The Time of The Culling Games is Here !

[This is where all participants will post for the announcement.]

Being one of the first too arrive, Xena found herself in the large arena yet again... a chill running down her spine from a night not that long ago, she rubbed the side of her head as she made her way too a designated seat. Today was the beginning of the Chuunin Exams, yet she didn't feel any glee or giddiness, not like she hoped too at the very least, she rubbed her eyes taking a seat and looking up towards the speaker area, where it seemed a few people were walking around and talking, not that she could hear, but she could somewhat see them. She felt like she could recognize someone up there... someone she hadn't seen in month's their white hair was their most discerning thing after all, she just couldn't remember his name, and due too not keeping up too date with village politics she likely wouldn't remember until it's stated. Regardless sitting in the empty section she crossed her legs and arms and hung her head downwards, she was somewhat tired if she was too be honest, the days have been getting longer, or so it felt that way, perhaps it was just something following her that kept her stressed, she had learned something that should of made her happy, but it didn't seem too, she was 'exceptional' something uncommon, though she didn't believe a word of it, she hadn't even shown it too her parents, though perhaps that'd be for the best. As of now it'd be her only ace in this exam, and she needed all she could get as far as she could know. Her techniques were still sloppy in her opinion, and she had worry they weren't good enough too defeat anyone else. But she was out of time for practice, so it's not as though any of that mattered anymore. She kept her ear out for anyone approaching, like the paranoid idiot she was, then again who wouldn't be after that kind of night. And with that she waited until others arrived and the speeches began.


The speeches started and Xena's eyes would open too find someone standing amidst the center of the arena, yet another chill went down her spine before she recognized them too look nothing like that woman, It was a strange looking man, he almost looked like a Oni from the legends, his clothing was undoubtedly from the police department, something rarely seen it would appear, he also had a sword and his hip, it looked rather nice. He began speaking directed at the Genin who had arrived, Xena would looked around herself finding people did indeed show, she couldn't immediately pick anyone out of the crowd, but it was nice too know she wasn't alone anymore. Changing the way she was sitting she now leaned forward her arms holding her head up as she gazed directly at the man in the center, he spoke that we should be the very best, key word being should. Before noting that the Hokage, Aokidanza, and the Deputy, Goto, would speak more on what they'd be doing, taking interested she looked at the two as they began too descend. Though more followed suit, a total of 8 other's body guard's most likely, none of them recognizable at first glance, she waited for them too reach their destination and stop, until finally she recognized something, or, someone. Her gaze fixed on Yachiru, they were instantly recognizable after the crowd was dispersed somewhat. She recoiled a bit in her seat, her back now pressed against said chair, her face attempted to remain calm though, a look of mild fear was still detectable too those who inspected it. For now Xena attempted too remain calm. Listening too the Hokage speak, the Hokages attire was interesting too say the least, but if he was too inspire fear in those who were too attack, it would obviously work. He began speaking a voice booming through the arena, and Xena patiently would listen, waiting, until they were finished, they didn't have a choice eh, she should of figured that make, this is a rather important thing for the village, the Hokage then directed Goto too speak, and Xena would proceed too listen too that as well.

"And it looks like things are finally getting into motion. Good I was starting to get bored," he mused to himself as he looked at the messenger that came to tell him to come to the arena for the start of the Culling Games. He was amused when his father and his sworn brother had made the initial announcement for it, and now the time had come for it. A change to let loose and really get a feel for the others in the village. The red headed male wasted no time in leaving the house to arrive at the Inferno Arena to see just what this announcement would entail about the fighting and the exam as a whole. Would it be a simple fight and be done with it? A free for all with the last man standing getting everything? So many options would come to play in his mind, but for now he would wait to see. He walked at his usual pace, hair blowing gently in the wind as he walked through the streets. Most of the denizens around knew of him at least by appearance due to his reputation, but most were weary of him because of his personality. After a few moments he would come toward the entrance of the arena and notice of the officers standing there. Locking eyes with the person for a moment he would merely smile as he walked past them and into the arena. The son of the former Hokage slowly made his way up into the stands and moved to sit away from the others intentionally. As he sat down he would kick his feet up on the seat that had just been below him and crossed his arms as he awaited for the rest to come, and the announcement to start. As the seats filled he would not give any time of day to the others but when he had seen Chief Iscarot take the stage so to speak his attention was given.

He did not really care for the words of the Oni, but he was someone that even his father held in high regards so that respect was something that he would give as well. Upon the introduction of Aoki and Goto, his eyes went to the entourage. The "Mother" as well as a few other of his siblings gathered around the two, his eyes keenly focused on the mask of Aokidanza as he made an acute form of eye contact with it. Knowing that the many eyed mask kept track of all things around the male, it would be no surprise that many would be disturbed by it. But not him. In fact he smiled every time he had seen it. Finally the announcement came and a visible look of annoyance did play upon his face. He came here to fight not take an exam, but if that was what it took for him to finally be able to attempt to let loose he would go along with it for now. Glancing around him, Nura would take the individual reactions of the others to see how each person would take it. With this in mind he wondered if he could just do the second part alone since most of these people would just slow him down and he did not have the time for that...he would likely try to kill them.

