pieces and continued his almost unending trek to the tower. The tower could maybe not even exist, he hadn't thought of that till now. What if the test was to see if we were stupid enough to go for it. No, no, that was illogical and irrational. Logic and reason ruled his thinking normally, the desert sun had caused him to have a sudden, yet brief melt down. But, the tower would indeed be real, quite real. Over the next dune was the Ivory Tower, the sight of the snow white tower put a smile on his face. He had almost made it there and it was only the end of his third day. He would get to the tower tomorrow, no need to rush.

Waking up to the tower still in sight drove him to consume his now dry cactus reserves, he was only a mile or so from its entrance, why not? Casually strolling the rest of the way he arrived at its solid white exterior, he was finally here!



1938/1500
Completed!

Chakra: 140/150:

Hanbei stood beside his father and looked up at the man nervously as the Waiver was mentioned, looking at him as the fifteen year old dressed in full long baggy silks prepared for the journey ahead, he'd just eaten heartily, which gave him somewhat of an advantage for the coming mission, his father, gave him his bottle of water, which Hanbei took no great joy in guzzling down before they handed out the rations, and before the exam was instituted. Three days, with only one day of water, was harsh, and there was no doubt that the waiver was going to be something which assured that Villages didn't get angry that Genin went missing. Hanbei looked around at the Genin who were getting disheartened.

Crouching low and running through the crowd as they began to disperse Hanbei moved after the deserters. the rift in the crowd apparent and growing as they began to move away. Hanbei frowned and looked out to each and every one of them. "Hey! All of you! Where are you going, the Chuunin exams are this way!?" He called out hoping to beckon to each and every one of them. But, to no avail. Breathing in deeply Hanbei could not talk over their chattering and doubt, putting two fingers to him mouth he used the micro vacuum technique to look over them and with a loud shout carry his voice through the winding current. LISTEN TO ME!!!

The wind that wound and weaved through the group caught some of their attention, his voice did others, and that was enough for a couple of heads to turn and see the boy standing there. Some, a few medical ninja amongst the group were a little confused, while others looked at him as a small girl. Where are all of you going? This is a test, each of you either live here or have already made your way here from your own countries to get here. Which means for the most part you have already performed this challenge once, and you can do it again. Some of the people turned around and began to walk away from the kid who obviously did not know what he was talking about.

WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND JUST LISTEN TO ME!? Hanbei Shouted, his voice penetrating the crowd. I know that this test is hard, and looks scary, but each of you, each of us have a duty to get better, and stronger, for our friends and for our families. Look at me, look at how small I am compared to all of you, I'm so much weaker and younger than any of you, and here I am looking forward as one of the ones who will pass the exams. Each of you can do it as well, you're strong, and smart, all you need to do is think about how to beat a desert for three to five measly days. And then we get to the part of this we all came and prepared for.

We can do this, each of us trained for being able to reach the end here, and I know deep down none of you want to let yourselves down... If i can do it... why cant you? Are you weaker than me? Less strong? Less prepared than a thirteen year old who can't even reach the top of his bookshelf without help..? I don't think so. Sign the Waiver, and remember not to navigate by the sand. Use the sky!" Hanbei spoke from the heart, and gave his advice to those who had begun to leave, some, were still sketchy, and others still left, but he thought it was the personal attack on their strength and using his own size as an advantage which led some of them back to the folds.

Even though he lied about his age...

Hanbei moved back to the group and signed the Waiver, signing his life away should things go wrong. Looking to his dad and smiling. Kanbei told him not to worry, and that he believed in his son, just like he believed in the world. Hanbei smiled as he received his limited rations, two gallons of water, which was the sufficient sum for one day in the desert, the loaf of bread was slightly disheartening, three to four days with nothing but this loaf of bread as a source of carbohydrates would no doubt be rough, he would likely starve for a bit of the exam for sure. But he packed the bread away and sealed it in one of his spare silk bags.

Some people were already beginning to leave, but not hanbei. looking around he found a small piece of cork... which he would use later. This cork would more than likely save his life at some point. Looking to and from he kicked it off the ground and caught it, Hanbei spent the rest of the day hanging around the town, even falling asleep for some time, looked over by his father until the setting sun, many people had left, but there were still a few stragglers. Hanbei got up and stretched. It was time to go, the setting sun and the cooling of the sand as night began to fall had robbed much of the days incredible temperature. So, bidding goodbye, to well, everything, he yelled it back to everyone, some wished the young boy luck, and some took his leave as a mark for themselves to head out as well.

Hanbei took off at a run, he was able to hold his high speed during the night as it kept him warm against the freezing cold temperatures of the desert night. Navigating by the stars he needed to his stamina at an all time high. moving quickly, his feet carrying him like the wind as he ran faster downhill, keeping on track in the direction the ninja had pointed, guided on further by the stars in the sky. As the night cycled and Hanbei with his slender yet fit body, he was able to keep the pace up for hours, but the first night in the desert was always the easiest. At his rapid pace he passed by other ninja who were pressing on or taking the night as time to rest by the end of it. Overjoyed with how well he claimed himself to be doing.

But then came the day cycle

Bunkering down in the sand, Hanbei dug with his hands, throwing his shirt off his back once the hole was deep enough and the temperature began to rise. He curled into a ball, and propped up his several shirts like a sun tent using a cactus. He needed to keep out of the direct line of sight of the sun, taking this time to rest, even in the shade it was hot, but for some time it retained some of the nights cool, allowing Hanbei to get some rest. Though, during the day as Hanbei found it hard to sleep against the heat, he often opened his eyes to see long plains of water, combining with the rock formations to deceive him into vivid trees.

Clinging to his remaining silks, he reasoned with himself that if they were there when he awoke, he would go and check them out at night. It was a very long twelve hours until the sun got to a point that hanbei was happy with, watching the shadows deepen and having to move his hole once, he had survived, he'd survived by being careful. And not taking chances, and moving only when he felt the need to move. Looking up he remembered the oasis. But the trees were gone, as was the water scape he had been looking at. It was a trick of the light. Taking out a quarter of his bread, Hanbei ate to get as many carbs as possible and hoped that he would not be out here for more than three or so days.

Drinking down a large mass of water, somewhere near three cups, he hegan to head off again. His perception of the stars was begining to falter, and some of the ones he had been looking at, though promanent began to be surrounded by more than there normally were. "Is this another effect of the desert?" He said, looking up at them and attempting to discern if this really was the night sky he was used to. But is Ace Eyes though could not see through the vivid images of the additional stars, the core formations were still there, and unmistakable. He had been turned slightly, but not so much as he could not make his way back in turn.

Picking up his pace he began to jog again in the direction he was meant to be heading after wearing his sun ironed silks which kept his body surprisingly warm through the cold night. And so the process repeated. Hanbei bunkered down during the day. Moving only during the comfort of the night, each night the night sky began to trick him, but the ever present compass in the sky, the North star used to navigate was unmistakable in the nights sky, and Hanbei's eyes could penetrate it. Rationing his food, he ate a quarter of his bread per day, and somewhat attempted to replenish his water supply with the equivalent to the couple of cups in water.

After the third day, Hanbei had wasted away, his resolve had melted and he felt like he was ready to collapse, digging in for the last time, he could see his destination in the distance after the third day. People would normally run for it, but the sun was rising, and he needed to bunker down. If he was caught half way, running blindly toward the tower, he would be fried, and there was a chance he could not get there, so, he had to play it safe. He rested watching the tower in the distance taunt him. He could see it on the horizon, which meant it could be no more than about 10-20 miles from him. Long enough for the sun to rain down destructive wrath on the poor boy.

The day passed, and Hanbei saw himself in a sea of water, but by now his rational mind knew it was fake. His moving and wavering under the shade made it seem like he was in the sea, and then he fell asleep, dreaming of the Chuunin exams to come. As night fell once more he rose, up, ate the remainder of his bread and drank the last of his water over the course of the next hour, regained his stamina. Then made out for the tower once again with renewed sense of direction. People walked through the desert for days, if not a week at a time, before dying. A ninja who had some idea of preparation would be tough, but not impossible. Reaching the tower, he made it. taking him 4 days, but the people he had inspired cheered for his arrival.

It seemed many of them had made it before him... and just in time, Hanbei ensured that he had walked well within the confines of the tower, before collapsing on the floor with his arms spread, his waiting father giving him some medical attention, stabbing a single Dharma needle into his chest. he could feel the healing power revitalising him, to the point he now just wanted to sleep, it had been several days so his chakra had managed to return to his body by now. His eyes stared at the sky, looking directly up at the roof of the room wondering what was going to happen next, what was in store for the group? These genin, each of them with high hopes and higher aspirations after having conquered the desert.

(2015/ 1500 HA!)

Toshin could not possibly imagine he would be at such a place. Firstly he was in a whole another village, that is where he least expected to be. But, after all the time he had been at the Chunnin Exams. He took a big breath in, noticing the different people that had been near him and maybe as excited or scared as him. If he did come back in one piece he wanted to hug his mother to death. "I hope this doesn't turn out bad for me, same to  Izumi" he would say as he would spot her from the back of his eye. It had seemed he cared not only for himself but others, but until the last round he shouldn't be focusing on such a thing. Toshin would loose himself from inside of his body as he thought of negative thoughts. Mostly about him dying or something happened to his mother while he was away. The brown haired shinobi would inhale in and out as he looked at the ground. Kazi no Kuni sure was something else. Maybe it would all turn out goo for him if he just didn't think about anything but winning. His process of thinking was disturbed as a man in a black coat would had came out of no where and began talking. He did seem kind of mysterious but Grey had to suspect anything during the Chunnin Exams, anything could happen at any given time. This odd man's name was Gowa -Ken Hodaka, and he was the proctor for the first exam. Thing just maybe would turn out right from the fact he was up against tons of Genin's other then himself that is. It had seemed Toshin had to sign a wavier, if he wanted to risk his life. He would see the other genin making their choices, and he passed the way to the front. He looked at the wavier and looked at the exit. Was it worth it? It must have been since he would travel all this way, it wasn't to turn back. Toshin courageously signed the wavier, he wanted to die with honor and this was the best way too. A new fate had awoken within Grey. If he had the chance he would thank his sensie Kazu, for being such a good help to him. If it wasn't for him, Grey would maybe have never been prepared. He had also wondered what the other Genin would sign or not, but they maybe had the same thought as himself. What was the whole point of coming if you were going to turn back? The Proctor had began talking once again as Grey would look straight at him. It had hit Grey's mind  that his objective was to make it to Ivory Tower. That was certainly a weird name just for a tower itself, so something must have been up. The Proctor would point in the direction of the towers as he would pause for a short moment and continued talking yet again. "What could that be about he would say as he listened to the man speak. To Grey, the proctor had given all the genin a good hint as to which direction to head into. It was no problem for Grey, since he was good at finding his way to places. The good part was that all of the genin was given 5 days to reach to Ivory Tower. That was enough time to actually make it there to him. The brown haired shinobi then realized why all the genin had a choice the sign the wavier. Many harsh and rash things would happen while we were out looking for Ivory Tower and they had to know they were up for it. Toshin looked at Izumi for the last time before it all  started, before they were set off and split in different ways for five days. The brown haired shinobi faced forward and started running as far as he could into forest with solid earth ground to stay on. As Toshin was running he was glad he would be running on earth, it was way easier to get threw than sand.

  Here Grey had appeared , as he had spotted a river running to it thirsty of water. Toshin didn't plan on eating or drinking the food that was given to him. Grey had to think smart, so he decided to preserve it until he desperately needed it. The brown haired shinobi put his hands into the water and started drinking as he would see his reflection behind him. But, he also saw something unusual is was a figure that resembled a bear behind him. Grey had turned around slowly, as he would see a bear just about his size roar right into his face. Toshin had to react fast, really fast. So he jumped high up in the air a sent one of his foot colliding straight to the bears head. He then used his other leg to kick the bear of to the side hitting a tree. As the bear impacted the tree, you could see birds fly away from it as if they were scared. Toshin went over to the bear and dragged it with him to find a campsite, or somewhere he could stay over night while in the forest. By now it was turning dark out. The brown haired shinobi had found a good hiding spot and a cozy place to stay. No one would be able to see him unless they had very good eye site. Grey had set up a small campfire under a huge cave like area. He had picked the spot, in case someone saw smoke they would spot him. He couldn't afford that to happen to he had to pick a good spot. He had killed the bear with his kunai had had in his pocket. If he cooked the bear it would give him a good dinner for him to take a quick sleep on. Toshin cut out the good pieces of the bear that were eatable and skinned it. He probably didn't have to do that since the skin would burn off, but he wanted to be sure. Grey had laid down on the hard ground and looked up at what had now seemed to be night. He could spot some stars from his angle and remembered going sight seeing. How he had seen the stars and were very fascinated by them. The brown haired shinobi had eaten the bear he killed after it was cooked properly, a good thirty minutes. Toshin decided to take a short nap and get up early in the morning to make a fresh start.

  As morning had come, and Toshin was still asleep the birds would chirp away. The chirping of course, after a long period of time woke him up from his good sleep. It was 8:00 Am in the morning and Toshin had to pick up the pace. He stomped his foot on the little fire that still remained and brought some spare food from the bear he had cooked. Grey started walking in the forest heading in the northeast direction. He was sure as to where he was going since he had maintained the same direction the proctor had pointed at the whole time. As Toshin was walking he noticed a dead fire camp that was put out not to long ago. Based on his survival skills, he knew someone was near  so he had to stay alerted.Toshin had continued walking in a secretive kind of way to keep quiet. He didn't want the people that was near to hear him at all. Toshin had spotted someone laying on the ground, it seemed they were injured by an animal. He quickly ran over to give as much assistance as he could. The young man started laughing , as a whole group of men came behind him strangling him. They didn't kill him, it seemed they need him for something. Toshin was brought to their little camp. By the stuff they had Grey could tell they were bandits. He really hated bandits to him they were low-lives. Toshin searched for ways out, he didn't have time for such things but, in the current position he was in he had to make an exception. The brown haired shinobi had listened to what the bandits had wanted. They wanted a teenage kid to distract an old man carying a fourtune of gold while they stole it from him cottage like home within the forest. The first thing he would think is, who would live in a forest? Toshin had decided to go with their plan, or let them think he was going threw with it.  They had decided to untie Grey since he was going threw with the plan, what a mistake that was as he jumped in the air. "Fire Style : Misty Flame Dance" he said in mid air. Gaseous smoke had been exhaled from his mouth as he would cover his mouth and quickly escape the scene. Toshin started jumping on tree branches and now switched to high ground in case something like this would have every happened again. He couldn't afford for it too anyway, not that now he had four days and a half. It was late in the afternoon where Grey had spotted yet another river, where he could take a quick water break. He jumped from a tree branch and landed on the ground as softly as possible. He headed towards the river and washed his face a drank some water from it. He felt kind of refreshed and at some of his bread that was given to him. Out a little bit more northeast of the direction he was headed, Grey would see a tall shady figure. It could possibly be the Ivory Tower. Toshin began sprinting on ground  as fast as he could so that this way he could reach their before anyone else. He had passed many trees over and over and fell a couple times, but after everything started to clear up and stopped and pause as he saw the Ivory Tower. It was very tall and snowy white. It looked like an ancient place to Grey, so he entered in. He had thought he was the first to reach but three other genin had beat him to it. He wasn't very happy about it, he had planned to come first but he had to make due of what was happening. It seemed they had moved faster then Toshin, and that gave him competition. He would walk pass them and wait around wondering what would happen next if the others made it or not.

Code:

Chakra Used : 135/150

Name: Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu (火遁・豪火球の術 ~ Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu)
Canon/Custom: Canon
Rank: C
Type: Offensive
Element: Katon
Range: 80 metres
Specialty: Ninjutsu
Duration: 1 post
Cooldown: 3 posts
Description: The user forms the Tiger hand seal and breathes deep, filling their throat and lungs with chakra. They then exhale this chakra as a massive orb of roaring flames. It can either be fired as a gigantic sphere of flame or used as a flame-thrower style stream of flames. Either way, the released flames will engulf their target, causing second degree burns to all exposed flesh. The ball of flame will be the size of a bus, regardless of which form it is used in. When used as a flame-thrower, the attack will extend 15 metres in-front of the user. When the user stops breathing the stream of flame or a post lapses, the stream will end and the fireball will simply evaporate. When used as a fireball the sphere will travel at 30 mph. While this form of the attack can travel 80 metres, after it spans 25 metres it will begin to fade, gradually shrinking and becoming less potent. After 50 metres, it can only cause mild first degree burns.

Wordcount : 1803/1500

Any questions?

Masanori stepped forward out of the line of genin, silently walking towards the death waiver table. He had no questions, and he had no time to waste. The sooner he got started, the sooner he could get the fuck out of the desert. He could feel a thousand eyes glued to him as he dragged the fountain pen across the parchment before handling it to a grim faced Jounin. Signing the waiver didn't bother him, he had known coming into this that he could die, hell, the geography itself was trying to kill him here. He stepped silently along to the next table, picking up a small bottle of water and a loaf of bread. The water was irrelevant to him, he could create enough water to fuel the entire genin population that surrounded him, keeping himself stocked with fresh water was no issue.

Unscrewing the cap on the water bottle he had been provided, Masanori held it up before the other genin in his right hand before slowly tipping it out into the sand at his feet. He took a moment to stare into the assembled horde as he screwed the lid back onto the now empty water bottle before turning and began to walk into the desert with his loaf of bread and empty bottle in hand. It was a bold statement, to say the least, a statement to all his competitors that he didn't even need his limited provisions. Hopefully, it would intimidate some of the weaker kids, causing them to chicken out and lose the will to partake. The less people he had to potentially face later on the better. Still, his confidence was mostly brovado. He was walking into the heart of the desert and it fucking terrified him.

It was easy to walk Northwest with so many points of reference around, but Masanori knew that soon these points of reference would dissolve into nothing. That, and travelling during the day was suicide for him. He had to find somewhere to take shelter, somewhere where he could hide from the sun until the stars came out to act as a reference point. His eyes hooked on a small mountainous point in the distance, probably 10-15 minutes sprint away from his current location. He'd been walking for about half an hour now, and he could already feel the sun forcing his body temperature up."Genbu..." Masanori spoke softly, his voice clearly shaky as he addressed the small turtle that lived inside his stomach. "I'm going to start running. I'm going to need you to keep pumping me full of water for as long as you can. I'm sorry, I know this willbe hard on you, but we'll get to some shelter, make a nice swimming pool and relax until the sun goes down afterwards, I promise. Then we'll just have a nice peaceful jog through the night." As he spoke, Masanori slowly increased his pace, rising from a fast walk to a full on sprint over the course of his speech to the little turtle. Genbu seemed to comprehend his instructions, as moments after they gained pace, Masanori felt the cool chill of fresh icy water being pumped into his system.

Masanori and his turtle ran fast as their aquatic bodies could carry them through the dunes. The heat was disgusting, but they had adjusted reasonably well. Masanori still felt sick in this environment, it made his skin crawl and his heart race. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of his family, of his mother and father, of his aunt, and of his long lost girlfriend. Images of happier times flooded through his mind and kept him focused as his feet pounded forward across the soft sand. By the time Masanori reached the small rocky hill he had seen previously, Genbu had run out of stamina, and as such Masanori had to run the last few minutes without assistance. By the time he reached the shade, he could feel his outer layers beginning to bubble. As soon as he reached the shaded stone reservoir, Masanori withdrew his sword from it's sheath, aiming the tip towards north west as he laid it down on the stone. His blade would act as an arrow, pointing towards the north west. This would let him choose a star to follow at night. Stepping over a fair way from the blade to ensure he didn't disturb it, Masanori pressed the palm of his hand into the ground, causing it to rapidly cave in, forming a deep reservoir, four metres deep and roughly 10 metres in diametre. Lifting Genbu out of his chest, Masanori sat him on the edge of the pit as he began to spew out a powerful torrent of water into the reservoir, slowly but surely filling up the swimming pool. Genbu leapt cheerfully into the water while Masanori got undressed, joining him in the tide. As he stepped in, Masanori turned to liquid, allowing the cool clean liquid to cleanse his body of the rancid heat that he had built up.

