Meeting for the Exams [I/O]

It was a fairly average sunny day in the City of Stars, and Kouma was in a bit of a hurry, heading towards the Unseen University. The reason he was moving so quickly and nervously was because he was going into the University to ask for permission from the Kage to participate in the upcoming Chuunin Exams that were going to take place in the near future here, and he did not have a team leader such as a jounin to ask for him. He had to go it alone, and soon he found himself slightly sweating, although he was unsure why. He had heard a couple of good things about the Kage, but considering that Kouma was still inexperienced with a lot of things, meeting the leader of the ninja side of the village was still slightly stressful, and although Kouma was usually very respectful to his elders, he felt like he would have to dial up that respect to eleven with the leader of their military.

Kouma finally made his way to the gate of the Unseen University, where a couple of very menacing looking guards stood watch, and eyed him suspiciously. When Kouma had gotten close to the gate, one of the guards finally shouted at him to get his attention. “Halt! State your business in the University, no one can come here without an appointment or if it’s a military emergency.” The guards stated matter of factly while staring Kouma down like a wolf would stare at a sheep. Kouma was startled still for a moment, but quickly regained his composure, as he was raised in a household that took grace, respect, and a bit of tea ceremony very seriously. Kouma straightened himself out more than normal before replying as clearly as he could and without any verbose meaning or non-business like demeanor.

“I am Yamaguchi Kouma, here to see the Hogokage about the upcoming Chuunin Exams!” Kouma slightly shouted that because of his nervousness, but the guard did not seem to care, as he simply grunted and pointed into the compound, as the gate slowly swung open. Meeting his gaze was a large compound that Kouma had never seen before, and it seemed to be grand and efficiently designed, with people walking to and from the different buildings. Kouma was a bit hesitant at first, but seeing the annoyed gaze of the guard, he quickly shuffled in before it was closed behind him. Kouma quickly found his way to the Leader’s Chambers, as it was fairly central to the entire compound, and quickly found a seat. Some sort of assistant said that they were going to go and notify the Kage of Kouma’s attendance, and to simply wait here in a seat.
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WC:457

An acolyte beckoned the Genin to enter the office. The Leader's Chambers in the Unseen University was not as big as the private audience chamber of the Royal court. Still, it had Iwagakure rugs on its oaken floor, elaborate wall hangings, and golden-tinted windows that gave it a sense of intimacy. Or so the Acting Kage believed ever since the village's infancy.

Shina watched as a small boy entered the room. "You are here to see the Hogokage, to my knowledge. Unfortunately, he has not returned from his mission in Sunagakure, so you will have to make do with me."

Her blue eyes studied those of the Genin. Yamaguchi Kouma Shina knew. Not on a personal level, but she preferred it that way. Uncomfortably she remembered Ayato's words. "A good leader must know his people, and they must know him back," She thought.  Not that the young Kage had ever tried to make the statement that Shina was his loyal servant, else it would be the last thing that ever came out of his mouth.

Many liked their leader brave and stupid, though, and Ayato was every bit the gallant hero; he knew how to talk and looked good with his white cloak flapping in the wind. At any rate, it was neither her place nor her prerogative to question the Kage and his orders, and the orders were to give a fair opportunity to any Genin who wished to join.

Nothing in the files suggested Yamaguchi Kouma was the best pick for a Chuunin candidate, however. Still, perhaps the Byakugan heir in his eternal wisdom knew something that the fuinjutsu master did not.

"Relax, kid, have a seat and tell me about you." She waved a soft, lotioned hand at the empty seat in front of her desk. As much as she would have enjoyed leaving the Genin to stand for the entire meeting, even she was not that cruel. Breaking a shinobi's nose was nicer them making them stand for an extended period when there were empty chairs within reaching distance. 

"No need for easy courtesies, so speak freely. I promise not to report you. " Shina said with a smile, giving the boy a good look at her shiny white teeth.

Kouma was beckoned into an office, which had a fairly simple desk and a chair, and a fair amount of decorations on the wall, but Kouma was in a bit of a daze, and that was not because the woman he was now talking to was beautiful, but it was a special state his mind entered when he got really serious about things. He made sure to lock eyes with the woman, as it was always taught to him by his mother that you needed to look someone in the eyes when you were speaking about important things, or if you were in a formal setting. Kouma believed that this was definitely a formal situation, so there was a certain expectation that Kouma had about the interaction. He was a bit nervous when the woman beckoned him in and then told him that the Hogokage was not here, and that he was taking a trip to Suna, and would be back soon.

Kouma was unsure of what to do about this, and wondered also if this was a simple way to tell Kouma that the Kage was not here and that he could not join the current chuunin exams until he was back, which might not be before the sign ups to the exams were closed, so his heart slightly sank. As Kouma was sitting there not sure if he should still ask about the chuunin exams, as maybe this person here had the authority to grant permission since she was inside of the office that he was supposed to go to, the woman told him to relax and take a seat. Although he would not fully relax, he definitely let out a sigh of relief, although he tried his best to hide it, and he walked over and took a seat in the chair that the woman presented to him. As Kouma sat down, he was still waiting for the woman to tell him what to do at this moment, and luckily for him and his anxiety, the woman kept speaking fairly soon after he sat down. She asked Kouma to tell her a little about himself, and so Kouma thought about it.