Today was THE day. The day that the exam would be announced and the rules of said exam said. Nokino was ready early, prepared, washed, fed and primmed for the day and the next days to come. Usually, her weeks were endless days of trying to teach young kids why the shinobi life is important, how to get better and become a strong ninja, always helping others grow. Not today. This day, it was for her and her alone. As she got out of her house with her full attire, wearing her black armored body suit, her red flamming sleeves, the Flak vest of the teachers, along with all of her gear and her katana, Red Flash, Nokino was smiling, a rare thing to see passively on her face if nothing active made her smile. Today tho, was a day she was trully happy, as she could do her proof finally for the village. As she walked toward the arena, she tied her konoha headband around her head, her hair for once not loose but in a bun on top of her head, showing her small round ears with multiples piercing rings attached to them.

The stadium was immense, and as she arrived, she noticed she wasnt the only one. Of course others would try the exam, that was the whole purpose! She approached the railing on the edge of the benches area, and leaned onto it, in a way to be able to fully see the center of the arena field. 

After a while, the Lord Hokage entered finally the place, along the Deputy and their entourage, wife, bodyguards and closest advisors alike. They were all testimony of the power, strength and might of konohagakure, all menacing and with presence to them that would make the most seasonned shinobi doubt his years of experience. Nokino smiled at the sight of such powerfull individuals, happy to serve this village and to forge the next generations of soldiers that would fight to the death for lord Hokage Aokidanza, and hopefully, with her school reform, would fight with more efficienty, and be more hardenned in general, as she was known to be hard on soft people. Prior to this, Nokino had already met, altough from affar, the lord hokage Aokidanza. They never spoke but as a new teacher, she met him in school where one day he visited the facilities. They didnt talk of course, but Nokino bowed greatly before his might, equally respecting him and fearing him, as he was known to be scary. His aura was one of pure death, and raw power so high it was almost tangible in the air around him. As she recognized him, Nokino looked toward his multi-eyed mask, and smiled, slowly bowing her head from afar, knowing that he was seeing and mostly looking at all of them, and signaling that she knew, hence why she was saluting her lord by doing a far away bow.

While the speech occured, Nokino was really attentive, not wanting to miss any details, but she was also on the lookout for Yukio, her team mate to see if he was in the crowd of genin participating to the exam. If he was, she would go near to talk to him.

Yukio walked through the streets of Konoha with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. Today was the announcement of the Culling Games. He and many other Genin within the village would be competing to show the leadership of the village that they had what it took to be promoted to Chuunin. Yukio himself was being pragmatic; there were plenty of other shinobi who had much more experience and were much stronger than he was, but he had to give it a chance. As he walked through the streets, the early morning air slowly began to fill with the sounds of the busy village. Many citizens and shinobi alike were preparing for the Games. Yukio neared his destination, looking at the the looming shape of the Inferno Arena, a massive building designed to contain and showcase exactly what was scheduled - the Culling Games.

Yukio paused before the door and took a calming breath. He nodded to the two guards posted outside the entry way and then stepped through. A few others had gathered already, and he spotted Nokino-sensei standing a short distance away. He approached and stood next to here, giving her a small bow and greeting. Once the rest of the Genin arrived, the announcement began. Iscarot Ushitora, the Chief of Police, made a few opening remarks as the rest of the village leadership walked towards the platform. As Iscarot finished speaking, Lord Aokidanza and Lord Goto, along with the rest of their retinue, stood on the platform, waiting for their turn to speak. Yukio was enraptured with the images of both Lord Aokidanza and Lord Goto. The Lord Hokage was dressed in a marvelous set of robes that were both beautiful and yet gave the impression of demonic power, which was accentuated by the multi-eyed mask he was wearing. Yukio could feel the aura of power from both of them, and he was well and truly eclipsed. His eyes never once left the form of Lord Aokidanza as he was continually subjected to the strength and terror of his power. The gulf between them was massive, how could he ever close it? Yukio continued to be awestruck as first Lord Aokidanza spoke, and then Lord Goto spoke. His short message of "Don't suck" was blunt and startling enough that Yukio was pulled from his staring to contemplate the harsh, if simplistic, truth Lord Goto had spoken.

Once the ceremony was finished, Yukio would stay and speak with Nokino-sensei.

---

WC: 410

Tenshi slowly made his way towards the Konoha Inferno Arena in lieu of the scheduled announcement by the village's top brass. This was touted to be quite an important occasion, so much so that Aokidanza, the Hokage himself, would be making an appearance as well. Hearing this, Tenshi knew that he could not miss it, wanting to finally get a measure of the man at the top of the mountain. This was not supposed to be the first instance of the two of them crossing paths, as Tenshi had been granted a meeting with the Hokage at the village's Advanced Training Facility. However, it had seemed that something important had come up that day, resulting in Aokidanza not showing up. At first that had irritated the Uchiha, but he now looked at it as a blessing in disguise. It meant that the Hokage would likely not know exactly what to expect from him in the upcoming Games, meaning that Tenshi would be able to unleash his full power for all to witness for the first time. He could barely suppress a smile at the thought.