The sky above the pair was lit up with stars, as the moon just started to claw it's way up the sky. Masanori and Genbu had been napping in their pool for the better part of eight hours now, and finally it was dark enough to navigate by the stars. Genbu moved back into his typical home inside Masanori's chest, who got himself dressed before stepping over to his sword. His eyes darted up between the blade and the sky, until finally he locked his eyes on a constellation of sorts. Three bright stars, forming a distinct diagonal line that stood out from the surrounding stars. Picking up the sword and sliding it back into it's sheath, Masanori began to head in a straight line for the star in question, running as fast as his feet could carry him. The desert was dry, even at night, but the sand didn't hold heat, which made it get damn cold. It reminded Masanori of his days in Yukigakure, where the wind rippled through the town after coming off the ice. It probably made the other genin uncomfortable, but for Masanori it helped him run. Anything that reminded him of home, especially in this place, was an incredibly powerful motivator. Masanori's first night of running was ultimately uneventful. He only saw one other genin, a kid who was running in the distance to his left, albeit slower than Masanori's impressive pace. He was probably far more tired than Masanori though, who had the benefit of a day's nap in a pool of cool water. Masanori kept up a solid pace for three hours, before a sharp grinding in his stomach caught his attention. Masanori paused, pulling his plastic water bottle out of his pocket. It was full once more, thanks to the large reservoir he created earlier. He took a deep sip from the bottle before stowing it again and pulling out the loaf of bread. Masanori broke the loaf in half, putting half of it back in the pocket and tearing into the other half like a rabid animal.

As soon as he finished his half a loaf, Masanori began running once again. Every couple of minutes, Masanori would glance up, making sure he was still following the right stars. He carried up on this path until the sign of first light. His priority immediately changed to finding shelter, as Masanori knew well enough that as soon as he tried to travel during the day he'd get heat stroke and fucking collapse. This time, there would be nobody left to save him, either. There was no mountainous areas around, however, so another covered area for a swimming pool was out of the question. To his left, however, Masanori could see a small, blurry patch of blue and green. An... an oasis? Making a sharp left, Masanori began to run towards the Oasis at pace, trying to take advantage of the last of the fleeting cool air of the early morning. His original assumption was accurate, and soon Masanori found himself walking into a small Oasis. Several tall green trees sat around a deep blue sparkling pond, a small patch of life in an endless sea of death. Masanori removed Genbu from his chest, placing it gently on the sand a few feet away from the water, removing his last bit of food from his pocket as well as his sword before dive bombing into the water. Like usual, Masanori turned to water and began to swim around, enjoying the deep cool liquid as it shot through his body.

A few minutes after he dove in, Masanori surfaced. Normally Genbu was quite playful, but he hadn't seen him underwater yet. Rising to the surface, Masanori saw Genbu standing at the edge of the water, sniffing it wearily. "What's wrong Genbu?" Masanori asked with concern. If Genbu didn't trust water, something was wrong. Opening his mouth, Masanori took a small mouthful of the pond, and instantly he knew what was wrong. Masanori reformed instantly, spitting out the water before dragging himself out of the Oasis. Stripping off, Masanori walked out into the desert a few feet, aiming his head into the sky and creating a stream of clean water to spit into the air, only to have it fall back down on him, creating a DIY shower. As soon as he'd washed the pond water off, Masanori walked over to Genbu, moving him away from the water. Already he could see the effects starting to take place. Small hives were breaking out across his skin, bright red patches as his flesh reacted violently to the toxic water. He'd heard about this from his father. Yudokuna, he called it. A type of water that exposure to causes violently allergic reactions. When imbibed, it causes seizures and cardiac arrest, which tends to show up in dry places. Hozuki were always weary to train their own about what they were swimming in, and as such Masanori should have known better. If he'd drank any of it he'd be fucking dead. Hell, he probably would have if it weren't for Genbu.

Masanori worked tirelessly to erect a small shelter next to the Oasis, trying desperately to ignore the burning sensation coming from the hives that covered his body. The ones on his hands, especially, screamed in agony as he was forced to work with them to tear down one of the thinner, less rooted trees. Drawing a couple of kunai, Masanori began to split the wood down the centre, bashing the tip into the base before leap frogging kunai after kunai down the crack, using them as wedges to force it apart. He did this again with each half piece of tree, forming four distinct stakes before lodging each one into the sand. He wet the sand around these poles, helping it clump up more as he compacted the area around it. Taking off his shirt, Masanori hung it from the poles, creating a small sun shade area. Snuggling up next to Genbu, who had dug himself a small swimming pool [which he had filled] as he refused to take him inside himself, just in case he was more infected than he thought he was, he wasn't taking Genbu with him. Shutting his eyes, Masanori tried to ignore the burning and itching coming from his hives and get some much needed sleep. It took awhile, but after an hour or so, Masanori finally blacked out.

The slick flipper of Genbu began to tap gently on Masanori's forehead, rousing him from his sleep. As soon as Masanori opened his eyes, Genbu began pointing frantically in the distance. Masanori sat up suddenly, looking at the source of distress. A large wolf was walking across the dunes near the pair, sniffing the wind as it tried to find a meal. Leaping up, Masanori grabbed his katana, pulling her out of her sheath before beginning to sprint as fast as he could towards the wolf. The beast heard the approaching ninja and turned to 'deal with him', bearing his teeth before charging forward in kind. It met with a quick end, however, as Masanori drove the tip straight through the bottom of his jaw. Masanori removed his shirt from the poles he strung up, slipping it on beore tearing down the poles, breaking them up into smaller chunks. Masanori dropped the carcass of the wolf next to his former camp, drawing a kunai and getting to work on cutting it up. After a few minutes, he'd skinned one of it's front legs and removed it from the main body. Drawing another kunai, Masanori dragged them against one another under his wood stack, eventually lighting a few sparks that caught the thin light fibres of the wood. Soon, Masanori had a powerful camp fire, to which he held the thigh. After almost an hour of holding the thigh inside the fire, Masanori had a solid chunk of edible meat. He took a brief moment to eat some of the tender hot meat with the leftover half of his bread. Staring at his arms, Masanori noted that his hives had mostly faded, though a few persistent ones hung around, albeit smaller.

Leaving the rest of the carcass behind, Masanori put Genbu back inside himself, now confident that he wasn't going to die, and began to follow his guiding star again, taking his hunk of cooked meat with him for provisions. The next two days of Masanori's trip was bland, to say the least. He ran all night, erected a shade patch and slept during the day. He gnawed at the hunk of meat every time he got hungry, which more than satiated him with rationing. Genbu could go a month without eating, so thankfully Masanori didn't have to worry about feeding him. On the morning of the fourth day, Masanori saw a long white spire piercing through the horizon. Pushing on, Masanori soon found that the spire was, as he expected, the tip of the Ivory Tower. It was built out of pure white brick, with a single entrance arch on one side. As Masanori approached the entrance, he was welcomed in by two Sunagakure shinobi, both dressed in the traditional flak jacket of their village. It didn't truly register, however, until Masanori sat down in a soft chair inside one of the rooms of the tower. Leaning back, he rested his head against the wall, a smile breaking out across his face for the first time in days. He survived the fucking desert!

Word Count: 2474

Day 1

"Any questions?"

Mitsuo looked around the room at the shinobi who were left after the initial signing of the waiver. He counted twenty-four, which was considerably less than they had walked into the room with. He recognized a few of them from Konoha, notably Ukiyo, a young girl he had fought against his sensei with recently, and they had actually managed to win the fight together. He thought perhaps they may be able to help each other once the exam started, though this seemed like it would be more of a solo thing. He also noticed Ebi, Kaito, a young man he had been in the academy with as well, and who he had bumped into a few times since the exams started. He smiled when he saw that the very handsome Kichirou was still around, his traveling partner from when he made his way to Suna, who really saved him from the boring trip.

He also saw a few of the people he had met earlier in the week before the exams, such as the young Suna-nin who had defiantly stood up against him and Kaito, two foreign and unknown opponents, and showed no fear. His name was Daimon, and he had earned Mitsuo's respect with his actions over the days that he had known him. He saw the group of Kumo nin that he had met as well, consisting of Juyo, Ikki and Ukio. They could potentially be trouble as well if Mitsuo had to run into them, specifically Ukio. If his suspicions were true he was a member of the Uchiha clan and they always meant trouble.

Then he spotted him, the man who Mitsuo wanted, more than anything else, to defeat and take away his pride. The shinobi he had fought earlier on in the week and who had beaten him with relative ease. He glared hotly at Masanori, though his glare wasn't met by the cold eyes of his rival. He just shook his head and made his way out of the room. He had made sure to grab himself a couple of packs of cigarettes before he had been told the Exams were about to start and now he was glad that he had done so, assuming that this was going to be a long few days.

Mitsuo entered the desert and looked out to see if he could spot the Ivory Tower that they had been told about, knowing that it was probably no use. Even if he could have seen it regularly, his eyesight was poor to begin with and even with his glasses in this heat they kept fogging up and sweat kept getting into his eyes, making them sting. He still had the string he had installed to his glasses earlier on in the week so that they wouldn't slide down his nose and he was thankful for this. He had decided to hang around a little while longer before some of the Suna nin had began to make their way out so that he could hopefully follow their tracks and make his way to the tower.

His strategy wasn't necessarily paying off the best as because of the wind it was hard to keep an eye on the tracks on the ground. He knew that he was going to have problems finding his way in the heat, thinking becoming more difficult as dehydration would eventually set in due to him needing to save his water. He looked at the vast desert ahead of him and shook his head before hearing soft footfalls behind him. He wasn't sure what it was that was approaching but it wasn't quite silent enough to avoid the detection of the ninja as he turned around and looked, not realizing exactly what he was looking at until it would have been to late for any of the animals normal prey. Fortunately for Mitsuo, that wasn't him.

He smiled as Chisoku, his pet cheetah, approached him, his tan fur blending into the sand nicely. He knew that his companion would be better accustomed to these landscapes being more of a desert dweller than he was, and he decided to stick close to him, allowing him to show him the way. Mitsuo went to rub his big cat's head between the ears, causing the cheetah to purr his approval at the gesture before wandering on, his tail flicking like a rudder in the wind and his whiskers constantly twitching to help him find his direction. Mitsuo took a small swig of his water and looked at the small canteen, realizing that even a "small swig" was quite a bit. He ate a small amount of his bread and decided that he would have to be more conservative with his rations.

When the night came he was glad that he had his traveling cloak with him, finding a place to rest and wrapping the cloak tightly over him so that he would be able to keep warm, also sending Chisoku out to hunt during the night. He wouldn't create a fire for warmth, instead relying on his cloak and, on his companions triumphant return with some small game, the warm cheetah. He wasn't accustomed to eating raw meat but in the circumstance he would have to put up with it, as his bread was mostly gone, as well as his water, and he didn't want to have to finish them before the day. He ate the food that his friend had brought him, sharing with the cheetah and smiling softly before drifting off, being careful to completely cover himself to conceal his position so no prying eyes would be able to kill him in his sleep and eliminate some of the competition.

Day 2

Mitsuo awoke in the morning sore and stiff, knowing that the hard ground probably hadn't been the best place to rest, though there wasn't many other options for him. He shook the sand out of his cloak and reached for his canteen, taking a swig to parch his dry throat and quickly realizing he was about to completely empty it. He shook his head and realized that he had probably just created a huge problem for himself as his journey continued, as water would be the key to surviving this test. He really didn't want to have to drink his own urine but he knew that if it came down to it that would be the only option and he would have to take it.

He looked to the sky and saw the sun beginning to rise, taking this as his queue to move on towards where it was coming from, as he had remembered the direction in which the proctor had pointed was the direction of the rising sun. If he kept this in mind he should have no issues making his way towards the tower. Chisoku was already out hunting for food and Mitsuo decided that he could start his journey without his friend today, knowing that Chisoku always found his way back to him. He took the hunk of bread out of his pouch and took another few small bites, only having about a quarter of it left after he had done so but feeling slightly better.

As he marched towards the rising sun he could hear noises in the distance. It sounded like gruff voices and he wasn't sure what to make of them, perhaps they were a group of genin up ahead who were making their way to the tower as well. He decided this would be the most likely case and that he probably shouldn't worry about it until he heard a blood curdling scream crack through the air followed by muffled silence. Some poor woman was in trouble and, exams or not, Mitsuo wasn't someone to abandon someone in need. Removing his shirt and covering himself in the sand, which stuck to his sweaty body nicely and made for excellent camouflage, he made his way towards the noises.

Within ten minutes he could see them, a group of about five bandits were marching in a caravan with a poor young girl, perhaps around Mitsuo's age, slung over one of the brutes' shoulders and tied up and gagged. He knew that this had to be who he heard scream and he wasn't sure what they were going to do to her, but he knew that it wouldn't be pleasant. He quietly approached as closely as he could without them seeing him and listened to bits of their conversation.

Oi, why'd we 'ave to snatch dis 'un, she's jus' a distraction keepin' us from doin' our job. one of the bandits said, an older man with few teeth. He stood at about five foot eight and looked rather thin, possibly a good first target if Mitsuo wanted to quickly take one of their numbers down. He looked to the bruiser carrying the girl and realized that of the five of them that man would probably give him the most trouble. He was six feet tall and probably about three-hundred pounds of pure solid muscle. Mitsuo assumed that the ripped vest he was wearing hadn't been a vest when the man had originally gotten it. He looked at the group and decided that he would have to strike quickly, being careful when taking out the big man as he could possibly hurt the woman who was captured.

Mitsuo didn't care what the others had to say. He inhaled deeply when they got close enough to where he was laying belly down on the ground and then exhaled a torrent of wind into the sand, kicking up a sandstorm and blinding the enemy to his oncoming attack. As soon as this was done he jumped into the melee and found the big man, quickly drawing his sword as he had seen Masa do in his fight with him and slashing at the man's hamstrings, causing him to fall to his knees. He caught the girl before she hit the ground and quickly made his way out of the sand, laying her down and covering her with his cloak so they couldn't see her as easily.

By this time the dust had started to clear and he could see the big man barking orders, hefting a large axe into his hands from his knees, clearly not wanting to miss out on this fight. Mitsuo decided that this man could now be left for last as his movement would be slow and made his way towards the older man he had seen earlier. The older bandit had drawn a knife and was swinging it wildly in Mitsuo's direction, which didn't bother Mitsuo one bit. He ran at the man, using his superior speed to his advantage, and just before coming into range of his knife, he jumped over him so that he landed behind and brought his tanto across the man's throat, bleeding him dry.

The next one was a lot younger, maybe a few years older than Mitsuo. He had a pair of chains in his hands and was swinging them back and forth, looking like he prepared to trip Mitsuo up with him. Unbeknownst to the bandits however, Mitsuo had caught sight of a flash of white behind the band earlier, something stalking in the shadows of the sand. He smiled as the chain wielding bandit began to advance at him, forming a quick hand sign and saying loudly "Koiru Bane no Jutsu!" The bandit looked confused for only a second before a streak of tan and black fur barreled through the air, pouncing onto him and knocking him to the ground. As soon as Chisoku got him down he bit down into the man's jugular vein before running back out of the fight, preparing to line up another fight.

The remaining three bandits had seen the cheetah attack and began to show signs of fear and hesitation, which was just what Mitsuo was hoping for. The two who were still standing went back to back, which to be fair wasn't a horrible idea, but they also didn't know who they were dealing with. Mitsuo had quickly realized which way the wind was blowing and had adjusted his positioning appropriately before quickly re-sheathing his weapons, forming a horse hand sign, and spewing out a thick cloud of gunpowder, which engulfed the two bandits at their close range. He could hear their confused shouts and coughing within before he bit down on the flint in the back of his teeth.

K-TCH!

He didn't need to watch the ignition to know that they had both been seared to the bone, their bonechilling screams followed by absolute silence enough to tell him that the two bandits were no more. He turned his attention back to the big man, who was still on his knees far away, in obvious pain as the sand was getting into his wounds. Mitsuo redrew his Katana and walked up to the man, tip pointed at his throat as he did. Chisoku jumped at him and wrestled the axe out of the meat cleavers the man called hands, dragging it out of the mans reach so that he could see realize the dire situation that he was currently in.

"I don't understand why people like you believe that it is okay to do whatever you wish whenever you want to do it." Mitsuo began, his anger apparent at the idea of the atrocities that these men were going to perform on the poor girl he had rescued. "You are swine, blaming society for the horrid paths you have chosen, paths that can only end in death. Bastards like you need to be taught a lesson, but sadly you will not learn such a lesson on this day. I would love to cut off your penis and leave you here to die in the sand but I am not a cruel man. I will kill you where you stand, or currently where you kneel."

The bandit leader spat at Mitsuo, clearly not having any of his speech. "You think you're so much better than me boy? You know nothing of life or loss. You know nothing of hardship." The bandit had made a mistake with these words, making Mitsuo think back to his conversation with Masanori. He hated that man for what he had said and done to him and Mitsuo would take out that anger on this man, using all of his speed to run back and forth, cutting the man with a thousand small cuts all over his body, not enough to kill him outright (The cuts to his legs would do that eventually) but enough to make it so that nothing he could do wouldn't cause him immense pain. Mitsuo had made it so that if the wind picked up at all the mans cuts would be covered in sand, and he would feel true pain. After doing this he walked up behind him and kicked him in the back, making him fall to the ground, relishing in the mans screams.

"You'll wish you hadn't messed with me, Masanori..." Mitsuo left the man to die in the sand, cleaning his weapons before returning them to their dormant positions and patting Chisoku before moving to check on the girl. He lifted his cloak from over her and untied and bound her, freeing her arms so that she could wrap them around him and pull him into a tight hug. He smiled at her appreciation, assuring her that he couldn't leave anyone at the mercy of scum like the bandits and promising that they would never bother her again as he brought her along for the trip.

It didn't take long before he found some cacti, cutting them opened to fill his canteen with some of the juices, along with an extra he had taken from one of the bodies of the bandits. He handed the extra to the girl as they continued their trek forward. He smiled when they stopped for the night, Chisoku bringing them some food for the night. They ate and fell asleep easily after the days events, the three of them all huddling together to keep warm. The girl seemed a little surprised when Mitsuo didn't try to make a pass at her before he told her that she sadly wasn't his type, and that he had a boyfriend waiting back home. She returned his smile as they drifted off into the night.

Day 3

It didn't take them long at all to spot the snow white tower the next day, looking like it would be a straight trip that shouldn't take them too long. Mitsuo and the girl he had rescued, who had told him her name was Tenmei, made the trip mostly smoothly, stopping for another quick bite to eat when Chisoku brought them more food. He had never been so exhausted in his entire life, the heat really bothering him but the comraderie of having Tenmei and Chisoku with him made the rest of the trek more bareable as he picked her up and ran as quickly as he could to the tower gates, cheering when he could see them and running through them happily. He wasn't sure who else had made it but he looked for his Konoha friends and for Masanori, personally hoping he had survived the desert so that Mitsuo could teach him the same lesson he had taught the bandit leader.

Looks like we made it, eh nii-san? I didn't think I'd be able to get through that but thanks to Chisoku helping me through I managed to get by. I don't think I could have done it without him.

Mitsuo lead Tenmei to one of the proctors so that they could look after her as he made his way to one of the waiting rooms in the tower with Chisoku, patting his cheetah friend's head as he walked along, a big smile on his face and a smoke in his free hand. He had survived the first trial of the chuunin exams, but he knew that the worst was yet to come.

(3130/1500)

The hot wind blared hard from the southwest, kicking up loose grains of sand in the air.  A huge crowd had gathered underneath the desert sun today, as a huge group of Genin from ninja villages all around the world.  Sweat was already accumulating on Juyo’s brow as he listened to the proctor announce the instructions for the first stage of the Chuunin Exams.  A part of him was still in doubt that he was really there, and he had really made it to the Exams.  He had arrived just the day before, barely making it into the exams.  Now he was standing with a group of other Kumo-nin, signing a waiver for his life, as he was to start a journey to an Ivory Tower.

Beginning his trek with the other Genin, Juyo took his time, setting a slow pace that he could manage.  There were several Genin that started running off in an attempt to get a heads start, maybe, or possibly to try and finish first.  He kept his focus on one thing: survival.  The desert heat was crazy to Juyo, having come from Kumo, a village high in the mountains, there was plenty of moisture and cool winds.  Suna’s deserts were too much, and he only was allotted a day’s worth of food and water.  He needed to be smart about this trek if he was going to make it to the Ivory Tower alive.  Looking around at the vast expanse of sand, he seemed to be lost.  One thing was good about having nervous parents that kept checking his supplies and making sure he was prepared for the Chuunin Exams.  It was thanks to Ein’s, his mother, advice for traveling that had gotten both Juyo and Ikki to Suna in one piece.  Now again it seemed his mother would guide him through the Chuunin Exams.  Looking toward the sky, Juyo noted the position of the sun.  It was still morning, so the sun was just near the middle of the sky, yet it wasn’t.  Shining brightly in the clear, dry sky he could tell it was still rising from the east.  Turning so that his right shoulder was aimed at the sun, he knew that he was facing north.  A slight adjustment to put the sun slightly at his back, and now he was facing northwest just like the proctor had said before beginning the Exam.