What exactly should I tell her about myself? Just my experiences and special skills? Maybe the jutsu I've learned? Kouma thought in his mind as he pondered the question fairly quickly. The woman then told him that there was no need to be courteous to her and to speak freely, adding what seemed to be a small joke about not reporting him, but Kouma also saw it as some sort of trap, or at least it seemed like that. This woman seemed like someone who liked to mess with people, but Kouma did not mind that fact and simply started talking about himself. "Well Ma'am, My name is Yamaguchi Kouma, from the Yamaguchi clan, and I am a puppeteer. I came here because I wanted to ask for permission to participate in the upcoming chuunin exams. I am not sure if I am fully ready for something like this, but I feel like it will be a good experience for me to be able to push myself and compete against genin from other villages to progress in my ninja path." Kouma said, fairly slowly and clearly, just to make sure that he said everything correctly and was still looking the woman in the eyes for respect. He was also sitting straight up in his chair with near perfect posture, his hands folded over his lap.

Kouma's mind was immediately abuzz with thoughts, and he was unsure if he said too much, or too little. He was hoping that he was not going too shallow with the information about himself, but there was not much else to say. Maybe he was fascinated in medical procedures, or that he was fairly competent in them as well, or perhaps he should have mentioned why he was traing to gain strength. With all of these unsure thoughts in his head, for some reason this just raised the anxiety he was feeling at the moment, and so he just waited intently on the edge of his seat for her response, and he hoped that he would be able to get the permission he needed to join the exams, as that would be a great test of his mettle and prowess.
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WC: 729

The mischievous glint in Shina's eyes growing as Kouma went through a series of formalities about who he was. 

“I see, both a Yamaguchi and a Puppeteer. Someone like that visited Hoshigakure years ago and left quite the impression. He was a good lad. You have his look, at least. Perhaps that’s why our Kage was interested in you. I’ll get to that soon, don’t worry.” 

The brunette would push a file forwards. The details the boy would need, including the rules, the arenas selected by her that the events would take place, and any other information he would need on the Chuunin Exams, which currently occupied the priority list Major Villages.

“I assume you mean to win the tournament,” She said as the boy (hopefully) read the instructions. “But remember, the others did not cross half the world to cheer you on. Even if you lose, go down knowing you fought at your best and then some. Hoshigakure is not a village of quitters. If you fight well, perhaps you’ll get the Chuunin rank and later more. But first, you must fight.”

Shina pulled out a box and a different small file from underneath the desk. Shina dipped a quill in the inkpot and scratched her signature across the piece of parchment.

“You’re approved for the Chuunin Exam Puppeteer. Don’t make me regret this. There is also the matter of your family. The Yamaguchi.“ A polished fingernail pressed on the intercom, and within minutes, a hunchback man on gray robes entered the office. Kouma would notice he had a long, loose chain around his neck with links made of copper. The emblem of the Order of the Archives.

“Their heraldry, bloodline, specialty, history, and the village of origin must be cataloged, a standard procedure for all clans within our walls. A village must know its people. This kindly librarian will do the process for you right now. ”

Provided that Yamaguchi Kouma abided with the request, the Librarian would take the second empty seat and write down the information the boy gave him. 

“You will go and place the clan details in the Archives. The guests may arrive at our gates soon. I will not have this pushed back because of the tournament.”

“That would be my preference as well.” The hunchback slipped the roll of parchment inside a wooden tube. “I hope to have the honor of working with you again even after our Kage returns.”

“You hope to have your due, you mean. Save your pleasantries. It is the safekeeping of knowledge we need from the Archives, not empty courtesy. Tell the guard outside I require Seto Yomiyama and Yuuma Fujiwara.”

“It would be my pleasure. The Library is always glad to be of service.” The gray rat bowed and took his leave.

She turned to Kouma again. “Now, back to our business.” 

The shadow-haired Uzumaki opened the lid of the box she had summoned earlier and from within was a piece of wood. But this was no regular wood, as its color was pale as milk glass. "No prizes for guessing what this is," Shina spoke, the disdain for Konoha crafting material clear in her voice. The most challenging thing was its price; there was none. Senju Trees did not grow outside of Konoha, and the Hoshigakure shop had no supply for the material they produced. 

Shina knew of only two pieces of Senju Wood existing North of the Sunagakure border right now. One of them, within the box in front of Kouma. And both belonged to the same person. Seventh Hogokage Ayato Hyuuga.

“Our Kage requested that I give you this on his behalf. I asked him why he would hand such a valuable thing away. He told me he was giving it to someone who needed more than he did.”

---
(exit)
Claims
Approving Kouma's registration for the Chuunin Exam
Giving 1 Senju Wood from Ayato's inventory to Yamaguchi Kouma
Knowledge of the Yamaguchi Clan placed in Kozai Yuki Archives

Kouma had said his piece to the woman that was some sort of assistant to the Kage, or perhaps she had some sort of higher rank that allowed her to be adjacent to the Kage, as she did have a very proud look and demeanor about her that said that she was more frustrated with the Kage than she was subservient to him, and Kouma kind of liked that about her. She talked in a slightly teasing way, but Kouma did not mind this, as he was simply too nervous and polite to actually think about the tone of her voice. The woman then suddenly said that the Kage was interested in him for some reason, and Kouma's ears pricked up at the mention, as he was really confused as to why the Kage of the village even knew his name, let alone showed interest. Kouma thought that perhaps it was because of the old reputation of his clan that the Kage was interested, but there was no evidence to support this notion, plus Kouma had never heard of the Kage doing anything shady, he was more of an upright and righteous person, at least in the eyes of the public, but Kouma did not know too much about him other than that he was strong. 

Thinking back to the task at hand, the woman pushed a folder towards Kouma, and assumed that he wanted to win the tournament, to which Kouma replied with a "Yes Ma'am!" before taking the folder and looking through its contents. This seemed to be the overall rules to the chuunin exams as well as various events and arenas, and so Kouma was prepared for what he was going to get himself into. As she said that he was approved for the exams, Kouma was ecstatic and immediately put a big smile on his face and said "Thank you Ma'am, I won't disappoint." Before his smile sort of dissipated when she switched the topic over to his clan. He wondered if he would be in some sort of trouble or be scolded, as his clan was not the most respected or understood of clans, as their method of fighting was... unorthodox to say the least, and downright villainous if someone took a certain spin to it, but he was fine with being ostracized, but he was definitely not fine with directly disobeying the village and becoming a traitor. It seemed like she had called someone on the intercom for a bit, and soon a hunchback old man entered the room.

Kouma eyed the hunchbacked old man with respect but a large hint of curiosity as he strode into the room. He had some sort of chain around his neck and some sort of symbol that Kouma did not quite recognize, and so he was curious and a bit nervous about what this person was here to do. His secret fears seemed to be unfounded, as the person simply walked in and bickered with the woman for a bit, or more accurate was chastised by the woman, before it was revealed that he was from the archives, which was the grand library that held all manner of secret things that were off limits to the general public. This was also where the advanced element of the village was held, but Kouma was uncertain about that as of yet. Regardless, the hunchbacked librarian came over with a pen and scroll, and was waiting for Kouma to give them information about his clan, and he was happy to do so. Perhaps if the information was a bit more public, at least to the top brass of the village, the clan would have a better chance at being more accepted into normal society as something other than weapons of war. At least Kouma hoped that they would as he gave the clan's information, at least as he knew it. 

He made sure to omit the finer details, like what the sacred rites actually were so that people of their clan could get the Pact Eternal, as this was extremely secret information that was impossible to give out unless Kouma was a bit stronger, as the spirits of his ancestors that he could contact through this ritual would definitely be very upset with him if he did as a kid that did not know the scope of certain things. After that was done and the old hunchback left after the woman reminded him of guests at the village entrance, the woman turned back to Kouma and got out a box that had some sort of white wood in it. This wood was extremely famous, especially for a puppet maker like Kouma, and so his eyes sparkled as he thought of why she had brought the item out. He first thought that this would be an incentive for winning the chuunin exams, but then he was proven wrong, but it was a fantastic way to be proven wrong. It seemed that this woman was there to pass a message from the Kage, essentially giving him this wood for free.

Kouma almost reflexively declined while being humble, but the look in the woman's eye as he was about to say something shut him up quite quickly. He simply accepted the precious item, before thanking the woman profusely. "Thank you Ma'am, have a great day!" Kouma said, as he got up and excused himself from the office, before performing some hand seals and opening up his dimensional storage using a space time jutsu. This was where he kept all of the precious things that he owned, just in case, either in here or with his mother, and so he immediately stuffed the wood into the dimensional storage before heading back home. On the way home he was still a bit starstruck, wondering exactly what had happening, and wondered if it was all just a dream, but then he focused on his dimensional storage and there it was, the confirmation that what had happened was real, and that he was actually going to take some Senju Wood home with him. He wondered if he should put this on a puppet for the Chuunin Exams, but decided against it. That would be acting a bit too rash, so he just kept it in the back of his mind as he got home.
   EXIT
WC: 1057
Total WC: 2243
Claiming Senju Wood
Giving Knowledge of the Yamaguchi Clan to the Archives
Using 750 words for Moving Earth Core C Rank
Using 938 words for Spirit Gun
Using 375 words for Shadow Shuriken Technique


All of this using 25% discount for max stats

Approved