A slow march under a constantly berating sun was torture to Juyo, hours passed by as if they were days.  His source of water only got lower even as he tried to control his thirst and ration it.  There was no telling if he’d ever find a source of water, so Juyo’s plan was to make his supplies last.  Every time he took a sip, he checked the position of the sun and his direction of travel.  Only two times had he caught himself wandering off the correct direction.  By nightfall Juyo was soaking in his own sweat, his own Iron scent was so heavy and thick that he couldn’t take it.  If he had had the water to spare, he would’ve tried to wash away some of the smell.  He searched for somewhere to rest for the night, but there wasn’t any perfect place to just find shelter or make one in a desert.  In just a matter of minutes the temperature dropped suddenly, and with all the sweat that Juyo had produced he was quickly chilled to the bone.  Trying to evade the cold winds, Juyo ducked down in between two large sand dunes, blocking the harsher winds, yet some calmer ones flowed through as well.  It was the best that he could do, so he hunkered down, using his supply bag to shield him from some of the wind and the slope of a sand dune for a pillow.

Waking up to the bright sun, Juyo was off to another hot day.  He felt that his mind was playing tricks on him, but it felt hotter than the day before, if it were possible.   Climbing up to a sand dune, he checked his direction with the sun once more before continuing his journey northwest to the Ivory Tower.  This time he decided he wouldn’t let the heat get to his head and make the day feel longer than it should be.  Instead, he was set on thinking about the reasons for why this was part of the Chuunin Exams to keep his mind off of the time, his thirst, and his hunger.  Most likely the ones in charge for setting up the event were using this to test the Genins’ will to live and survive when it matters.  There’d be plenty of travelling and surviving needed in the shinobi world.  Also, knowing your way around without a compass or map is also a requirement for a Chuunin, as missions don’t always go as planned.  There would be times ahead that a ninja would need to know his way without simple tools to guide him.

Climbing up another sand dune, Juyo found a group of four men on the other side, dragging a girl along the desert.  He slid back behind the dune, peeking over its crest.  It had been too late, the heat and lack of proper nutrition had slowed Juyo’s reaction time.  One of the men had seen him and called out to him.  Reluctantly he obliged, climbing back on top of the dune.  He looked down upon the men, one of them had grabbed the girl for defense while the other three got ready to fight.  One had two kunai in his hands while his partners pulled out their swords.  Juyo stepped forward, judging the distance until he knew they were within range of his genjutsu.  Immediately upon closing in to within fifty meters of the small group, Juyo put all three of the armed men under his False Clone genjutsu.  Directing the illusion off to their right, Juyo simply walked forward, taking advantage of the situation.  He welded his lightning chakra together to form three long javelin shaped lightning bolts hovering outside his body.  Selecting each of the three armed men, Juyo shot the bolts, one at each of them.

The one with the kunai fell first, having just thrown his kunai at the illusion of Juyo.  The other two fell in succession as well, not realizing what had happened until it was too late.  The fourth man, however,  screamed at the real Juyo, as he was unaffected by Juyo’s genjutsu and had tried warning his partners.  “What are you doing?” he had yelled, “The kid’s right in front of you, why are you turning to the right??!!”  His yells were in vain, but this time he yelled at Juyo, and this wouldn’t be in vain.  “You ain’t fooling me, kid! I’m gonna kill you for what you done!”  He had a kunai at the girl’s throat, she cried out to Juyo but her voice came out in a struggle that turned to a gurgle as her throat was cut wide open.  Blood began flowing before Juyo, staining the sand with its first source of liquid.  Juyo screamed in anger at the man as they both rushed at each other, each with a kunai in hand.

The strikes hit and in the end, the man fell.  Juyo had reacted slowly, but just enough to save him, avoiding a direct cut from the man’s kunai while placing his in the man’s throat.  The man fell gasping for breath, twitching and holding his hands over his throat as if trying to hold back the blood from leaving his body.  Juyo paid no attention to the man, but ran straight to the girl’s bleeding body.  She was still alive, but fading fast, the slit in her throat was deep, and blood kept flowing.  In a desperate attempt to save the girl, he tore off a piece of his shirt, wrapping it around the girl’s neck.  The blood kept flowing and Juyo went into shock. What should I do, what can I do? he asked himself.  She needs a doctor, or a medical ninja.  “Hold on,” he told the dying girl, “Just hold on!!”  Picking her up, Juyo stood up with her in his arms, bending against gravity as if she was already dead, blood still flowing from her neck.  He was in such a state of shock and disbelief, his eyes as wide as ever, he pressed on in a wild sprint to the northwest.  He had to get to the Ivory Tower.  He needed to get the proctors!  He had to save the girl!

Juyo ran on through the rest of the day, carrying the girl in his arms,.  Her body bounced and twisted with his rapid movements but he still did not stop.  It was as if he had gone feral like what happens to those of his clan, yet it was more because he was in shock.  Night came and he still ran on like a mad man.  He kept looking down at the girl’s lifeless body, but somehow he still saw life when there was none, and yelled at her to stay with him.  She looked to have been only eight or nine years old.  Why would such a thing happen to a girl her age?  Were the gods truly this cruel?  Juyo wasn’t one for spirituality or religion, but during his mad run that continued to the third day, he found himself praying to the gods to give him strength.  He stopped only to give water to the girl, giving himself only a bite of bread and sip of water.  The small bits of bread that he ate weren’t enough to help his body snap out of its madness, and he kept on running.  By noon he had run his feet til they were raw and bleeding from all of the sand rubbing against them in his sandals.  Juyo’s face didn’t flinch however, only keeping it’s insane look as he glanced at the sun, then in front of him, then at the dead girl’s body.  By the late afternoon he managed to arrive at the Ivory Tower.  Stepping inside was a huge relief to him, and once inside he called out, “HELLLOOO,” his voice hoarse from his yelling at the girl to stay alive and to stick with him.  “SOMEBODY, HELP!  THIS GIRL….” He yelled with all of his might, tears flowing down his face in a mad rush.  But the sense of safety that the tower had given his psyche had eliminated all of the shock and adrenaline.  Exhausted and hurt, he dropped to his knees, “….needs…” he said in a weak voice now, his arms falling under the girl’s weight and exhaustion, her body dropping to the floor with a lifeless thud.  “….help.” he managed to get out, though only at a faint whisper, falling upon the girl as he passed out.   Everything went black as his tear-soaked face reached the floor of the Ivory Tower.

Chakra 120/150:

Day 1

Mizuto couldn't keep still, surrounded by Genin from all Five Great Villages. Receiving his waiver, Mizuto read carefully. Paling when he read he may not live to see another human being again, he very briefly considered burning the waiver and running back home for the comfort and safety of his bed. Shaking his head, Mizuto grabbed a pen and signed his name in the waiver book. "No way in hell I'm going to back out now. This place, this desert, is a Sabaku's playground. I could do this with my eyes closed." Receiving a single loaf of bread and a flask of water, Mizuto was glad he prepared. Having spent most of the morning eating, Mizuto did feel sluggish, but he was sure he could go a couple days on only a few pieces of bread. Water, however, Mizuto was worried about. With only the small amount of water he had been given, Mizuto knew he couldn't last more than four days in the hot sun. Making his way to the gate, Mizuto looked around in hopes he could see the Ivory Tower. Not being able to see his destination over the majestic white dunes of sand, Mizuto shrugged. Walking off in a direction that he hoped would get him to his destination, he made his way confidently away from the lost ninja hoping to follow him. Using his Sabaton to wipe away the tracks he left in the sand, Mizuto felt the hot sun showering him in comforting warmth.

After walking in one direction for what he was sure was an hour, Mizuto stopped to take a sip of water. Crouching on a knee, Mizuto contemplated how far he needed to go to find the giant, white tower. "This is ridiculous, I've lived in this village all of my life, and never have I heard of some giant tower in the middle of the desert. This place is going to kill me." Smiling at the gruesome comment, Mizuto capped the water and placed it in his gourd, stored snugly in the sand. Standing back up, Mizuto walked along his set path. Seeing a lizard walking slightly ahead of him, Mizuto decided he would follow it to see where it went. On one hand, he could get closer to the tower and beat the other competitors there by a few days. On the other hand, he could have already gone crazy and this lizard was leading him to a horrible death. Grinning, Mizuto spoke to the lizard. "You know, you and I aren't so different. I'm in this desert to make a name for myself, you are in this desert trying to survive. Either way, we are both here to be winners. And by the end of this day, we'll be friends, I know it." Losing the grin on his face, Mizuto laughed. "I guess I am going crazy."

Still following the sand dwelling lizard, Mizuto stared at the red sky. Guessing it was around Six in the afternoon, Mizuto knew he needed to find a place to stay before the sun dipped over the dunes. Knowing how cold the night could get in the desert, Mizuto stared off into the horizon. Turning his attention to the lizard, walking casually through the desert like he was on his way to buy some fruit from the Bazaar, Mizuto frowned. "Do you have any idea where you are going, or are you just as lost as me? We have been walking through this wasteland for a few hours, don't you need. food? Water?" Feeling sad, Mizuto picked up his pace to walk aside the lizard. Now fully noticing his presence, the lizard stopped his trek to stare at the Sabaku. "Don't you have a family, man? Why are you walking to nowhere?" The lizard, ignoring the shinobi's questions, turned and continued his way to his destination. Sighing, the Sand-nin followed sadly behind the lizard. Suddenly, the lizard darted quickly over a sand dune, startling Mizuto out of his blue mood. Crouching down and checking his surroundings, Mizuto awaited an attack from anywhere, even the sand beneath his feet. Seeing and hearing nothing, Mizuto slowly crept up the sand dune. There, on the other side, was something that Mizuto would see in his dreams for years to come. A pristine, beautiful oasis sat in the sand, glinting the sun's rays off of it's blue water.  Seeing the lizard slurping up the water hungrily, Mizuto put on a grin that split his face. Running and falling down the dune, Mizuto stumbled to get to the water quickly. Reaching it's edge, Mizuto threw his gourd to the side to keep it dry and jumped into the water with a childish giggle. Ascending to the surface and slurping water, Mizuto disregarded the horrid taste in favor of wetting his dry throat. After drinking his fill, Mizuto crawled out of the water and allowed the hot, dry sand dry him off and warm him up. Falling next to the lizard, Mizuto smiled. "On this day, I swear to uphold the honor of all lizards for their generosity. So this was where you were going all along, was it?" Looking back at the sky, Mizuto felt happy for the first time all day. Suddenly, a glint on the horizon caught his eye. Looking to find the anomaly, Mizuto could make out the faintest shape of a snow-white tower, barely a centimeter tall standing far in the distance. Groaning, Mizuto laid his head on the soft sand. Tomorrow, he would finish his trek to the tower. Channeling the sand to create a blanket over him, Mizuto fell asleep next to the lizard and the foul tasting oasis.  

Day 2

Jarring his head to the side, Mizuto awoke the a great session of vomiting and a burning stomach. Expelling the contents of his stomach, Mizuto felt all of yesterdays food and the foul water spilling over the cold sand beneath him. Choking and moaning, Mizuto allowed his body to expel the precious nutrients out of his body. Wiping his mouth and blinking his eyes to rid the tears, Mizuto was left huffing air. "What the *huff* hell *gasp* happened last night?" Taking a deep breath through his nose, Mizuto gagged at the offending smell. Turning his head, Mizuto caught sight of what looked like a horribly decomposed man floating in the clear water. Falling on his back and stumbling to put room between him and the corpse, Mizuto was starting the day like a true shinobi. "I...I drank so much..." Vomiting the little fluids still in his body, Mizuto lay in a crumpled heap on the sand, the sun not yet over the horizon. Pulling himself to his feet slowly, Mizuto walked closer to the pool of water. Now getting a good look at the body, Mizuto could identify it as most likely a fat civilian, lost in the desert and expiring at the oasis. Retrieving his gourd, Mizuto found the lizard from the previous day laying on the soft strap, most likely hiding from predators. Smacking himself for being stupid enough to overlook the coyotes and snakes that roamed the landscape, Mizuto picked up the thorny reptile and placed him in the pocket of his cloak. Still slumbering, the lizard must not have deemed him a threat to wake up to. Angry that he was underestimated by a lizard, Mizuto strapped his gourd across his back. Setting off for the tower, he ambled across the dunes slowly. Eating half his bread to keep his energy up and replace the food he lost, Mizuto drank the last of his water. He hoped it would be enough, although he was thankful he didn't fill it up with the disgusting water back there. Throwing the flask into the sand, Mizuto stuffed a piece of bread in his pocket. Putting the rest of his bread in his gourd, albeit crushing it tremendously, Mizuto frowned. The tower still seemed so far away, enough to be an hour or two from his location. Checking his pocket, Mizuto was surprised to see most of the bread gone. "Wow, I didn't even know lizards ate bread." Feeling still somewhat hungry, he stomped the feeling down and continued on his journey.

Now very close to the tower, Mizuto reminisced on how fortunate his journey was. "Hey kids, go to the desert, go crazy and follow some lizard through miles and miles of sand for most of the day with only a loaf of bread and a flask of water. That'll get you where you want to go!" Laughing, Mizuto stopped short of the tower. Seeing a Suna proctor wave him on, Mizuto got on one knee. Taking the lizard from his pocket, Mizuto placed him back on the ground. "Well friend, I guess this is goodbye. I want you to know I'll remember all the good times we had together." Flashing back, Mizuto saw himself walking sadly behind the lizard, walking beside the lizard, and walking behind him again. Well, I guess this isn't movie worthy, but it works for me. Goodbye, friend." Noticing the lizard had long since scuttled away, Mizuto face-palmed. Getting up, he noticed the proctor had watched the entire ordeal with disappointment. "Ah c'mon, son." Hanging his head in shame, Mizuto walked past the proctor quickly. Having arrived at his location, Mizuto didn't feel as happy as he thought he would be.

Chakra:

Techniques:

Stepping up to the clay tables for Suna-nin to sign their waivers, I couldn’t help but feel a bit scared, thought I dare not show it through my face or body language.  I could be sealing my death.  No, I couldn’t think that way.  I would get through this and become a Chuunin.  I had to, it was my duty as a future matriarch of the Kōga clan!  Plus, I needed to do this for Daisuke-sama’s sake.  It’d be an insult to him if I failed in the Chuunin Exams after all that he’s taught me, especially if it was just the first round.  Signing the paper quickly, my mind was made up.  I tucked in my hair under my cape and pulled the hood over my eyes.  Today was a rather warm day for Suna, and this white cape and hood would keep the sun off of me better than most of these other Genin’s outfits.

Looking around, I noticed a few others were feeling scared as well.  A few had frantic eye movements that were so short and fast that I nearly laughed.  So much for being scared, I guess.  The proctor began to speak again, after warning us what we were going to sign up for, and now was describing the details of the first test of the Exams.  My hands started to fidget, rubbing my thumb over my fingers in a nervous gesture.  It took me a minute before I noticed what my hands were doing, and stopped it.  I couldn’t believe I was so worried about this test that I couldn’t control my own outward expressions.  What would father think of me if he had seen?  No, I just need to stay focused, not worry about what anyone else thinks.  This test is for me and me alone.

I approached the gated fence and was handed my one day’s supply of water and food.  We had been given no compasses or maps of any kind, nor were we allowed to bring any with us.  I unclipped my cape for a bit to sling the supply bags over my shoulder.  Re-snapping my cape back on and putting my hood back up, I took my first step beyond the fence.  I knew of this area that we had been told to journey across.  It had caught my eyes many times as I walked around the village.  It wasn’t too dangerous for shinobi from what I remember being told in the Ninja Academy.  That wasn’t too long ago either.  Maybe I needed more confidence in myself, I was nineteen years old for crying out loud, this should be a piece of cake.  I thought all this in my head as I made my trek through the sand.  My plan was to make use of the extra two days they gave me.  It was unwise to travel the desert for an extended amount of time under the sun.  Thankfully, I was used to the desert weather and heat and wore appropriate clothing.  The only thing that would get slightly hot would be my pants and leg armor.  I probably should’ve left my leg armor at home for this part of the exam, yet what if they were going to make use of the Ivory Tower for the second part of the Exams?  That was definitely something they could do, so I figured bringing the leg armor along was a good idea after all.

After a few hours of walking I noticed the sun was falling to the west.  Time to take my rest.  I laid down, using my bags to make a solid bed for me to lay on, then covered myself with my white cape, covering my face with the hood.  The cape was hot, but a lot less hot than if it were a darker color, and it would reflect a lot more of the sun’s heat away then it would take in.  I would need the heat anyways for when night fell, which it did soon enough.  Only a five hours sleep was the best that I could do before waking up to a wolf’s howl.  Hearing that made me jump to my feet, my hands dropping to my set of tonfas that hung in my belt.  Another howl came again, it sounded like it came from ahead of me in the direction I needed to go.  This was not good, a wolf’s howl is never good because where there was one wolf there was a pack.  I had heard of wolves living out in the desert, but it didn’t seem logical to me.  There was nothing out in this desert except sand.

I couldn’t stand there and wait for another howl, I started moving again, this time I wouldn’t just walk, I’d run.  I was a little scared of what I might be running up on, but even though there may be wolves on my route to the Ivory Tower wasn’t going to make me quit.  Those wolves would have to kill me first, but I wouldn’t just let them come and take my body.  They’d have to fight me to the death.  I just hoped it wasn’t too big of a pack.  Either way, I pressed on into the night.  I didn’t hear another howl for the rest of the night nor when it came to be the second day.  I slowed down to a walk once the sun was high enough to get the desert warm again.  Taking a drink from my canteen, I noticed it was already half empty.  A good portion of my food was gone too.  Just as I began to question it, I remembered that right before I had taken a rest the other day, I had made a little meal for myself before going to sleep.  I must not have been thinking when I had made it, because now my supplies were going to require even harder rationing.  I put my canteen back in my supply bag and continued on, upset with myself over the mistake I had made.  Mistakes like that could kill in this environment.

A few hours later, around mid-day, I spotted some small figures to the north.  I was heading northwest to the Ivory Tower, so at first I thought it could be some other Genin making there way to the tower as well, but as I squinted in the sunlight, I realized the shapes I was seeing were several four-legged creatures.  They were far off at least, I thought.  Yet just as I said that in my head, the wolf silhouettes stopped, and then started getting bigger.  It took me a bit before I realized they had most likely seen me.  Once I did, I picked up my speed to a jog, not wanting to exert too much of my energy in case they truly were on my trail.

I managed to jog for about an hour or two before they were close enough that I could hear their barking.  Once the first few barks reached my ears, I stopped, turning to face them.  What I saw was not comforting.  Coming straight towards me with nothing but feral hunger in their eyes, they came.  They came with licked lips, bloody teeth, and sandy claws.  They came as a pack of eight.  They came as one.  I shifted my stance as one made its first attack, the others encircling me.  The wolf leaped at me in the air, it’s first mistake.  Ducking down into a small somersault, I stopped halfway with my head hitting the sand.  Placing my hands on the ground, I placed an Explosive Seal on the ground while pushing up with my arms and extending my legs, catching the wolf’s stomach mid-leap.  The wolf landed sideways and whimpered back into the circle of wolves.  Just as I got back on my feet two wolves sprang at me from my left and right.  I hopped back two paces and held a tiger seal, triggering the tag I had placed down.  The two wolves collided into each other, stalling them as the tag triggered, blowing them both away.  The explosion flung the two away, disrupting the circle of wolves and they scampered off.  One wolf stopped after about fifteen meters, and looked at me.  No, he was glaring at me, as if he felt hate towards me for blowing up two of his pack.  Still glaring at me, he started a long howl that sent shivers to my spine.  This wasn’t the last I had seen of them, I knew that much as I carefully watched the dogs slip away.  They didn’t run off to more than fifty meters before stopping and looking at me.

For the next few hours it seemed like we were in a deadlock, waiting for the other to let down their guard.  I had reluctantly started my walk towards the tower again, always checking over my shoulder every five minutes.  The paranoia of it all sickened me; this wasn’t how a Kōga should act.  I should be hunting them down, but if I made a move at them, they’d just run off and maintain the distance.  I just needed to keep walking.  Eventually I knew I’d have to stop and rest, or risk falling asleep at night and let the dogs take advantage and I’d miss my chance to run while the desert sun wasn’t trying to suck away all of my energy.  There had to be a better way.

By late afternoon the wolves made another go at me.  I hadn’t been keeping up with my over-the-shoulder looks and they took advantage of it.  Had it not been for their loud panting and footsteps in the sand, I may have died that day.  Another wolf went up to me, different in color than the one that had howled at me, but the one who had leaped at me the first time.  Instead of leaping again, he sort of made a diving attack at my heels.  Before he had gotten to close, I drew out my tonfas and lit them ablaze with my Blades of Fire jutsu.  When he dove for my feet, I hopped straight up and over his mouth, coming back down hard with both Tonfas, the long shafts lit up with my Katon chakra.  The tonfas struck him in the back of his head, burning straight through his fur, the blow itself knocking him out.  Twirling my tonfas by the handles, I watched for another attack.  Sure enough, another wolf felt lucky and made a leap for me from my left.  I twirled on my toes around him, striking hard with my left tonfa in a whipped manner, burning his skin too, the blow landing on his left torso.  The wolf fell hard on his right side, slowly getting up to a limp.  The other three wolves encircled me, the one that had howled at me stepping slower, as if watching me and taking notes.  He had dark black eyes and his coat was the darkest of them all.  As my eyes followed his, he barked once and with venom, all three wolves of the pack darted in my direction in answer to the dark one’s order.  Seeing a new opportunity, I slammed my hands into the sand, creating the Fire Dome Seal.  Just as they made their various lunges and leaps at me fire lit up from the ground, creating a five meter wide dome of fire.  What fell through the flames were charred wolves.

After letting the dome sit for a few minutes, I stopped the seal.  Once the flames dissipated the dark wolf jumped at me, catching me off guard.  His mouth was open wide, his eyes aimed at my throat, I reacted instinctively, just missing his teeth, but his right paw hit me on my right collarbone.  The blow knocked me to my right and twisted him to his left so we ended up looking into each others’ eyes.  I let slip a cry when his claws dug into my skin.  It wasn’t a deep cut, but the pain was there.  He snarled at me and took a quick chop with his mouth.  I had to take a step back to dodge his teeth again, this time countering with three blows to his head with my tonfas until he jumped back.  Taking advantage of the distance, I made another jump back to lengthen the gap to five meters, then let loose three slashes and two thrusts with my tonfas at the air.  My Bolt Strike jutsu took care of the rest, sending five, half meter long bolts of lightning at the wolf.  Each one hit him and he fell to the ground, his body burnt in several places. I walked up to his body and sat on his back, placing my left tonfa underneath his neck and my right tonfa on top. With one quick thrust up with my left and down on my right, a loud crackling of neck bones hit my ears. I went to each of the other wolves that were strewn about and repeated the process, not wanting to worry about this pack ever again.

I slipped my tonfas back in between my belt and my pants, turning back to my destination.  The fight with the wolves was finally over and I was free to finish my journey to the Ivory Tower.  I walked quite a ways, wanting to distance myself from the group of wolves I had laid waste to in case there were others out there before calling it a day.  I slept with one eye open that night, always watching the crests of the sand dunes around me.  Upon the sunrise for the third day I began walking again.  I had taken the night off to recoup my energy.  By the end of the third day I had arrived safe and sound at the Ivory Tower, and received simple medical attention for my small cut on my collarbone.

Chakra 110/150:

As far it it seemed, this was a beautiful day. Also, it was a perfect day to start the exams that would change his life forever: The Chuunin Exams! The atmosphere in the village was giving everyone a hard time. Every Gennin that was there at the moment was all stressed because of the event that was going to start in any minute from then. The sky was full of clouds and it was looking like it was about to start raining. It would've been good if the sky would start pouring over the heads of all the ninja that were there at the moment, but, after some fast-passed minutes, the clouds disappeared without a single "Puff". The sun beat down on the Land of Wind. Just like any other day. The rays of that golden orb never seemed to cease their illumination of this desert land, yet somehow this day seemed more vulnerable, more receptive to the overwhelming heat of the sun. This place, the edge of the civilized areas of the Land of Wind was practically the northern border of the village.

Everyone was heading to the Kazekage's Main Building, so, Ayane decided to do like so. After some minutes from when he arrived, at the second floor's balcony appeared a man in a black coat. The gennin from the Hidden Sand Village were starting to talk one with another: "This is the Kazakage's right man hand! Why would he be there instead of the Kazegake? She must've taken care of these things!" Ayane was standing there on his foot, looking more acurately at the man in the balcony. He was having medium sized grey hair that was fitting him perfectly. There was no expresion on his face that you could've written. He was perfect for his post. The Kazekage must've searched a lot until she found this man to help her on her desk work. Ayane knew how much work the Kages had. His mother was the Raikage, Misora Reika. He knew that she didn't spent a lot of time with him, but Ayane was still grateful that he had a mom that, sometimes, she took care of him. They didn't had the occasion the know themselves very well, but still, they were almost a family now.

A puddle of shadows gathered on the floor, and as they rose up in a dome, an echoed voice resounded through the main courtyard, soon reduced to the raised but not shouting voice of the man that appeared from the darkness. The man said that It's a powerful chance for any of us to finish these exams by dying. Removing the hood from his Black Coat and giving his hair an errant flip, he continued his short monologue. 
As Ayane heard this, he was about to surrender from the start. Risking your life just to become a Chuunin? This was all some kind of madness! Risk of Fatality? We aren't here to lose our lives! We are here to become more powerful! But Ayane guessed that this was the only way they could've seen how powerful we really are and to push ourselves to the limit.
Ayane started walking forward, to the waiver book, where he had to sign his name on. Ayane signed there, with a lot of pain in his heart and with the sensation that he'll never see Reika along with the Hidden Cloud Village. Then Ayane retreated, waiting for the others to finish their sign-ups too. After some minutes, Hodaka called another subordinate to assist in moving the tables once more, smoothly maneuvering around the participants of the exam.

Some people started leaving after hearing those sentences. Ayane was about to stop them, but he didn't really care if those were about to destroy their chances. After some seconds, Ayane couldn't rezist and he screamed to them: "STOP right there!" The gennin turned around, starting to look at Ayane. "Why do you want to destroy your chances of becoming a chuunin? This is a rare event from where you could go home with the title of chuunin! Don't you even care about this?" The gennin turned around, ignoring what Ayane said. With just a hand movement, the gennins were blocked by papers. Ayane was looking at them. "I understand that you care about your life, but If you care that much about life, why would you even become a Gennin? Why do you want to be a ninja if you don't have any chances of living too much? This test is made to see how powerful you really are! If you pass this first part of the Chuunin Exam, it means that you're made to be a ninja, but if you won't make it, it means that you're not made to be one! If you've got the guts to try and pass this exam, then stay! If you don't have them, think about the future that you'll have as a Gennin! That's all I had to say!" Ayane removed slowly the papers from their face. He may have attracted some attention, but it wasn't something too Gutsy.

After this whole "Circus" ended, Ayane turned around, trying to concentrate on the final words Hodaka was about to say. After some minutes, he finished his speech, filling the gennins with a lot of information about what they had to do. As far as Ayane understood, they had to go northwest , to the Ivory Tower. This was looking like a kid's play. Ayane was now fully able to pass this "mission" and get to the next level. The wind started to blow into Ayane's face now. It wasn't a normal wind push. It was something that was advertising the ninja about the possible future threats. They all proceeded to someone that was about to give each of them the necesarry supplies. It was looking like they didn't really want to spend any Ryo on food. They gave to each of them One leaf of bread and a bottle of water. Owydelu was now starving because he didin't eat anything when he got out of the house. That was a stupid decision that he was about to regret soon enough. He ate the bread there and he also drank all the water before the Exams even started.

Everyone was now fully prepared to take their leave to the Ivory Tower. In some minutes, everyone was about to leave. With the signal given, everyone started running in different ways, that had the same location at the end of it: The Ivory Tower. Ayane was now alone in the desert. It wasn't something very unusual, because he did this some other time, when he first came to Sunagakure, some days ago. As far as his eyes could see, there was only sand there. Nothing more, nothing less. Not even a cactus. He walked like this half an hour and then he sat down and he made and umbrella from paper. He was trying to sit at a shadow, to keep him from getting a headstroke. He sat there for some hours and he even got asleep. He woke up at the night, when there was almost nothing to be seen around. Ayane started walking wherever he wanted to go to. Now he was completely lost, but this wasn't really a problem. Using his geography skills, he could've gotten out of there really quick.

He walked a lot until the next day, when the sun finally came up on the sky. He was starving and he was also dying because he was very thirsty. At a moment, he saw a lizard. This was perfect, he was now able to eat something. He said, while getting up his arm: "Lightning Release: Shock Bullets!" With some shots of his jutsu, he killed the lizzard and, because of this jutsu's proprieties, he had also semi-cooked it. He started eating it with the biggest appetite he ever had before. It was delicious at the moment when he was starving. Now the next problem was the water thing. He saw a cactus and he started using his clan jutsu: Dance of Yasunori. He had created a paper blade and he cut the cactus' flower in four sides, extracting the fruit inside. It was a slimy fruit, but it also contained some water in it. Ayane had no choice but to eat it as fast as he could, while he still had some chances of living. After he was fully "filled", Ayane created 4 wings, destroying his legs for this. Like this, he was able to fly faster than ever. Because of this, Ayane got out of a lot of situations from where he could've died, like some Mustelidae animals that he didn't want to get into.

He continued doing this for the next two days. He ate a lot of lizards and scorpions, despite that scorpions are tasting pretty bad, not like the lizards are too delicious. He found a lot of cactus from where he could get the necesarry water for his body. He made some temporary pauses, when he was replenishing his chakra for his next trip. In the third day, Ayane was all physically destroyed. His psychic was still rezisting, but not for too long. Suddenly, like 10 meters away from him, a Dust Devil appeared. Ayane knew about them. A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small to large. The primary vertical motion is upward. Dust devils are usually harmless, but can on rare occasions grow large enough to pose a threat to both people and property. He had to get out of there as fast as he could, because, Ayane could've been caught in the Dust Devil. This wasn't a joke anymore, he was about to be killed by the Dust Devil. He was thinking about a strategy that he could use here. If his papers would completly fill that whirlwind, maybe it could stop or, at least, it could give Ayane enough time to get past it.

Using his strategy and his "Dance of Yasunori", Ayane made it. He filled the tornado with a lot of papers and the whirlwind was now unable to suck anything in no more. Ayane passed rapidly, using his ninja skills. Then, when the whirlwind ended, he got his papers back and he "refilled" himself again. Because of this strategy he used, Ayane was now unable of flying as he did until now, so he continued walking half of the day, until the night came. When he saw it, Ayane couldn't believe it. This was the Ivory Tower, or at least a tower. But it was in It's best condition, it couldn't have been anything else. Ayane started running to it screaming: "I made it! I really made it!" This was an experience that Ayane wasn't about to forget too soon. He would remember this until the end of his times.

Word Count:

Daimon looked up straight at the ninja recognized always around the Kazekage who seemed to be his advisor. He figured this guy would be giving instructions on what exactly they�re all going to be doing for the exams. He crossed his arms as he looked at the field they would be performing. It didn�t look all too tough, only to the people who weren�t from Sunagakure. I mean navigating through a desert? It had to be some type of special mission inside the desert because that�s like his morning walk every day. Daimon was quite excited to be doing such an easy task but he was secretly hoping that the proctor would be informing them about making it harder. He hit the jackpot on this one, but so did many others so he didn�t feel that much luckier, He just wanted to hurry and take care of this for the next step. He would follow directions and walk over to where the proctor said to sign the waivers. The fact he had to legally sign a sheet of paper because of the danger just made him even more excited. He was a total adrenaline junky and this was just him feeding his addiction. As soon as he got to the desk he grabbed a pen and twirled it in his fingers and quickly signed the waiver as he looked the person at the desk straight in the eyes. �Next time you see me, I�m going to be one of you. I promise you.� He said as he dropped his pen on the desk. He didn�t stick around long enough to see the reaction of the person; however he didn�t give a flipping crap anyway. His one track mind was in effect now. His goal was reaching the finish line of wherever they were sending them. He watched as other genin began gathering up in front of the proctor and he would follow to listen to the rest of the briefing.
He watched the proctor point in a direction and state their goal would be that way. He looked in the direction and constantly stared that way not even looking at the proctor. He was still listening however, catching that they would have five days. He laughed when the man tried to make the desert sound dangerous or something. �Oh whatever, I don�t care what you say, it�s just a desert.� He mumbled under his breath as he heard that there would be large animals and various other hazards as he nodded his head up and down in agreement. �Yeah that�s right there we go!� he accidently shouted loud with a smirk on his face. He did regret the outburst however; he wanted everyone there to know he didn�t feel fear. His heart was an impenetrable shield and fear was nothing but a slight breeze. He heard that they would be supplying them food and water for only a day. �The hell�.� Now that actually got to him, only a day? He would either have to work hard and get there in minimal time, or starve. �Guess we are going to have to put in plenty of work to get there quick. He simply groaned and walk toward the gate to enter the field. He grabbed his rations and he waited until he was signaled to begin. As soon as the signal was given he didn�t even run out. Since it wasn�t a race he was going to turn this into a show off. He ripped off a piece of his shirt and stuffs it under his headband; he would tie the headband over his mouth and nose to shield him from ingesting and swallowing sand that would cause him to suffocate. He would put his hand over his eyes and began walking.
Daimon would take it slow for the first day. He didn�t want to over exhaust himself to quick and be forced to use more rations then the minimum. �Alright, this is Day one we have to reach the tower in five days. I got this. Daimon you can handle absolutely anything. �He said to himself, trying to pump himself up. He would begin to walk in the direction the man had pointed in. As soon as he got a couple of meters into the desert, a strong sand storm began to brew. This sandstorm was more ferocious then the usual he has seen. Holy crap, I shouldn�t have underestimated this storm. Oh well, I got this. He pondered in his mind trying to refrain from talking to keep sand out of his mouth. As he pushed through the sandy terrain he would grab his canteen and sip some water from it. As he put the cap back on the canteen he heard a loud laughing like sound. However it didn�t sound like the laugh of a human, but some type of beast. It sounded completely strange and he didn�t try to defer from the direction he was heading in. As the volume of the laughing increased, so did his caution. He looked around on the ground but couldn�t even see his feet from the depth of the sand. �Damn it.� He had to rely on his other senses because sight would be out of the question. He heard as the animal sounded as if it was approaching he got into a stance, and he could barely see a beast jumping at him. He ducked under it and grabbed onto it and threw it down onto the ground.
Daimon placed his hand around its neck and looked at it. Hyenas�. He thought as he finally identified the beasts. That explains all of the laughing. Daimon smirked under his covered mask and the Hyena would try to bite at him and Daimon backed up and lost his balance and end up falling on his tail. The hyena pounced at him and he would send a palm up at his chin to adjust its face to prevent the hyena to bite at him. He would punch the hyena straight in the throat and throw it to his side and pin him on the ground as the hyena laughed like some type of maniac.
He dipped his hand into the ground and pulled out a kunai made off earth as he twirled it in his fingers he looked around for any more hyenas. They never ventured alone so it had to be others. �Ha Hah Ha!� The irritating sound of a laughing hyena disturbed him, but he wouldn�t let it scare him. As he heard the laughing come closer, he turned in the direction it was coming from. The hyena pounced forward causing him to grip his rock kunai and sidestep from its path. As he jerked right he would slash the kunai across the side of the hyena. The loud weep of the hyena echoed through the sandstorm plagued desert. The hyena began to limp away, Daimon showed it mercy simply because it was an animal and he began to think. Maybe those hyenas can lead me to some food. Daimon began to walk in the direction the hyena was going. The detour would be completely necessary to obtain some more water, and for food. I guess he would be feeding on hyena for the night.
The hyena might have been aware of him but it couldn�t really do anything to him it was already injured. He wasn�t going to harm it anymore unless it was self defense. The hyena seemed to lead him to some type of cave. As he walked inside, he removed his make shift mask and took a deep breath, happy to be temporarily out of the sandstorm. He saw as the hyenas all sat in a corner knowing that Daimon was a danger. He was just going to let them continue to think he was dangerous until he got what he had to get. He looked around and saw what appeared to be a large puddle of water. He shook his canteen and saw it was empty so he would refill it using the water from the puddle and nod at the hyenas and waved knowing they didn�t understand a human�s ways of greeting and saying farewell. Before he left, he thought about where exactly he would sleep, if he slept outside he would be buried alive. He stared at the Hyenas, and sighed. I can�t just kick them out of their home�perhaps I can earn their trust. He pulled out some food out of his rations and put it in front of the hyenas hiding in the corner. He smiled and as the hyenas began to eat the food, he would pet each one�s head. This seemed to get them to ease up. He laid flat on the cave floor away from them to get his nights rest.

The next morning, Daimon awoke and saw all the hyenas were gone. �I guess I should be leaving out too. As he got up and started to stretch he saw the hyenas come home and it seemed they hunted some camel cause they were pulling it back by clamping down on its legs and dragging it. However, they didn�t even eat it, it seemed they got it for him. He smiled and picked up his rock kunai from earlier and pierced the stomach of the camel and cut it open. Water gushed out however it was mixed with blood which didn�t seem to appetizing to Daimon and he decided to pass but not without thanking the hyenas anyway. He saluted to them and exited the cave for another day of braving through the sandstorm.

Daimon continued to walk through the desert, take sips of water every thirty minutes or so. He found that again his canteen was empty. With his rations again low, he would have to yet again go on a hunt. He continued to walk northwest until he found a cactus and some other vegetation. He ran to the cactus and dropped to his knees in front of it. He would begin to scoop his hands and become a makeshift shovel, digging by the sides of the cactus. As he did, water began to seep through the sand. He ripped off another piece of his shirt and dipped it into the water. When it was soaked he raised it above his head and wrung it out letting the water drip right into his mouth. The sensation of the water hitting his tongue caused Daimon to fall flat on his back in satisfaction. This is some test, I underestimated it no doubt. It doesn�t matter, I am going to conquer this challenge no matter what. Daimon thought as he gripped his rock kunai and stuck it right through the cactus. He dragged the kunai downward cutting the cactus open and as it split he took his canteen and filled it up with the cold water stored in the cactus. He closed the canteen and sighed as he now needed to eat. He began to walk again and suddenly he heard the sound of squawking however it was much louder and even more dreadful. The depressing scream could only be one thing. �Vultures�� He mumbled as he looked up and saw several birds right above him. However these vultures�weren�t regular. They were giants. Suddenly all three vultures would descend and zoom in on him. I thought they were scavengers! Daimon thought as he sidestep out of the way of one vulture as he did he jumped off of its head and kicked another vulture who was coming down. The other vulture had managed to cut his arm with its beak on its way down. He groaned and tried to tolerate the pain as he descended he kicked the bead right in the beak. Daimon pulled out the rock kunai and stabbed it right into the wing of one of the vultures and he grabbed its neck and would slit its throat. The vulture would fall over instantly dead.

The other two vultures would try to flee but he wasn�t going to have any of that. He grabbed onto the feet of it and would be brought into the air. He figured the birds would transport him to the tower seeing how it is a large landmark. Even if they didn�t the birds would transport him to other birds to get some dinner. He looked forward and saw some type of tall figure that looked white, maybe that was it. �Down!� He shouted at the vulture as he punched the head of it, prompting it to descend constantly pounding its head to go downward. As it go to a safe distance to jump, he would leap off of it and land on his feet. The bird would hit the ground hard as well. Damn it, this is pretty tough stuff they have us doing.

He picked up the vulture and constantly scanned the ground until he found two sticks. He laid his jacket flat onto the ground and started to rub the sticks together as he placed his back in the direction the sand was flying from to block it from putting the fire out. A fire was started on top of his jacket as he pulled the vulture on top of it. He would roast the entire bird and eat all that looked good for dinner.

As the fire cooked the bird, the delicious smell of poultry filled the air. All he smelled for the past two days was just fallen sand and it was quite refreshing to ingest something different for once. As the bird roasted he dragged it out of the fire and waited a bit for it to cool off before ripping off a wing and digging his teeth into it. He bite off a large piece of meat and chewed it, moaning from the taste of it. It was delicious, perhaps because he was starving or because it was the first piece of cooked meat he had in a while but it sure was amazing. He grabbed a leg and took a large bite out of that. The large vulture filled him up quick so he figured he would leave the rest for whoever else came by, or other vultures.
Daimon started to walk forward, seeing as the large white structure appeared to come closer as he started to sigh in relief. The Ivory Tower looked like heaven to him. Finally shelter and his goal had been reached. He began to run to the tower jumping up and down from excitement as he would complete this step, and be on the next step to becoming chunin.
2,443/1,500
Chakra used : 10 for Earth Release: Rock Kunai
140/150

The exams finally started, Ukio was excited but at the same time nervous about it all, though he wouldn't let his exterior show it. All the genin were gathered around, even the civilians took to the cause and rallied around, giving off hope and luck to their sons, grandsons and what have you, even some of the villagers from Kumo showed up to wish luck to them as well. It was a big day for everyone, but it was exponentially big for Ukio, this would make or break who he was. Would his path of conquest crumble or will the bridge to press on be made?

After a few minutes, a man appeared to send us off on our exams. He spoke a few words about death and food, but Ukio drowned out the noise to focus on what must be done, it may have been imperative that he listened but he was to focused on his own mind that he didn't give the slightest care, although the one thing that stuck into his head was to get to the Ivory Tower in one piece.

After all the formalities were through they were set off into the harshness of the desert, Ukio couldn't think of what lie ahead of him, he didn't want to think about it either. Given his water and food he slung them across his shoulders and sprint off into the desert. A few hours of running cause him to stop, he was a good ways into the exam now, but not far enough to be anywhere near close to the finish. He looked around momentarily, he didn't see anyone near him, so this must of meant that everyone was sent off in their own direction. The only thing Ukio knew was that if he was sent in this one, he had to be going the right way, that's what he hoped anyways.

The first day was over and the sun was setting. If it wasn't hot in the day it was even colder at night, the heat from the sand left, and the moisture in the ground grow cold. Ukio didn't want to sleep on it though, he wanted to be one of the first to arrive at the tower. He pressed on for a few more hours before he halted, resting and eventually falling asleep, it was near dawn by the time he dozed off. He rested a good five hours before the pelting sun rose and shone in his eyes, it was time to press on. Drinking a sip of water and three bites of his food rations he decided to start off into a sprint once again.

He couldn't see anything in any direction he looked, he was alone in this desert with no one to look after him but himself, but this is what it meant to be a shinobi. After a while the sun started to get the best of him, he saw a mirage of the Ivory Tower and began to sprint even faster towards it, he was almost at his limit when he reached the mirage, it shattered before his eyes, the mirage broken and so was himself. The heat was glaring on his neck as he sunk to his knees in the hot sand, not bothered by the heat and too exhausted to care. Slinging off his clothing he made himself a little sleeping bag to lay in, he dozed off from the heat, hoping he'd awake when it was time.

The wind blew hard and threw sand into his mouth, violent coughing cause him to awake, gripping his hilt and jumping up suddenly to protect himself from nothing. Calming down he looked around, remembering that his head lay in the direction he needed to go, looking to his clothing the way he awoke turned it about, he was now lost. But he wasn't frustrated, he marched in the direction he thought he should take.

Dawn was starting up again after a few hours of making his way to the Ivory Tower, he watched the sun rise, drinking his water to keep himself hydrated, he was hungry but knew that if he ate it would only cause him to eat all of it. He would eat at the very last minute he needed to. Again, the mirages continued, he didn't care for them as he walked, using his clothes as a cloak to cover his upper body. His skin burned furiously with the sand but was overall to hot to care, he wouldn't give up to a sunburn. The day was long as he walked forward, he could see a tiny speck in the distance that marked his arrival. He was too far to understand what it was, but distinctly remembered that the tower was a snow white color. In excitement he began to sprint faster than he ever could. He ran a few hours before he finally gave out, it seemed that the speck didn't get any bigger. In a fit of frustration he simply sleep until he awoke.

It was the third day, he was determined to get to the tower on this exact day, no matter what it took he was going to arrive there. It was dawn and a good time to start, he started off in a jog to get his body running and to wake up, He ate the half of the food he had left, needing energy for the day, he only has a sip of water left, he could do without it until the sun fully rose in the afternoon. The dunes got larger, but meant he could enjoy the hot wind blowing against his body as he slid down the underside of them. His body was weary, weak and exhausted from it all, but knowing he was closer to his objective only made him push harder, he kept it in his mind that in the long run this would all be worth it.

From behind his body blew a wind so violent that his body ended up tripping and rolling down a dune. Getting up to his feet he looked behind him to only see a storm of sand rising around him, it wasn't enough to block all vision, but it was pretty bad. He looked up, seeing that the sand was swirling around him. He had a look on his face that would make a grown man laugh and cry, he was so shocked at what he saw he couldn't even move. He just entered a fucking dust devil field. He'd seen them before on his way to Suna but these were so huge and gusting that he could hardly hold onto his footing. He ran the opposite way, flying into the air a few times, only to roll and catch his footing.

A violent wind slammed against the side of his body, throwing him into the air, spinning as he tried to find his footing before he landed. He slammed into a giant dune, rolling down it and jumping to his feet, only to be picked up by a forming dust devil that seemed like he would never leave. His body was spinning violently, still keeping his wits about him to look toward the ground. He wasn't too far off the ground, he kept his body and weight heavy in his center of gravity so he didn't pick up anymore than he already did. He must have been in this dust devil for a good hour before he was finally let go, sand everyone on his body and the sun pelting him didn't make the situation any better.

When he finally got his wits about him he looked in every direction for the tower, it was bigger than when he last saw it, signaling that he was close. He smiled to himself and ran in the direction. It was close to nightfall and he wasn't about to spend another day in this god forsaken desert. He ran faster than ever, the Ivory tower getting bigger and bigger every time he looked up from focusing on his breathing. He was almost there, when night fell and the ground cold, the moisture in the ground made him slow down from the sinking action that occurred with each step.

It was the dead of night when he finally arrived, Jonin had attended to him and brought him into the tower. Medcial ninja attended to him for any injuries he may has suffered on the trip. after being checked in he made his way to the lobby, only a few other ninja were here. They all seemed exhausted like he was but he didn't care. He made his way over to a corner of the building and sat down in his own puddle of thoughts. He smiled to himself as he dozed off to sleep, he finally made it.

1500/1500

Day 1

It was hard to tell if Sawai Mihou was content or disappointed. On one hand, travelling through the endless dunes would be a challenge for the majority of the participants. The climate was not the only enemy; the desert was packed with bandits and poisonous species that often hid in plain sight. Clearly not a rookie's cup of tea. On the other hand, though, such things would not be a problem for the tessen kunoichi. She had been raised in the deserts as a bandit and thief, so not only did she have valuable knowledge on the terrain and the many things it had to offer... She also knew how to avoid and handle the human threats that could get in her way.

For her, this first event was 'too easy'. If a normal Shinobi took three days to get to the Ivory Tower, then she'd use a shortcut and get there in two. You could say that Mihou was arrogant and overconfident, but nobody could blame her: That kind of attitude was the reason why the girl had gotten so far. Sawai had graduated from the academy a couple of months ago and she was already trying to get to the next level. If her determination didn't speak on its own, there was also the letter of recommendation that earned her a place as a participant in the Chunin Exams to back her up.

Eventually the examiners would leave the Genin on their own: The test had started and everyone was supposed to go their own separate ways. The only thing that had been given to them was a small loaf of bread and one day worth of water. Needless to say, not enough to survive three days in the desert, let alone five. The goal of the first event was, most likely, to test their survival and decision-making skills. Fortunately, Sawai Mihou was a survival specialist and her grades had been among the highest in the Sunagakure Ninja Academy's Survival Test. To add, she had recently completed a mission related to said examination, where she had guided a group of academy students through the Scorpion's Lair and taught them what they needed to know to stay alive.

Ten minutes had gone by since the start of the first event and Mihou was starting to regret how poorly prepared she was. To be fair, Sawai had expected the first event to be preliminary matches; reason why the girl chose an outfit that would make the most out of her speed and reflexes. But for a survival test on the desert, the least exposure your skin had to the sun, the better. Well, at least her kimono was loose enough...

Mihou made a mental note to improvise some clothing on her way to the tower. If she could catch a snake; that would be ideal... But given the camouflage, definitely not easy.

It was okay, though. High ranking ninjas often had to deal with this kind of situation. Missions where they would have little resources to work with, where there would be no compass to guide them through long distances, and where lots of obstacles would make their advance difficult. Sometimes these aspects were combined to create an ultimate suicide mission... And it would be carried on. No matter the dangers, the lack of information or resources might be, it would be carried on. Because that was part of what it meant to be a ninja.

An hour had gone by,and Mihou had already lost sights of all other participants, She was alone against the wild desert, and it would probably remain that way for the next couple of days. On the bright side, she had always been a lone wolf, someone who worked better on their own, when there was nobody present to hinder their abilities, Using the sun as her guide, Sawai Mihou pressed onwards. She had to make the most use of the few hours of daylight she had left.

Shortly enough, the girl stumbled upon a cactus tree, one of the few sources of water in the desert, However, the blonde kunoichi had no means to carry it through long distances: The recipient she had been given was too small to store any more water than it already had, meaning that, if Mihou wanted to make use of this opportunity, she’d have to drink it now. After pondering about it for a few minutes, Sawai decided against it. Most people didn’t know, but drinking water from a cactus tree should only be  done as a last resort. The water contained a toxin which made the person suffer from diarrhea, and had an especially powerful effect should the victim’s stomach be empty. Standing by her decision, mihou continued her journey towards the tower.

The night was drawing near, and the temperature was beginning to drop. Mihou had to choose whether to find a place to rest and catch some sleep or keep on moving and make as much progress as possible. As strong-willed as the girl was, Sawai was aware of just how important it was to recover lost energy. This was not a walk around the park, the desert and the heat tired you ten times faster. If the kunoichi overdid it now, it would be harder to proceed the following day, not to mention she’d get hungry. Considering she had been unlucky enough not to come across any animal she could eat, she couldn’t afford that at the time. The blonde had to save the food she had been given for a later time. Finding refuge under a rocky hill, Mihou closed her eyes and began counting sheeps...

Day 2

“Ah...”  

Mihou cursed under her own breath. You see, rocky hills were the best place to sleep at night in such a place, but they were also the home of scorpions and snakes. Sawai had woken up with a scorpion on her lap and, although the girl had managed to skillfully deal with it, the shock had caused her water container to fall, its contents being swallowed by the hot sand below. What a streak of bad luck... The lid must had been loose, perhaps on purpose so unfortunate events like this could happen. Mihou stared at the corpse of the scorpion with a piercing glare, before removing its tail and sighing in frustration. Now she had something more to eat, but her source of water was gone, and she had not drank a drop since before the exam had begun. Hell, should she come across another cactus tree, she would drink its water without hesitation.

After walking for several hours, exhaustion caught up with the kunoichi, and her instincts forced her to reach a high place to see just how far from the tower she was. It was lucky that her objective was such a high building. That made it way easier to find the right track. However, a sand storm in the distance obstructed her view and made it impossible for her to calculate how much kilometers were left to reach her destination. Still, if the examiner had not lied, Mihou was sure she was following the right direction.

“Hmmm...?”

Sawai clenched her teeth almost instantly. She had noticed that not far from there was a source of water, an oasis. But she wasn’t as dumb as to fall for that trick. If her mind wanted to play games with her, it would have to do so way better than this. There was no vegetation near the oasis, so it was easy for Mihou to tell that what she was seeing was not real. However, this was no time to brag: She was starting to suffer symptoms of heat exhaustion, and it wouldn’t take much for her condition to develop into a heat stroke. She had to find a way too cool her body temperature, otherwise, the kunoichi might be in serious trouble. The cause was most likely dehydration, so finding water would be the fastest way to overcome it. Easier said than done, though...

Without hesitation, she ripped off the sleeves of her kimono and used them to create a makeshift hat, in hopes it would protect her better from the sun. It was already too late for precautions, however. All she could do without water was to delay the inevitable. Soon enough, Mihou started feeling dizzy...

With no rocky areas around, no vegetation or anything that could give birth to shadows, Sawai was forced to use her own weapon to create a comfortable area to protect herself from the sun. The girl opened her giant folding fan and lodged it on the ground. Then, she lay her back against it. That should work for the time being, to at least avoid permanent organ damage. A heat stroke was a rather serious condition when the victim required to receive immediate medical attention. As much as she wanted to continue her journey, Mihou could not take this problem lightly.

Fortunately, the lower temperatures of the evening helped her body cool down, reducing the symptoms to some extent. Her body still required liquid to work properly though. Sawai was so tired... She just wanted to make it through the day. Just as her eyes began to close, though, Mihou heard a noise which put her body on high alert.

“At a time like this...”

The blonde kunoichi had failed to notice so earlier, but now she knew that she was being watched by hungry predators, probably a pack wolves. This was bad... Even if her body was still feverish, the girl forced herself to stand firm and started moving. She couldn’t show her weakness to them: That would prove to be a fatal mistake. Should worse come to worst, Mihou could still sacrifice the bread she still had. Earlier that day, she had decided to eat the scorpion and conserve the bread. But doing it prematurely would prove to be foolish, so Sawai would only do such thing as her last resort.

Honestly, the leaf and mist ninjas were probably having an easier time, given their predominant elements were fire and water. Fire to drive creatures away or outright kill them and heat themselves during the night; water to overcome one of the most known characteristics of the desert: The lack of it. And there she was, suffering from a heat stroke...

As an ex-bandit and a Sunagakure ninja, that sure was humiliating.

Eventually the hunters gave up, unable to find an opening to exploit during the entire night. Tired and sick, Mihou collapsed right before daybreak.

Day 3

“Shit...”

Mihou awoke covered in sand. From the looks of it, the girl had not been able to sleep much, but she was glad that had been the case, otherwise she might have been swallowed by the merciless sand of the desert.

The Kunoichi’s former proud stance had disappeared, now replaced with a miserable limping motion. The fan she carried was getting heavier by the minute, and the lack of water made her throat burn and cry in desperation. Her strong will was the reason why she had not freaked out yet.

‘It could have been worse.’ She kept telling herself, sanity slowly sipping away from her body. ‘I could have been bitten by a snake.’

Speaking of reptiles... There was a cobra right in front of her.

The blonde girl had to blink twice to realize it was not an hallucination. After all, it was rare to see such creature in the open and undisguised. Maybe her luck was beginning to change...

“I must apologize.” She told the snake, as she lifted the folded fan above her head. “Right now, I don’t think I can control my own strength.”

And swung it doing without mercy on the animal’s head, crushing it in one blow.

Using a small rock she had crafted into a knife during the first day, Mihou cut off its head and without hesitation...

Drank its blood, as if it were a rejuvenating elixir.

Day 4

“...”

The change was notorious. To be fair, there was some lingering nausea and fever that still slowed her advance, but Mihou was now on a complete different level than she was before. You could say that finding a snake was the luckiest thing that had happened to her during this trip.

Sawai had drunk its blood as water.

Had eaten its innards as food.

And now used its skin to protect part of her body from the sun.

Asides from that and compared to the previous days, this one was rather uneventful for the most part, and all Mihou did was make up for all the time she had lost due to her condition. Stronger than ever before, she continued her journey, her eyes empty but with a hidden spark of determination i them.

Later that day, Mihou found an oasis. Its water was drinkable, so she drank as much as she needed. Then, seeing no perverts were around, she undressed and took the time to bathe. It was already the fourth day... But she was no longer in a hurry to prove anything. Sawai could see the tower in the distance and unless something unfortunate happened again, the kunoichi should be able to make it with time to spare.

And indeed she did, arriving at the Ivory tower on the dawn of the fifth day.

Ukiyo stood amongst the pack of Genin, uncomfortably packed in. It’s as if they’re herding us...this doesn’t feel right. In nature, whenever an animal is cornered/stuck, they instinctively become very defensive and hostile. Ukiyo’s instincts began kicking in when she realized there was no room for her to move with any type of grace. Her Capoeira style would be useless here. In response, Ukiyo was about to make two hand seals, when a voice suddenly spoke up,

"All participants, may I have your attention. It has come to my notice that due to the nature of this exam, a waiver must be signed. Indeed, you all will have a very nice chance of fatality in the first portion of your Chuunin exam. I am Gowa-Ken Hodaka, and I will be your proctor for the first exam. Please proceed to sign your names in the waiver books. If you do not wish to risk your life, your unpreparedness for becoming a Chuunin is apparent and certain, and you may leave.”

Ukiyo grew a knot in her throat. We can…die here? She looked down at her feet. Her legs were shaking very slightly, and her breathing became heavier and heavier. Ukiyo closed her eyes and grinded her teeth. Damnet…I know I have to become a Chuunin. If I ever want to achieve my goal, I have to go through this. I just…dying…how can they expect us to sign our lives away for a test? Ukiyo’s eyes then opened and her legs seized. This is just like before. I could barely go on a mission because I was too afraid; now this. I’m a shinobi, I’ve lived my entire life surviving, I…I…how can I expect to achieve anything with this fear holding me back? If I want to make my dream a reality, Ukiyo clenched her fist, a flower growing out of it in her grasp, [i]then I have to do it. I have to do whatever it takes…for them. If I die…no, I won’t die. I can’t. Not until they’re safe. Until then, Ukiyo lifted her head up and grinned, I’ll take whatever’s thrown at me. Just like I always have…

By the time Ukiyo came to this realization, a descent portion of the Genin had left. Were they afraid too? Ukiyo looked around to find out where the waivers were. There were crowds of Genin around several tables, one of which Ukiyo approached. As she waited amongst her peers, Ukiyo saw another table nearby with a scroll laid out on it. It was a sign-in, as she read, with lines for signatures next to the names of Genin who had signed up for the exams. Ukiyo knelt down and reached bellow the sand as far as she could. She pulled her hand out, covered in dusty-dirt. This will do. Ukiyo poured as tiny an amount of water as she could on her hand to turn the dirt into a thin layer of slushy-mud. She placed five fingers down on the line next to her name; four in an arch and her thumb in the middle. This had been Ukiyo’s signature since she started the Academy; never wanting to see her name written out. By the time she made her way to the waiver tables, they had cleared up a bit. Other Genin stood around and mingled with, boasted to, and watched their fellow Genin as they waited. Ukiyo walked up to the table and slapped her hand down on a sheet of paper haphazardly laid out on the table. It wasn’t even right side up, but Ukiyo didn’t pay much attention to this. She placed it where the rest had been stacked and found herself a relatively isolated pocket to do stretches in.

"Now, then.....since all formalities have been completed, I shall move on to the information you need. Your objective is to make it to the ivory tower to the northwest. The average shinobi takes three days or so to complete the trip. However, due to you being Genin and this being a test, five days will be allotted to you. The death waivers you have signed were due to the rather harsh, unforgiving, and generally lethal nature of the Land of Wind. You will face natural disasters, animals of large stature, and other hazards which you may or may not encounter. You will be supplied with one day's worth of food and water. It is up to you to survive beyond your rations. If you do not make it within the allotted five days, you will be presumed dead. Even if you are alive, you will be eliminated from the exam roster and be unable to continue…Any questions?"

Ukiyo smiled as she stretched her legs out, crouching in somewhat of a split and putting pressure on her right leg. A survival challenge? How perfect. There were murmurs amongst the crowd, though Ukiyo couldn’t tell whether they were worried or excited. As the man in the black coat faded out of sight, scattered Genin began walking in the direction of the tower. It didn’t take long for all of them to take suit, including Ukiyo.

In just an hour or so of walking, Ukiyo failed to find any other Genin within eye sight. I can’t tell whether they all spread out or if it’s from tall this wind. Ukiyo closed her eyes four fifths shut and covered her mouth with her shirt. The wind would be nice on a brutally hot day like this, but the sand it brings is- a grain of sand lodged itself in Ukiyo’s ear. She threw her head sideways and began thrashing around, trying to get it out. Eventually she was successful, continuing along her path. -intolerable. She knelt down to take her shoes off, but the moment she laid a foot upon the sand, Ukiyo fell on her side in an attempt to lift it back up. “Hot hot hot!” She slipped her shoe back on and rose back up, looking overhead. This isn’t good. At this rate I’ll never make it. I have to stay focused, no more distractions! Ukiyo continued walking for a few hours in this mindset, determined to make it through the sand storm without losing much time. She stumbled on several rocks along the way, but gracefully “danced” her way out of it. Ukiyo felt much more comfortable on the sand than she did when she first arrived, to the point of actually enjoying it. The dryness of the desert’s heat, however, was still something that took getting used to. Ukiyo made one hand sign and said under her breath/shirt, “Dew technique.” As she said this, Ukiyo’s clothing became soggy, her hair grew soaked, and her mouth filled with water. She swallowed the liquid thankfully and enjoyed the cool relief of the water. Drops of liquid dripped from her all over, congealing the sand beneath her as she walked. After another couple hours, she was finally clear of the sandstorm. Ukiyo pulled her shirt down off her mouth and widened her eyes again, staring up at the northwest. She couldn’t see the tower still, but wasn’t too put off by this. I’m still pretty far away. Ukiyo looked down into her canteen to see how much water was left. She only took a few sips from it, since her jutsu gave her a descent amount of hydration and saved her body from wasting water on sweat. Ukiyo peered into the container, but thought she couldn’t see the water due to the canteen’s shape. She shook it in place and didn’t feel any liquid splash around. That’s…odd. Ukiyo lifted the bottle and put it to her lips, taking as small a sip as possible. To do this, however, she ended up having to turn the canteen nearly upside down just to get a drop.

“Ehhhh??!! How could I be out of water already?!” Ukiyo closed her eyes and thought hard. It didn’t take her long. “The…dancing? My beautiful steps! My wonderful grace! How they have betrayed me!” Ukiyo dropped to her knees, jokingly dramatic in an attempt to make light of the situation. She smiled out of sincere amusement, and then recalled her movements from earlier: cartwheels, handstands, spins, flips; there’s no wonder the canteen (which had no top) was empty. “I was so focused on staying focused that I didn’t even bother keeping an eye on you!” She said holding the canteen out in front of her. She smiled and pulled it into her chest. “Oh I can’t stay mad at you. Come on, let’s go find some-“ Ukiyo’s words were cut short when she saw something unexpected. From the corner of her eye Ukiyo saw a weed growing out of the desert sand. It was quite lush and green, very distinct from the other sparse plant life she’s seen there so far. Ukiyo hopped to her feet and ran over to it. As she did, a horizon appeared just beyond the weed at the edge of a steep slope. There was some type of pit up ahead, and it looked like even the sand was becoming soggy the lower she saw into it. Ukiyo’s eyes widened and her smile grew huge. “Water!” She yelled out in excitement as she saw what was at the bottom of the pit. A relatively large body of water laid still there, and its edges were surrounded by various weeds and strange looking (scarce) grass. There were some other objects hiding within the greenery, however Ukiyo couldn’t make out what they were. They were some dirty white color and far too small to be shinobi. Still, Ukiyo made two hand signs, activating her Living Anatomy technique, and proceeded with caution.

As she made her way into the pit, Ukiyo stretched her head in an attempt to get a better look at what was in the grass. She took a defensive stance, turning one hand into a handsign, and edged her way slowly towards the water. When she got there, Ukiyo bent down to see what the white things were, still keeping her handsign in place. As she brushed back the grass, she saw that they were in fact skeletal remains of some unfortunate desert rodents. Inquisitively she began inspecting the plant life. I may not know much about the desert’s environment, but I do know I’ve seen this type of plant before. I just…can’t remember what it is. These leaves are thick, clearly overcompensating for something. To retain water most likely, but why would they need to if they grew right next to such a plentiful source? Ukiyo dug her hands into the soggy sand below and pulled up the roots of the plant she was inspecting. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so she proceeded on to the grass. The blades were very tall, had an almost plastic-like smoothness to them, and were dense enough that merely pushing the top of one wouldn’t bend it. Ukiyo had seen this type of grass before. If I’m right, this is long toe grass. Its root network is extremely thorough, covering vast areas and depths with only a single blade. They’re drought resistant, which makes sense for the desert. But again, why would it grow here? Ukiyo became exceedingly suspicious. And if it has direct access to water, it would concentrate on its leaves…not the root system. There should be far more blades surrounding this area… Ukiyo began digging up the long toe’s roots and found that it had tried going in the direction of the water, but for some reason began deteriorating by the time it got anywhere close. The grass apparently grew a second channel heading outwards, up the steep hill of the pit. Ukiyo stood up took a look at the water. She overlooked it earlier because she was so excited, but now looking closely, she could see that the water was completely stagnant. It was not from an underground well, but from rain gathering in the pit. Crap. This is no good. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy. Ukiyo climbed out of the pit and headed northwest once again, using the sun as a compass, travelling through the night. She consumed all of her bread overnight, knowing it would be the most efficient use of the energy if she wasn’t going to sleep that night.

The next day was as hot as the first. Ukiyo had taken off her shirt and placed it over her head in an attempt to give herself some shade. She made one hand sign, activating her Dew technique once more. Again, her body became drenched and mouth full of water. She removed her pants and shirt and rinsed them out into her canteen, as well as her hair. After a couple hours of dragging her feet through the blazing desert, Ukiyo put the canteen to her lips and began tilting it up. Well, it won’t be the worst thing I’ve consumed. Ukiyo winced and chugged down as much as she could. After she swallowed the last gulp, Ukiyo began coughing and wiped her mouth off. It’s a good thing it’s lunch time, I need something to wash that down with. Ukiyo turned over her hand and closed her eyes, concentrating. A few thin twigs began sprouting from her palm, and on them, some berries formed. “Itadakimasu!” Ukiyo plucked them one by one and popped each individually into her mouth as she walked. After they depleted (Ukiyo was unable to make very many), she repeated the process but this time made flowers. She closed her eyes and coursed chakra throughout her body. Soon enough, dandelions began sprouting all over her body. She harvested them and munched on her feast as she made her way towards the tower, which was now within sight. Ukiyo smiled, feeling quite comfortable with her current situation. As the day came to a close, Ukiyo decided she should get some sleep. She looked around her for shelter, but didn’t see anything but the desert’s expanse and the faint top of a tower in the distance. Seriously, I can’t believe they gave us a survival challenge. Ukiyo thought with a cheerful look in her eyes and a smile. She made a hand sign and soon a chute of bamboo appeared in her other hand, held horizontally. She weaved several more signs, activating her jutsu to burry herself under water. Ukiyo held the bamboo chute in her mouth for air, and proceeded to fall asleep.

The next day, Ukiyo uncovered herself and headed out early. She felt much more energized than either of the two previous days, and decided to finish the remaining distance in one last sprint. After eating breakfast and stretching her legs, Ukiyo made a hand sign and coated herself in water once more. The winds are in my favor it seems. The only problem is that that means any opponents up ahead will know I'm coming. Ukiy smiled. Though it's not as if they could catch me anyway. She stood up straight, then leaned back slightly and lifted one leg in the air, balancing. She gave her body a little push forward, forcing her leg to drop down in front of her. As it did, Ukiyo immediately launched off it into a dead sprint heading towards the tower. She saw nothing more than a few scorpians and vultures along the way. She easily danced around the scorpions; lightly springing off the ground in zigzags to avoid them and spinning out of whatever maneuver she made to return her momentum to the original course. She made sure to stay upright this time, knowing less than half of her canteen contained water. The sun beat down on her as she made her way towards the tower, though Ukiyo grinned as sweat dripped down from her brow and covered her face. Finally working up a sweat. She giggled as a drop hung from her nose, then wipped her head upwards in an attempt to catch it in her mouth (failing). After a few hours she arrived at the tower. There were a few other Genin gathered outside the immense, white structure, far fewer than there were at the start of the test. Ukiyo saw some filter in and could tell there were Jounin inside waiting for them. She decided to sit off to the side upon the ground, sifting sand through her fingers as she meditated and awaited further instruction. If it took much longer, she would head inside for some water and sustanance.

_________
2768/1500

90/150:

[/i]

Day 1

Sighing, Sairento quietly signed his life away to the piece of paper that would be a waiver. He then picked up his rations quietly, moving towards the west gate. He exited the inner part of the village, making his way in the direction of the Ivory Tower. He smirked to himself, thinking about how easy the beginning of this would be. At first he was afraid of not being strong enough but his new friend Isamu had given him the inspiring words to help him get through this. He reached a forest of dead trees, shaking his head a bit. In the Kirigakure no Sato things were so much more beautiful. Here there was only death and sand. It was horrible. He missed his own country already but there would be plenty of time to think of this later. Sairento was wearing his customary clothing, save for his tee-shirt which was a black shirt with the words "Shinobi Go Home" on the front of it in big white letters. The sun was blaring down on him and he sighed underneath his hooded sweatshirt. He quietly unzipped it with his free hand, wrapping his rations in it and using the sleeves to tie it around his neck as a make-shift sack.

He sighed, continuing his trek to the Ivory tower, looking up at the sky, hoping a dust storm wouldn't come soon. He smiled to himself, shrugging this thought off as nonething but 'balderdash' and continued on. He moved between dead trees and a few large stones, and nearly tripped on some sand. He sighed when he thought of how he would probably have been one of the last to leave and last to arrive. There were so many genin in this event and he had the possibilty to run into any of them at any time. Though the violence would be saved for the fighting part of the exams right? He hoped so at least, it would be deplorable to fight when they were trying to meet a goal BEFORE the violence. He sighed, letting his thoughts consume him, getting the best of him and he nearly lost his way. It wasn't until he came to bump into someone's broad chest that he came back to his own reality and looked up into the scarred and mangled face of what appeared to be a bandit.

[color:4731=Dark Red]"Well hello there, we've been waiting for you to come along. You know how high a price you genin will fetch if we hold you for ransom? Why not be a good kid and come with us, no? We're going to take you to the tower and if they don't take you..Then we'll just see where we go from there." He smirked down at Sairento in such an evil way, the men behind him chuckling amongst themselves. Sairento had to think for a moment. They would take him to the tower, but may kill him when they get there. This could be bad, or good depending on if Sairento could escape them now or later. Smiling Sairento spoke softly to them, "I suppose I am left with no option then am I?" He put his hands above his head, showing defeat..For now. He smirked as the man motioned to his subordinates to tie Sairento up, putting him in a cart drawn by a large stallion. This would be easier than walking, unfortunately they took his rations and put them in a saddle bag on the horse that was stuffed with other water canteens and foodstuffs. Sairento would have to remember that for later. They then began the long trek in the direction of the tower, the sun's glare dying down slowly, They would have to make camp soon and that might be when Sairento would make his escape. He closed his eyes, laying against the side of the cart, enjoying the ride for as long as he could. Soon, they did make camp and he was assigned a guard to watch over him during the time the leader and the rest of the bandits slept.

Day 2

It was well after midnight when Sairento looked up to see his guard's back to him. The guard was hold his hand upon a sword's hilt, looking around for any intruders that would try to break the prisoner out. They were more than halfway to their goal and Sairento had to take this chance before he missed it. He quietly tapped the shoulder of the guard, who in turn drew his sword and turned around. "What the?.." Before he could finish, sairento leaned back, kicking his legs out to hit the man in his jaw, cracking it a bit and knocking him unconscious. When the man fell to the ground in a heap, Sairento jumped from the cart he was being held in, crouching down towards the blade of the dropped sword, rubbing it against the ropes quickly. Soon they were cut and he smiled to himself, setting to cutting the ropes about his ankels in the same way, then standing and looking around. With luck, no one had heard that disturbance and Sairento quickly made his way around the cart, making his way to the tree the horse was tied upon. He smirked, untying the beast and checking the saddlebags. Still full.

Without a noise, he jumped onto the back of the horse, holding the reins tightly and looking back at his would be captors. "Goodnight and goodby gentleman! Thank you for accompanying me and giving me the horse!" He laughed triumphantly as all the men awoke, rushing to grab their weapons to chase him before he could escape. Sadly, they were too slow and the horse he was on easily outran them without a trouble.

On the way to the tower, Sairento allowed the horse to slow so he could enjoy some of the bandits' food and drink they had probably stolen from other travelers. He reached into the saddlebag, procuring the bread he had before and some meats from the bag, chowing down on them. He finished them rather quickly, then took out his canteen of water, emptying it much faster than he usually would have. He replaced it in the saddle bag, wiping his mouth of excess liquid, spurring the horse a bit with his heels. He still had time to make it and the sun was coming up now. He grinned as he saw the tower in the distance. He was close to the objective and would get there faster than the others if he was lucky. The horse was a good resource and he was happy to have procured it from the men who had tried to hold him captive. He moved in between trees with this horse, the sun hanging high in the sky now. Had it really been that long already? It seemed like he started the horse ride only a few minutes ago and now the second day was more than halfway through.

He stopped for a while to allow the horse to rest and pulled an apple from the saddlebag. He smiled at the beast he had stolen, feeding it the apple from his own hand, watching it enjoy the juicy fruit. It deserved anything he could offer and he was happy to give it what it needed. It was the least he could do for the beast not attacking him or throwing him off everytime it got the chance. He smiled, reaching back up to pet the horse, then looked over at the sun's position. It was getting dark and he should sleep soon. He smiled, tying up his companion, then laying down under the stars. He said a silent goodnight to the beast, then let his eyes close quietly and drifted off to the land of slumber.

Day 3

Sairentto awoke and stretched a bit, standing up. He stood and moved over to his new companion smiling to it. It was time they made their way to the tower now and he could see it getting closer. He didn't know much about the ivory tower but he hoped that it wouldn't be much more difficult getting there now that he had traversed such a long way. He silently got onto the horse, kicking his heels a bit to make it move forth towards the objective at a faster speed once more. The horse really kicked it into high gear, allowing the sands to be traversed much faster and easier than it would be if Sairento had done this on foot. Sands pushed back more and more as the beast and his rider made their way to the large tower spiraling up into the sky. This adventure would be the start of a great story of a shinobi over-coming uncertain odds.

It was an hour or two after he had taken off that the tower came into a closer view. The doors would start opening as he neared them, showing a few of the Jounin attending to the exams, who halted his horse. He hopped down silently while the Jounin took the horse to another part of the tower on the outside, leading him to a room of the otehr genin who had already made it to the tower a while before Sairento. The genin of the mist could only smile to the others, a Jounin bringing his hooded sweat shirt from the horse's saddlebag. He smiled, thanking them, then sat upon a bench, closing his eyes. "Ahhhhh..Finally."

1637/1500
Finally Done!

Neither Leo or Aya had anything they wanted to ask or say after Hodaka-San finished speaking. Both had completely memorized every word; that the grim Jounin has spoken to them taking it all into account as they waited for their turn in the shorting line of Genin to sign the death waiver. Watching the genin too scared to put their life on the line leave, the dangers they would face on their trip to the tower came to mind;  Aya decided that it was best to talk to Leo while she could. "I'm ashamed why hadn't I thought to ask this earlier." Taking her backpack from her back, she unzipped it and took out her notepad and pen.

Leo looked away from the leaving Genin he was snickering at to join his partner in line.

"Aya you should see some of the kids over there who wimped out I think you know some". It smelled really bad too cause I think one .....

He stopped his talking, when he noticed her joting down something. before showing it to him. It read "Are you sure this is what you want to do", she turned the notepad around and wrote more. "You could back out now I don't mind honestly." She knew she wasn't going to, but it would be unfair to make him stay without asking if he really wanted too or if he was just here for her.

He had expected it he knew Aya like the back of his paw, she was too self-less; and when he read the message the only thing that surprised him was that she hadn't said it sooner.


"You're dumb as hell if you think I'm letting either one of us leave.

"
We've come too far for you to pussy out on me Aya."

He shook his head at her letting out a sigh at her doubt in him. The girl was too loyal sometimes. Nodding her head she gave up trying to   convince him it was better if he just left her behind. She wrote on her notepad " It's your death wish" while going up to the table and signing their names on the waiver.

They received their rations with no worries of it not lasting. The bread wouldn't feed both of them for five days, but hunger wasn't anything new for the two. All they needed to survive was the water, and when it ran out the water clones could be used to refill it
"Oh almost forgot" Leo said as he took their bags and dumped out their left over rations from their trip.

"Since we won't be needing these feel free to enjoy them dumbasses"  he yelled out to the crowd."

They both left calmly walking towards the open desert side by side.

Day One
"Maybe I should have taken your offer to just go home."  Leo had meant it as joke, but the overwhelming heat made him unsure. When they first headed to the desert they were cocky, sure that the trip to the Tower would be a simple. Then after traveling for a couple of hours, only for Leo to point out that he could smell their scent, meaning they had passed the same part of the desert already. Aya started to look worried sure that they wouldn't be able to find their way to their desired location. Leo was there to ease the stress he was starting to feel as well.

"Look" he said lifting his head to the sky. "We'll use them to find our way out of this desert."

The girl nodded, but she still looked a little unsure her instincts were telling her that this wasn't her natural habitat. The constant blowing sand was irradiating her nose messing with her sense of smell. She couldn't use it as well as Leo, and even he was having trouble smelling any other people besides themselves. All she could see before them was miles of endless sand that offered no help from the burning heat. "Damn" she thought as the duo looked for a place to rest till night. If they traveled like this they would die from heat exhaustion. This place was nothing like her village, and for once in her life she wished for rain.

As they got deeper in the desert they found a nice shaded spot behind a sand dune. Luckily for them enough of it had gathered to provide enough for them. Taking out the small blankets they used on their journey Aya spend them over the sand for her and Leo.

"Do you want me to keep watch Aya" it was unlikely anyone would would find them, but he didn't mind.

She shook her head no at the offer; they would both need rest for tonight's long journey for the amount of walking she planned for them. "Aya can you just break off a little bread for me" Leo begged she had refused to do whenever he asked earlier. And just like before she shook her head no, which meant he would have to starve for awhile.
"This is worse than when we were in the streets" he mumbled.  But it went to death ears because Aya was already snuggled on the covers softly snoring as she slept. Leo growled a little, but made himself comfortable. Circling around a few times he settled down, laid his head on his paws, and feel asleep under the cool shade.

Day 2
"Will this idiot wake the hell up." Aya shook her dog trying to get him awake, but he would only roll over and mumble quietly refusing to wake up.  They had slept too long and now they would have to travel during day too to get to the Tower in time. Yet if someone wouldn't get up they couldn't start. She knew Leo could hear, he was only choosing to ignore her. "Well fine than I'll get ready with out him." Brushing sand off of her clothes, Aya took out their backpacks to see what they had, making sure to keep inventory with her notepad. In her bag was another pair of pants and a tanktop she had brought. They hadn't been washed since she was at Akio-san's home and had a slight oder from being in her hot bag. Shrugging her shoulders deciding it was better than nothing she hid from Leo's sight on the other side of the dune, changing into it. "God now that it's on me the smell is making me a little dizzy." Shaking her head she continued her inventory check. The bread was kept nice and safe next to the unopened water along with her brass knuckles . Other than that there was nothing else with her, she always traveled light. Leo only had their blankets with him since they had to give up their rations as well as pens for Aya to write with.

With nothing seeming to be missing she only had to wait for Leo to get up. "Well if I have to wait on him than I'll eat and drink my full as well." With a smug look on her face she used the knife on her weapon to cut her a clean slice of bread and drunk half a bottle of water leaving the rest for Leo. He must have smelled the food cause he was walking towards her shaking the sand from his fur. He yawned and stood in front of her grinning.

"Good morning Aya" he smiled at his clearly angry partner.

"I'm so hungry I hope you didn't eat all of our rations" he said kidding. Too bad for him Aya didn't see it that way and poor Leo thought she was playing a trick on him. At first he was in denial as the walked Northwest to the tower using any thing that smelled close to be human. Than after some hours and her pissed looks he came to see what he always knew. He was going to be hungry for a little while. "That girl can be so heartless to me sometimes" he thought. Aya smiled smugly as they got farther into the desert till the sunset started to set. The two sweaty very tired Genin collapsed behind another sand dune. Neither knew how they managed to make it this far without collapsing from the heat.

"
How do people live in this hell Aya
" he said with a mouth deprived of water. "
Please can I have my rations now I've never been so thirsty in my life."

Aya felt guilty when she looked over to her pet and saw how tired he seemed. Maybe her punishment was too harsh for a simple thing like sleeping too long. She allowed Leo to drink the whole bottle out of guilt and didn't complain when he laid his head in her lap. "Thanks Aya" he sighed in relief when she cut him a slice of bread to eat. She nodded her head and pet his head as he fell asleep. She wasn't as tired, choosing instead to stay up so she could wake him up so they could continue their journey. They were so close she could feel it in her bones as a sense of determination welled up inside her.

Day 3
Last night had been pretty simple for Aya and Leo as they traveled. Her sight was naturally enhanced at night so it wasn't hard to get through the desert with no trouble. Leo walked ahead of her, as a dog he could see and smell better than her naturally especially with the constant shifting sand. Using the stars as their guide and the faint smell of others to lead the way they, finally saw the tip of a white tower on the horizon.

"Yes" Leo yelled as he jumped around in happiness.

Thank goodness they had been heading in the right direction. Aya gave another one of her silent signs of relief as she headed to another sand dune sitting behind it in the shade.  She hadn't slept since the night before, and the young girl was exhausted with deep black circles appearing under eyes. They were ugly marks clearly showing on her red sunburned skin. She took out their water bottle only to notice it was completely empty now. Looking in her bag again she noticed that they still had slices of bread left, but it was starting to run low. "Bastards couldn't have given us with more it was just too much of a hassle" she thought in frustration. Leo came behind the dune happily till he noticed their rations.

"I hope those clones of yours can fill that thing back up I'm thirsty Aya, he whined to her.

She glared at him shutting him up quickly as she started the jutsu.  Six puddles of water appeared on the ground in front of them forming into six versions of Aya. Clone number one walked up in front of the others waiting for orders.

"What do you want and make it quick my life doesn't last forever." Unlike Aya her clones could talk, probably because their throats were made of water or how ever their body worked. Other than that it still had Aya's cold and sarcastic personality. Leo took control giving them orders.

"Aya wants you to turn back into water and fill up this water bottle thank you."

It glared seeking confirmation from Aya, who nodded a yes as its left arm turned to water and entered into the bottle filling it. As soon as its arm disappeared it went back to being a puddle of water that soaked into the sand. While Aya drunk the bottle of water Leo decided to have fun. Pointing to two other clones they h up to him waiting for orders.

"You" he said the first "turn back into water and wet me I'm burning up." " While you" he said to the other "Go into my mouth so I can drink you."

Aya rolled her eyes at her power crazy dog got what he wanted, before she made the other two clones disappeared making sure to use one to fill the bottle again. Looking up at the now dark sky the two got up and headed towards the tower.

Day 4
The tower was now closer than before and both Leo and Aya could see the whole thing, but it was still far away. They would have been there sooner, but they were stumbling now as they made their way straight ahead. "I can't do it damnit" her partner moaned as he fell to the ground. Shaking her head she dragged him a few feet back to another sand dune so they could sleep, no more traveling for then till night. As Leo gave her a sloppy wet lick laying on her lap, and falling asleep.

Her stomach growled loudly keeping her from sleep. Genteelly moving him from her lap, she wandered off hoping too get a better view of the Ivory Tower. Maybe if she wasnt so tired she would have noticed the small lizard suddenly sink underneath the sand with one step. Too bad she didn't cause soon Aya felt a tug on her right leg. When she looked down her black boot was completely under the sand. At first she paniced now that she was caught in what appeared at first to be quicksand. But when she moved to tug it out her leg sunk so fast the sand was now up her thigh. "Shit no way is this quick sand this place probably hasn't seen rain in who knows how long." No quicksand could make a person sink this fast that only happened in books so what was it.

Trying to get her leg out again she started her hand got caught, and now her right body was starting to sink. Any other time she could have pulled herself out, but with little to no food and very little sleep had left her to weak to get out. "Wait" she thought "I can call Leo to help me." Aya pounded her fist on the ground in a feeble attempt to get his attention. Damnit no way was he going to hear her like this. Cursing her mother for leaving her unable to speak aya starting realized that she was going to die in such a pathetic way.

No she refused to go out like this her left leg was in the sand up to her foot and her hand was still free holding onto the surface. Calming herself down she watched as six clones of her appeared from puddles as she cased her clone jutsu. When they saw what was happening to her they each got the message. One went to get Leo while the others waited for his orders. When the two clones were back he was already prepared with a plan.

"You three" he said pointing to aya "Jump in we need that sand wet now." Seeing the relief on her eyes Leo nodded at her letting her know she would be alright.

"It's dry quicksand it has no water in it so if we add enough that should make it so that it becomes quicksand or close to it".  He had read a few books about Suna while they were in the village.

It was close enough as Aya felt her sinking slow down. All they had to do was get her out. Leo directed the remaining clones to grab Aya's arm and shoulders. Out of thin air appeared two chains that grabbed her shoulders as well. Using all their strength they pulled her up till she the chains were holding her in the air and than set her down. Aya passed out from exhaustion and the clones disappeared back into three puddles.

Grabbing her shirt Leo used his mouth to drag her to a sand dune to rest.

Day 5
When she awoke Aya was surprised to see the where she was. Her first thought was she had died, till she saw Leo.

"
When we get home you're not allowed any sweets aya you were really heavy."


Confused she looked around her holding her head at the headache that formed when she got up. Pointing to the Tower she looked to see if that was really the Ivory Tower. Leo nodded yes and smiled at her. At that moment Aya had never cried so hard, felt so accomplished, or wanted to to kill Leo more for calling her fat.

2805/1500

jutsu used first by Aya and than by Leo:

Sotsuji, Tenmei.  - Kirigakure.

The young dark haired female neatly scrawled her name on the parchment after having scanned over the list with her sharp, steel like eyes. Naturally, she wasn’t nearly surprised to notice that the list stretched out longer than the line. The stories of previous exams and the horrors that befell the unsuspecting Genin were all she had been thinking about while waiting for her turn to step up to the table.  There was no doubt in her anxious mind that the others were thinking of the same things.

------

There was no need for the young shinobi to be waiting around this early, however her persistent habit ensured otherwise.  Perched vicariously atop some stranger’s roof, Tenmei had watched the fire light glow of the sun as it peeked its radiant head over the mountainous sand dunes painting the land of sand in a delicious golden orange. And even then, she stayed up out of the way until the high surfaces around her started to ripple as the heat waves danced across any surface it could cling too. It was shortly after this though, when the first group of people started to creep out from their den like homes and make their way to the designated area, carrying tables and what looked to be like an armful of books. It wouldn’t be long now before the occasional, Jounin, looking for some extra bonus points: gave way to the hoards of excitable teenage Genin who were bound to follow.
   But even as the once desolate area started to grow both in population and noise, the Sotsuji clan member kept her position off the ground with a patience that was only bettered by her father. It was only after the semi organised lines had formed and books had been laid out with a dramatic reverence, did she quietly lower herself on to the balcony railing, casually stepping off to take her place in the every growing crowds.

It felt like the market place……but different.

All she could hear was noise. High pitched giggling, determined whispers, encouraging calls from village friends. It was only missing the cat calls and sales people yelling out their wares to the richer pedestrians who just happened to be walking past at the right moment. Instinctively, Tenmei pulled her arms closer to her sides, wrapping them about her thin frame almost defensively as she stepped away in to the gap between the other members of Kirigakure.  Buried under her chaotic thoughts, the ebony haired female knew that if she touched someone, all they would feel was a slight brush of warmth, like they had been  by a blanket that had been left by the fire too long. But there were so many people here. People that had come from all over and not just from the villages she had visited before. The last time she had been here, in this place, in this crowd, Tenmei had been pulled out of from their intimidating jeers and their hateful gazes by her ever protective father. But now, if it were to happen now.....Well. There would be no one to save her then.

"All participants, may I have your attention?”

T]he moment his voice bellowed out over the entrants…..everyone went silent. The young Genin could only wonder if this one man knew how much power he had over the gathering of young individuals.  If he only knew how every eye was watching, scrutinizing every moment, hanging on to every word with a combined anticipation that could almost be seen hovering above their heads. She could feel it too, which was why, along with everyone else, Tenmei strained to hear the reason why they had gathered in this windy place. The task they were to be given for this first test…..And what a task they were given
   Oddly enough, Tenmei was not so much bothered by the announcement, or rather the amount of Genin who backed upon hearing the morbid task of signing away their safety net. What did bother her; was amount of Sunagakure people that chose to shy away from this small test, the very people who grew up around these windswept lands.
  This test, from what she could gather over the constant hum of nervous murmurs was: they were to travel over the scorched sands, across this hazardous terrain to find this ‘Ivory Tower’ before five days were up. They were given no map, no description of what this monument even looked like or represented for that matter. All she and the other young shinobi had: Were a general direction and a motive to get there within the time limit else they would fail and make this trip for nothing.

You remember what I taught you? What are you waiting for?

Direction. Motivation. Sustenance.
This was more than enough for the young Genin and a smattering of others like her. She watched half dumbstruck as a small handful of no brained individuals dived through the gate, barely taking a glance at the day’s rations before stuffing them in their bags and disappearing over the dusty distant hills.  A slight smile played at her lips, quietly admiring their determination and gusto….but none had as much courage as the small child somewhere off in the crowd who seemed to be yelling at the others, demanding in a rather feminine high pitched voice for them to pay attention.
For those last few moments of standing in line, Tenmei listened to the petite genin’s words, allowing them to drift over the rest of the noise, and join the words of the Proctor as they bounced through her memories, reminding her again and again why she was here and what she was doing.
It was such a shame that neither of those words could drown out the third voice that played out in her mind.

---

Tenmei brushed her fingers across the neatly inscribed signature, smudging the ink slightly on the last letter before pausing to bask in the memory for a small moment. With one last half aware glance at the crowd she was soon to leave behind, Tenmei picked up her rations and carried them to the gate.
   He was right of course. The bottle of water and small package of food was just enough to get her through the first day of this trek, but not enough to last the full three days let alone five.  Still, Tenmei had survived on less and the desert wasn’t entirely new environment. Even if she had been traveling in luxury before now, the dangers remained the same. Sand storms, mirages, dust devils, sink holes. Be prepared or fail. If anything, this was what both her father and the old man had taught her in their short times together. After coming this far, the dark haired female was hardly going to disappoint them now.   If only he could see her now….
And so, just like all those reckless youths that she had seen disappear in a cloud of sand, Tenmei too vanished in to the vast expanse of mirages and heat.

------------------

-And so it began-

It looked like she had stepped through a portal and had entered this new rustic world made of millions of golden granules, built in to a sea of different sized hills. Tenmei turned around to look behind her, seeing the footprints trail in a constant string until disappearing in to nothingness. How far had she run so far? How long ago did she leave those noises behind? It was hard to tell with this strange land….but that didn’t mean it was impossible. If there was one thing she had learned from the ninety year old merchant was that anything was possible.
Being careful not to tip the small lizard off of her shoulder, Tenmei knelt down and placed her finger in to the sand beside her, feeling her temperature match its surface. Then, while keeping her arm straight, she drew a perfect circle in the ground before marking it in the places in which she was taught the last time she had been stuck in this god forsaken place.

Two hours. The memory hit her like a truck, knocking the wind from her and bringing the young Genin to an abrupt stop. Last time she was here, two hours away from the protective walls of the village Tenmei, had passed out while looking for her traveling companion. Heat stroke had taken away her sense of balance, dehydration had robbed her ability to walk and she collapsed heavily in to the semi soft surface. If it wasn’t for the small yellow and black lizard biting at her dried skin around her arms, she would have stayed there and joined the dust on the winds. Needles to say, Tenmei owed the tiny creature her life…..and so she gave it to him.
Another honest smile grabbed at the corner of her lips, adding a new glow to her cheeks. With the reptile holding tight with its pin prick sized claws, she continued on, no longer feeling the loneliness that she had left with.

As the sun got higher, the sand got hotter and Tenmei was really starting to feel the whole weight of the treacherous desert sun as it beat down hard against her slowly darkening skin. With the way the sand pulled at her sandals, trying to drag her back down along with the occasional unfortunate creatures , and how the wind whipped at her exposed arms and legs, burning  them with a touch similar to her own; it was almost as if the land of Sunagakure was raising up and rebelling against her, rioting against her feeble attempts to try and continue on. But Tenmei had never been one to go down without a fight. Stealing slow deep breaths of the dried air and using her hands to claw her way up further when necessary, the silver eyed female drove onwards, never looking back just in case she lost sight of her direction, the only true guidance she had with this test.
But in the end, the result had always been inevitable. Tenmei was fighting a losing battle.
    After another long grueling hour, of swimming her way  through the demeaning heat, breathing in the very air that seemed to dry her out from the inside, the realisation that it was time to stop finally got to her. But by the time she had found herself, clawing her way up the third large largest sand dune she had come across…..it was too late. An hour and a half to late. The dark haired female’s knees buckled underneath her and whatever balance she had holding on to, disappeared along with the unstable ground. With nothing to break her fall, nothing solid to grab and too exhausted to cry out for help,  the dark haired Genin was left to tumble down the steep slope, rolling head over heels sliding unpredictably, uncontrollably, before coming to a bone jarring halt against a large protruding stone with her semi conscious form wrapping around it from the impact. For those few precious moments while her vision continued to spin, the young girl slid her aching form around the stone, finding the remainder of an alcove beneath where she had been lying. It felt cool underneath and for a few moments, Tenmei swore that she sun could not find her here…..but then again, she had been prone to hallucinations before.
It didn’t matter. Her eye lids had finally caught up with the rest of her body and fell closed, plunging her in to a world of darkness

Tenmei. My silly girl, have you already forgotten what I taught you? Sometimes its just better to give in. Let go of the fighting. Do you remember now?
     Yes. I remember. I’m sorry. But I cant this time. I have to wake up and keep moving
     But why? You are just going to end up like this again.
     Why? Because I made a promise. That’s why? I promised you and Solstice……I promised myself.
Yes, that’s right. I promised me. Myself.


It had been a long time since she had one of those dreams. The type that felt so real that you could actually feel where you were, really hear what’s going on in the world around you and know that as much as you want it to be true, it was just a simply perfect dream. Well…. it was just like that.
   The images going through Tenmei’s mind was of home. Lying there on the soft dirt with the rain coming down around her, on top of her, the hundreds of drops evaporating the moment after making contact with her skin, shrouding her slight form in a haze of mist. Tenmei almost believed it to be real. If it had not been for the humidity, threatening to suffocate her as punishment for being so careless as to fall asleep in this place…..it was strange….. so strange.
Wait….. No. it wasn’t strange at all. If this was her dream, then where was her father? Where was that familiar smile, those kind eyes that reflected the love and adoration she showered him with every day? Where was the agonizing look she glimpsed at before waking up in a cold sweat?

“Tsukeru! Tsukeru where are you? Hey Tsu…..”

The small stinging bite to her left ear deflated the anxiety in her chest, causing the young Shinobi to release the breath stuck in her throat. It seemed that at some point, while Tenmei had been lying there with her eyes closed, she had been transported to yet another world….and this one was much, much darker. Picking her bag up from the sand and the small lizard hanging from the mattered knots of her coal black hair, Tenmei crawled from her hide-away, slowly releasing the stiffness in each and every joint.  She had been sleeping for a while it seemed as the temperature in the air had dropped considerably, bringing forth a layer of goose bumps that covered her unmarred skin. Not only that, as she slowly felt her way to the edge of the next obstacle, her sand coated sandal slipped in to something vastly different from the dry grittiness she had experienced all the previous day.
   Tenmei knew she wasn’t dreaming when she felt the icy caresses of the rain, run half down her skin before disappearing in the atmosphere. It was also too dark to be a mirage, too cold. So Tenmei took her chances and grabbed out her empty thermos from her sopping wet bag and dipped it in to the spot where she had felt that taste of home. 
It seemed a small prize for the aches and pains but the fresh water caught between the valleys of dunes, was worth everything she had been through so far.

This victory, though small was exactly what she had needed.
After experiencing the full ungodly wrath of the beautiful daylight star, Tenmei knew exactly what was to come once it reappeared over the horizon for the second time since her arrival. She knew that if the female wanted to make it within those days, she would need to move now, while the air was still cool and relatively moist. So, after taking a small amount of her food and the clean water she got from the village, Tenmei was off again, getting closer to the tower with every blind step.

----------------------------------

--And the hours pressed on--

There was nothing in the darkness. Not that she could see anyway. Every step was made in blind faith that her instincts were proving to be truer than her concept of time. There was no knowing if she was heading in the right direction or that she wasn’t walking straight off a cliff. In actual fact, until that devilish ball of fire lit up the planet again, she may have well been walking around with her eyes closed.  But even though she couldn’t see, her hearing went in to over drive.
Her father had always told her of the creatures that lived in the desert. Hyena’s, snakes, larger lizards than her friend who was now hiding out beneath the folds of her clothing. She could hear every single one of them moving around her, circling like the predators they were. And still, she continued on one step after the other, his words always spurring her on.
That’s it. No fear. They will smell it on you the moment you let it get out. Keep it locked inside with your fire and become the bigger predator.
By the time the wonderfully deceptive, golden world had returned, it was clear that no animal was game enough to keep her from her path. Tenmei had dodged a bullet this time as it seemed…..
But her luck wasn’t going to last forever.

Hours later and Tenmei was standing in the centre of another hand drawn circle, her eyes lowered to the position of her shadow.
The early hour had already welcomed back the shimmering heat waves of yesterday, teasing her with visions of water and serenity. Behind her, the ribbon of footprints behind her traced back to a few minutes ago before being swept away by the biting winds. Everything, it seemed, had gone back in time to be just like the day before.  And if that was indeed the case, then her time for travel had just been halved.  In her youthful mind there was only one thing she could do to counter this
    So, with that one thing in mind Tenmei reached over her shoulder and carefully peeled off the young desert salamander, slipping him in the specially made pouch in her bag. Then, getting down low in a half crouch, she opened up the chakra gates in her legs,  and pushed off, allowing the flow of her essence to work its way down naturally as she tore off in to the distance, kicking up foot print sized dust clouds as she went.

“Hey. What’s wrong? Tsukeru?”

It was during her third break when she heard the scratching of needle claws against the wooden surface of her thermos. At first, it was quiet, barely noticeable, a niggling buried in the back of her mind. But gradually it grew louder and louder and more insistent, climbing up further until the tiny reptile shot out of the opening at the top of the bag, scrambling for the safety of her chest pocket.  
Like a mother protecting the precious piece of fragility, Tenmei cupped her hands over the place where he had hidden, encouraging the frail creature to settle in to her warmth, and ease the anxiety that caused him to tremble. For the most part, it had worked and the creature quietened in to a soft scaly ball, pressed against her warmed skin….but with every move she made, Tenmei could feel him squirm and quiver, drawing them back to where they had been before.
Clearly something had spooked her brave little friend….something that she could not see.

It wasn’t long before she found out exactly what.

The powerful sun rays beat down on the shinobi with a vengeance, tearing at her reddening skin as if it wasn’t enough to see her dazed and stumbling. But even this was nothing compared to the raging winds, as it howled through the sand dunes, whipping dust up in to her eyes, threatening to blind her with the pieces of obliterated rock. But that was the least of her troubles.
With every strong gust, the granules lashed out at her skin, causing bleeding speckles to appear on the exposed surfaces of her arms and legs, even painting a rash to the side of her face.
Once more Tenmei was forced to stop and dig in to her bag, pulling out the blanket she had sat on when crossing the boat, she wrapped it around her shoulders, folding it across her chest and fastening it together with a large pin. Like this, she continued on walking, with the top edge pulled low over her eyes. She couldn’t see well like this but it didn’t matter. The young Genin didn’t need use of her eyes to know what was coming. She could hear what had spooked her creature friend from a mile away……and it was getting closer by the second.

It sounded like the earth had cracked open and all the sins of the sand people had risen up and were coming forth to take it’s temper out on the unsuspecting ninja who just happened to cross is path.
She, though not unsuspecting, was the ninja in question, standing helpless, looking up to see the solid wall of raging particles, coming towards her in a wave that was as far and as wide as the mountainous dunes that spanned across this desert.  And still, it was far from the worst of it. The land she had stepped in was completely flattened. There were no sheltering rocks like before, no hills of sand to hide behind. Just one flat continuous surface and nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run.   Completely at the mercy of Mother Nature and her fury.
Tenmei knew she had escaped the bullet with the previous night…..but this time she would not be so lucky. Not this time. This was it.

“Hold on my friend. This is going to hurt”

It hit her like an exploding gas truck, tearing at her skin with the force of an electric sander, ripping off the feeble red glowing burns the sun had bestowed upon her. Her legs, her side, the cheek bones that peeked out from under the make shift hood. Every moment she stood in that storm, her skin threatened to tear from her bones unless she did something. Anything..
DO SOMETHING!! Get out of there or there will be nothing left. MOVE!! GET OUT! NOW!
The voices screamed at her, yelled at her muscles to move but they didn’t. They couldn’t. The pressure, the pain was too much for her young body to handle. It was no wonder why there was little plant life here. It had all been torn apart and she was going to be torn apart too. Tenmei could feel the sand bury deep in to her skin, ripping her down to the muscles, grinding her away, little by little until the  blinding rage found the sweet tasting bone of her shins and forearms.
DON’T just stand there. MOVE you stupid girl.
With one bleeding arm wrapped around her chest, the other formed an unfamiliar hand sign in front of her, focusing her chakra in to something new. There was no time for her to open her gates one by one. No time to focus. In one explosive movement, she released her chakra in to the first defensive technique.  A cutting wind barrier that stopped the wind from reaching her……but it was not enough. Not nearly enough. Tenmei couldn’t hold this forever.

Let go. Let it all go. You can do it. LET GO!

It was just like in her dream. She could feel the pressure building inside her like a balloon being filled with boiling air. Air that should have burned her up from the inside.
 And still, it continued to stem out, coming from her lowest center, her core, it spread and built and spread and built until there was no where left for it to go expect for the open channels which she released it through her skin in one constant stream of incredible super heated air. And the reaction…..well it was nothing short of spectacular. The deadly grit gathered by the barrier hardened, growing solid by the second in a clear glowing mass that only seemed to spread and thicken as the wind deafeningly roared around her, trying to penetrate her new found shield.
But the more it blew the more solid her man made cage became until it had completed a full circle around her, closing her off from the world, with her friend trapped inside with her.  There was nothing that could break through now. With ever new layer or sand came new glass, repairing the cracks and enforcing her barrier. But now she had started, Tenmei couldn’t stop it. Even as she closed her eyes, the heat still poured from her pores, keeping everything safe intact.
Only when the ground stopped shaking and the world fell silent did she shut off all gates and pass out with her saving grace curled up in the palm of her hand.

-----------------

--The last steps--

Tenmei could not quite figure out how it had become so hot all of a sudden when she had woken up on the third day of being out here. She had no more food, no more water. Even the small sample she had picked up earlier and filtered through some course sand, was gone. Maybe she was just dehydrated which would explain the aching that covered her body. Slowly, Tenmei opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised to find that it had gone dark, except for a small light right above her.  She must have been out of it for a short while and it was still night time.
For just a moment, a slight peaceful moment, Tenmei thought about staying here. In her quiet little dome there was no danger, no noise. No one to hurt and no one to hurt her in return. It was just so simply perfect  that she could fall asleep and never want to wake up…..So why did she focus the last bit of chakra to smash through that opening of her little glass word to reveal the half buried chaos that had torn her skin apart a few days ago.

The answer was just ahead in the distance.

With a soft smile on her lips and the still sleeping Lizard on her shoulder, Tenmei picked up her bag for the final time and sprinted off towards the Ivory tower.
She had done it. It was over. He would be so proud


Word count: 4384

Chakra110/150 :

It was just another hot day in Suna for Ichiro.  Looking around him at the large group of Genin, he felt happy.  All these ninja from around the world were coming together on peaceful terms for the Chuunin Exams.  He had enjoyed watching the droves of foreigners coming into Suna the week before to set up shops, and the ninjas coming in to get ready for the exams or to just come and watch.  The whole event was a great spectacle and he was a part of it.  Today was the first day of the Exams, and here he was in a group with several other Suna-nin, among four other groups for each respective village and their Genin.  A proctor stood up on a balcony, announcing the instructions.  Ichirou paid attention closely, making mental notes of everything.  His foster father had reminded him that a good shinobi always paid attention to the details.  Missing a detail could prove fatal.

He followed the rest of the Suna-nin group to the large clay tables, signing the waiver for his life.  It was in his hands now, just like it’d always be.  There wouldn’t be a waiver in war, but there would always be a threat to his life.  It was something every ninja needed to understand if they wanted to truly be a shinobi.  His foster father had finally opened up to Ichirou about his past as a shinobi with the coming of the Chuunin Exams, telling him all sorts of advice.  He gave survival tips that every ‘Suna-nin needs to know’ and tips to better understand people’s jutsus and how to find weaknesses.  A lot of information was just spilled out onto Ichirou in just a span of two weeks.  He was glad to have learned so much from his foster father, whom he admired and respected so much, but he didn’t understand why it had taken the Chuunin Exams to learn all of this about him.  Why had his foster father held back so much from him and was there more that was still hidden?  Ichirou’s head swam with questions that had never existed before, but now wasn’t the best time as the gates on the huge fenced-in area were opened and there were Genin heading to them, grabbing the allowed supplies before heading out.

Walking with the rest of them, Ichirou walked up to the clay tables filled with supplies and took his one-day’s worth of food and water.  As he departed, he took off his coat, wrapping it up in a makeshift hat on his head.  This was a trick he learned from his foster father, although it didn’t help that his coat was all black.  He trudged onwards, using the sun and the sky as his guide.  His first goal for the journey would be to find some kind of shelter from the sun.  Spending too much time exposed to direct contact could prove fatal in the desert.  Yet he knew deserts weren’t just sand, he would find shelter soon.  He just had to search for it.

Hours went by, walking over hundreds of sand dunes, Izhirou had soon learned it was better to walk on the edges of the sand dunes, crisscrossing his way to the Ivory Tower.  He kept his eyes on the horizons all around him, making sure nothing came up to attack him.  His foster father told him that many bandits hid out in the dunes, praying on those who left the safety of the village as well as wolves.  He was told to watch out for sandstorms, and how to survive one if he was caught in it.  Dust Devils were also something he learned from his foster father, so Ichirou was able to avoid many fields that he came up on along his way.  The trek on the first day took its toll, and Ichirou tried his best to take as few sips as possible from his only canteen.

Just about in the middle of the afternoon on the first day of traveling, Ichirou began to see some kind of vegetation cropping over a sand dune.  It caught his eye as he looked around him, checking the horizons for any signs of shelter or water.  He did a double take, trying to make sure it was real.  Then seeing no change in what he saw, he ran towards it.  Any kind of plant life means there is water; he repeated his foster father’s words to himself.  Running down the sand dune, he was greeted with the most heavenly sight imaginable.  A great pool of water was sitting before him, with many reeds and palm trees around it.   He rushed his way to the edge, grabbing his canteen, opening it up as he fell to his knees.  He drank all of the water in his canteen, not wanting to waste it before refilling it.  After taking a refreshing sigh, he plunged the canteen deep into the water, filling it up to the brim with the beautiful water.  Taking a swig of it for a taste, Ichirou’s mouth was greeted with a hot and dry grain.  It was sandy and dried out his mouth in an instant.  Coughing it up in a fit, he suddenly saw sand all around him and sand all inside his canteen.  Glancing up, the oasis that he had thought he had discovered was completely gone.  There was nothing but sand lying before him.  Quickly he spit out all the sand from his mouth, digging the tiny bits that clung to his teeth with his fingers.  His foster father had warned him about not letting himself get too dehydrated, saying that the desert son plays tricks on the fool that is dry, so that the fool will become dead dry and be cooked for the wise ones that live under it’s harsh gaze.  Throwing the canteen in a mad rage, Ichirou screamed at himself for being so stupid.  He had been worrying too much about running out of water that he didn’t keep himself refreshed enough.  Now he was out of water because he had thought he could replenish it all, and worse, the canteen was full of sand and not usable.  Sure, he could try to pour the sand back out, but some of it probably got a bit wet or stuck inside, which would ruin water if he ever found it.

The day was coming to a close and all he had was his food left, which was already half gone.  Wanting to make the best use of his now quenched thirst, Ichirou pressed on late into the night.  The stars being a much better guide than just the sun, he could feel himself making lots of progress.  He marched on to the Ivory Tower, which was yet to have shown itself on the horizon.  Growing weary from his journey, Ichirou searched the horizon for somewhere to rest, and luckily he saw a group of rocks that were jutting out from one of the sand dunes.  Slapping his face to make sure what he saw was real, he soon took up a bed underneath a boulder that jutted over a bed of sand.  He rested his head on a smaller, smooth rock and set his supply pack next to him.  Taking one last look at the stars, he drew an arrow in the sand pointing to the Northwest.  This would help him not feel lost when he woke up.

On the morning of the second day, Ichirou’s main goal was to find a replacement source of water on his journey.  He needed to make sure he didn’t fall for another mirage like he did the previous day.  The late night walk had caused him to use up a lot of energy, so it wasn’t a big surprise that he managed to sleep till mid-day.  The boulder had proved to be quite the shady spot, hiding his eyes from the sun for quite some time.  Getting up, he noticed the time he’d lost, and pressed on in a pace that wasn’t quite a jog but to say he was just walking would be a lie.  His pace reminded him of his foster mother whenever she went out for exercise, and would walk at such a brisk pace that most people wondered why she didn’t just break into a jog.

It came to the middle afternoon again, and still there was no sign of cactus or a secret oasis to help Ichirou with his dying thirst.  He wasn’t walking as fast as he had been, now pacing as slow as an old man with a cane; he knew he wasn’t doing well on his journey at this rate.  He had started out hoping to make the best use of his newfound knowledge of how to survive in the desert.  Advice that his foster father had given him so that he could best succeed in the Chuunin Exams.  Collapsing from dehydration, Ichirou fell to his knees.  The tears would not come, he was so dry, so thirsty.  He had failed his foster father, dishonoring the great advice given to him and also dishonoring what was left of the name Yagatsuki.  Would his clan die with him if he died out here in the sand?  There was little hope left in his soul, the exhaustion and dehydration had done their worst to young Ichirou.  Just as he was about to give up and let himself die there in the middle of the open desert, the Ivory Tower stood out before him, just off in the distance.  His eyes caught this just before he fell forward, his forward fall seemed so slow.  He was so weak that he couldn’t even fall fast but then it hit him.  The sight of the Ivory Tower finally struck a cord within Ichirou, igniting a small whirlwind of spirit.  He flicked his hands out in front of him, catching himself from falling.  Looking up at the Ivory Tower in the distance, he was renewed in strength.  All he had to do was make it to the Ivory Tower and he could live.  He could still live.

Slowly, he got to his feet, still feeling exhaustion throughout his entire body.  Moving one foot at a time, he made his way to the tower.  At first he traveled very slowly, as if a cripple was just getting back on his feet, his legs shaking as if ready to fall.  Then the pace quickened, though it was gradual, he made his way into a normal walk, his feet trudging through the sand, kicking more sand then walking over it.  He didn’t care though, he just needed to move forward, the Ivory Tower standing in front of him was a miracle.  It was only the second day and yet there it stood, something must’ve paid off from what his foster father had told him.  Breaking into a slight jog, he pressed on, the Ivory Tower expanding before him.  The new burst of energy lasted an hour, and it was all it took for him to make it to the Tower.  In a relieved and gleeful way, Ichirou went up to it’s white walls, hugging it.  As he latched his arms to it’s side, he was instantly pricked and stung as if he had run into a bed of needles.  Opening his eyes quickly and jumping away, Ichirou was once again deceived as he saw only a field of cacti before him.  “STUPID CACTUS!” He yelled with what little energy he had.  Then, just as he finished his yell, it struck him.  No, he didn’t find the Ivory Tower early, but he did find his source of water that he was in desperate need of.  Drawing his katana, he sliced off a piece of the cactus that had stung him.  Carefully, he picked it up and shaved its outer shell, then pulling it to his lips, he drank the liquid that lay inside it.  He spent the rest of that day drinking his fill, gathering up his energy for the third day.

The field of cacti became the resting place for Ichirou that night, and upon his awakening into the third day of his journey, he packed as much pieces of cacti as he could, drinking up some as well before heading out.  The field of cacti was the best thing that had happened to him, and in this case, the best thing a mirage had done for him yet.  His third day went on pretty uneventful, as he traveled northbound again most of the day just sipping away at his cactus juice.

About midway through the third day, he saw the Ivory Tower again in the far off horizon.  Taking one of the cactus needles from his bag that he had kept for just an occasion like this one, he poked himself hard in his leg, then looked back at the Ivory Tower.  It was still there.  Relieved, he pressed on in a mad sprint, covering lots of ground that he had lost earlier.  Night came and he still hadn’t made it to the Ivory Tower, though it was much closer and taller in his view.  Not wanting to rush things, he rested for the night, then on the morning of the fourth day he finished off the last of his cactus juice and ran the whole way to the Ivory Tower.

As he arrived at the tower, he looked back from the way he came, thinking to himself that he didn’t die and didn’t let the desert kill him.   Or had it been the desert that had saved him?  He tilted his head in thought, and while he thought, a figure in the distance caught his eye.  It looked to be a girl with lowing flowing hair, as dark a red as his.  He shook his head with a chuckle, the desert seemed to really love giving him mirages, this time he almost thought it was real.  He turned and stepped into the Tower, his resolve for the Chuunin Exams even stronger now.  The last mirage did remind him of one thing, however, and that was his desire to find his long lost twin sister.  It was his main reason for wanting to be a shinobi so that one day he could go out on his own and find her.  With that in mind, he knew there was no way he could let himself not pass these Exams.

Suna was unbearable to Izumi.  How people could manage to live here was beyond her comprehension.  The sun was the devil in his purest form as he wreaked havoc from above.  The heat was doing nothing good for her hair, she knew that much, and that was the most precious thing about her.  The proctor chatted on about signing waivers, and whatnot.  She didn’t really care too much, he hadn’t yet gotten to the good stuff, the actual reason why her and the other groups of Genin had come here.  It was the Chuunin Exams and here she was signing a waiver saying she fully comprehended that she might die if she was a total idiot and didn’t survive the desert.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  She just wanted to get the show on the road, but no, the proctor had to wait and make sure everyone was willing to risk their lives.  It stuck her as odd and idiotic that someone would say they were ready to become a part of the shinobi world and then cry and run away when the world said that they’d die.  Dying was a big part of being a shinobi.  Either you make others die or you die.  That’s how life worked for the shinobi, Izumi knew that much.

After a lot of nitwits and ninja posers had left, scared away at the possibility of them dying, the proctor finally opened up about why they were gathered here.  Izumi paid attention now that the good stuff was finally being let out.  From the brief instructions that he gave, she saw it was relatively simple.  All she had to do was reach an Ivory Tower somewhere out in the desert.  There wouldn’t be a nice little path to follow, but the proctor had mentioned it was somewhere to the northwest of their position.  She wasn’t too keen on the one day’s supply of food and water when it was said that it’d take them about 3 days to reach the stupid tower.  She’d have to find a water source within the first day or two if she was going to make it there alive.

Strapping the canteen and food bag around her shoulders, she pressed on past the fences and made her first steps in the wide desert.  She thought back to how she had traveled from Iwagakure no Sato all the way to Sunagakure no Sato all in a massive run.  This trip was probably much shorter than that, but since it’d be completely in the desert it would feel just like that distance.  Taking pride in her skill at traveling, she pressed on.  North had to be straight on, the proctors wouldn’t just let the Ivory Tower be along the fence line.  And it was quite impossible that the Ivory Tower was back, behind the fences.  So using this knowledge she figured that back behind her towards the fences must be south, and straight on would be the north. Aiming for somewhere in between the line of fences to her left and directly perpendicular to the fences, she guessed roughly where the northwest was.  It would’ve been simpler if she had a compass but those were against the rules for this part of the exam.

She made her way out from the fences until she could no longer see them, then she took a small sip from her canteen and lied down.  She set her canteen down to use as a pillow and opened up her food bag sticking her head in it to shield it from the sun.  If they were given five days and by the time nightfall hit, the test was over, that meant she had four nights to reach the Ivory Tower.  She remembered her journey to Suna very well, as she arrived the very morning they started, having run all night.  She was quite tired from her journey and she was already ordered to make another one.  The plan was simple, she was gonna rest up and then actually start her journey at night when the sun wasn’t constantly trying to suck her dry.  It was quite the hot day, and the bag only got hotter as the day went on, but Izumi was much too tired to care, and soon fell asleep from her exhaustion.  She didn’t get a chance to rest when she first arrived, only getting the chance to unpack before the call of the Chuunin Exams was heard from her window at the inn.  Since she arrived so late, the only room available was the crappiest one.  Of course, what had she expected arriving so late?  It was her fault waiting to the last minute to go to Suna.

The first day passed quickly for Izumi, as her real journey began once she woke up to the desert’s night sky.  Without any lights from the village, the stars shone brightly above her.  She took a few minutes to take it all in.  Thousands of stars filled the dark expanse, and the moon shone brightly over the hundreds of sand dunes sprawled out before her.  Izumi wasn’t the best at navigating by the sky, but traveling with the stars as her guide was something she could definitely do.  Saddling herself up with the canteen and food bag, she set out, following the stars to the northwest.

The first night proved to be a bore.  Only sand and sand and more sand lay before her as she trekked through it, running along the ridges of the dunes.  The night was freezing cold without the sun, which in a way was good for Izumi.  She ran harder than she had during her long run to Suna, which surprised her as she didn’t expect to have such strength after running such a long distance.  Her doubt was correct as not long she grew tired and had to relax back to a jogging pace.  Still, it was much more efficient than jogging in the desert sun. whatever distance the other Genin had been making on her, she was gaining back threefold that night.  She kept running on into the morning light.  The sun hitting her back slightly, which reassured her that she had been running in the right direction.  The sun started to get hotter when Izumi was starting to get tired and just in time she had found a nice ridge of clay rocks that seemed to provide some shade.  Setting up camp underneath the rocks she made a makeshift bed again with her canteen and food bag.

The second day came and went just like the first, giving Izumi plenty of energy.  Smiling in her sleep, she dreamed of many Genin falling into the sand, dying underneath a gigantic sun that was whipping away their energy while she ran with the moon at her back, cheering her on.  She slept peacefully, and woke up to a scorpion pinching her nose hard with one of its pincers.  Her hair quickly wrapped around it and the rest of her body, and burned them off in a quick show of her clan’s special shield.  The scorpion that had pinched her and the others that were found on her body later were all burnt.  She patted them off before strapping her canteen and food bags back again, taking a nice swig of it, then shaking it to check how much was left.  The soft swish told her she was nearly out meaning a water source would need to be found soon.  It was only the second night and that Suna-nin proctor had said an average shinobi took three days to get to the Ivory Tower.  She’d just have to find one on her way over, she figured as she began her run.  This night it seemed she had even more energy and she went off at a sprint.

Hours went by as she kept on running, her feet making big dents in the sand.  Her journey was soon to be over, she soon found out as in the distance she noticed the Ivory Tower stood out from the many sand dunes around her.  So elated at the sight of the white tower shining in the moonlight, she ran haphazardly towards it, not noticing where she was stepping.  She ran down one of the sand dunes, not caring to run along the ridges but instead choosing to make a straight dash to the tower.  Her feet fell hard into the sand as she ran down the sharp slope of a sand dune.  The speed she had was too much and she lost balance, falling hard into the sand and rolling to the bottom.  Her happiness at finding the Ivory Tower so soon just made her laugh at the fall.  Trying to stand up, she found a problem in getting her feet out of the sand.  She looked down and found her whole lower body was under the sand up to her hips.  Any amount of struggling just carried her more into the sand.  Not completely realizing what was going on, Izumi tried moving her legs up, but her struggle to get out of the sand just made things worse.  It seemed that there was nothing she could do to get out of this.  She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, knowing very little about deserts as she grew up in Iwa, where the ground was nice and hard, and it held you up instead of crumbling under your weight, or like now, sucking you deeper and deeper into it.  Izumi was at a loss for what to do, and she yelled out in frustration, “Just great! This is just fucking beautiful!  Some poets gonna write a tragedy after me about how I nearly made it to the Ivory Tower on the second night but then dies for some shit sand that won’t let me the fuck go!”  Her happiness was completely gone, her predicament being enough reason for the sudden mood change.  In her anger she moved her body, sinking her more into the sand.  “What the hell am I supposed to do?  I don’t have a jutsu that lets—“ she cut herself off midsentence as a light bulb turned on inside her head.  She did have a jutsu that could get her out of this mess.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, seeing as rays of light could be seen in the sky as the third day approached, Izumi used her Double Suicide Decapitation jutsu, completely sinking her body under the sand.  Now that she was inside the sand with her jutsu, she moved forward through the ground and rose up on a ridge of a sand dune.  Coming back out on top of the sand, she looked behind her at the hole that was left behind from her body.  She had almost died right when she was getting close to the finish.  It was broad daylight now, the sun had quickly risen during her long struggle with the sand.  Looking ahead at the Ivory Tower, she started walking to it, this time going along the ridges to make sure she didn’t repeat her struggle all over again.  She walked up to the great Ivory Tower, glistening it’s white walls in the bright desert sunlight.  As she came up to it, she thought she saw someone standing outside the door, looking at her, but when she shook her head to make sure she saw it right, the figure was gone.  She could’ve sworn the person had long, dark red hair just like hers.  Most likely some trick of the light, she told herself as she made her way to the tower’s entrance.  Stepping inside, she knew this was just the beginning of hard times and surprises, but she also realized she could get through it, as long as she did things her way, like she did in traveling at night.  The Chuunin Exams would fall before her now that the first stage was cleared.

Chakra 125/150:

Congratulations everyone, fine work. Unfortunately, neither Adechi Shigure, nor Kuraudo, Gaiken managed to make it in time. We shall move on to the next round as soon as possible.