Arriving at the impressive structure, Tenshi simply walked past the guards standing at the front, one of whom was about to stop him from entering without announcing himself, but was stopped by the other who mentioned something along the lines of "He's one of the Shinobi you idiot, let him pass." Finally making his way up to the observation area, Tenshi noticed that there were already many of the Genin here, although there would likely be more to come. Making his way over to a free seat, Tenshi found himself next to Yukio, with Nokino on the other side of the young Senju. "Hello little Curse. I hope you have been well." He said simply, before sitting down and lighting a cigarette, looking down into the Arena as the Hokage and his entourage finally arrived.

Appearance:

Tenshi listened with interest as both the Hokage and his Deputy made their announcements. The entire concept of the Culling Games truly intrigued him. Of the three stages that they had to look forward to, the final 1v1 was by far what interested him the most as he wanted to see what his fellow Genin were capable of. The team stage would also be enjoyable for Tenshi, knowing that he and his fellow Team 212 squad members would work well together, as they always had. The least interesting stage for him was the written component, but Tenshi also appreciated the importance of it and knew that he would have to put in his all to ensure he did well in it. He sat in silence as the speeches continued.

---

It is a morning like any other in her private greenhouse. She comes in, paces down the clear rows between the sea of scents and sights, always coming to her brother’s treasured white roses by the end of her visit. She comes by often, and though the roses don't necessarily remind her of him, it is difficult not to wonder if it's because she doesn't pay the same visits to his grave. But what Arathel knows is that she prefers the silence of these plants over the wafting whispers of the ghosts that fill the cemetery air. It is why she comes here in the mornings, like clockwork. Until this one becomes no longer typical like any of those others, the invariability of the ticking hands is disrupted upon the arrival of a butler-like shinobi—the one who knows exactly where to find the Anbura in these private mornings. Who knows there is a reason why she leaves her devices shut off when she is here. 

But this morning is the sole exception for she has to attend the announcement regarding the Culling Games. She received the alert moments ago before finding her way to the greenhouse before she journeyed to the arena. She told the butler to find her once it was closer to time for her to leave.

The man is breathless in his haste, and he pauses to catch it once he finds the girl at the end of the mosaic tiled path. Arathel continues to mind the buds before her, unbothered as she glimpses in the corner of her vision that the hapless man appears too daunted to even address her. 'Still a few days shy of blooming just yet,' she thinks to herself, fingertips brushing over the tightly closed petals to test their feel after she's finished pruning back some unseemly ends of the foliage.

"Yes, Shizu," her calm voice resounds with crystal clarity against the pristine geometry of this structure's transparent panels. Settling on one particularly early bloom amongst the juvenile buds, she reaches with her clipping shears for the harvest.

Shizu pulls a kerchief from his pocket and daubs it at the receding line high on his brow, dampened not just from his labored pace. "Arathel," he clears his dry throat, "it is time for you to attend the Culling Games."

“I see,” she spoke with gentleness, using her words delicately as if it was her hands caring for the pre-blossomed flowers, “thank you, I shall head over there immediately. You may go,” with that being said, she waved her hand informing Shizu he may leave. Arathel doesn’t take heed of the receding footsteps as her mind lingers about. The time was nigh for her to put her abilities to the test, but she wondered how she would fair. Whispers through the grapevine is that some of those individuals are quite talented and skilled, so could she be up for the test that they impose. Only time will tell.

Soon, she left the privacy of her greenhouse, gathering her supplies, and found her way into the inferno arena; specifically, the spectator area. However, before she found entry to this establishment, she was met with a guard to take her attendance on being there. Finding her way into the area, she took a seat on one of the many rows on benches; it was not too far back, but not too near the railing, just right in the middle. Turning her focus to the monitors that provided insight to the center of the arena, she watched as a beastly man started the introduction. He spoke with authority but also concluded with a warning, ‘better give your undivided attention to the Hokage or else.’ Establishing servitude through fear does not always work as in the end, it could cause uprisings and revolts. Perhaps, the Hokage and his closest followers are more subtle in their approach.

Next to move in was the malevolent being, Aokidanza, and the squad of his family and trusted allies. They walked as if hell erupted from every footstep they met, it was a sight to behold. Arathel took the time to take note of all the individuals that made up this initial party. They’re supposedly the strongest beings in Konoha, she wondered what it would be to stand with the likes of them. A new dream started to form in her mind, one that is to be able to be dignified to be a part of this new reign.

To conclude the speakers was the divine being, Gojo. While many of the male population was indeed handsome, Gojo stood miles ahead of the rest in that regard. While Aokidanze seemed to come from the pits of hell, Gojo came from the heavens. He radiated an aura that he was otherworldly. She made sure that she soaked up every word that he said. She will try her best to be the best in this tournament.

TWC: 822

The day had finally come. The Chuunin Exams were about to begin. Tatsuo exhaled nervously as he entered the arena stadium, filing into a seat alongside so many others who were vying for a promotion. Everyone here was so much older and bigger than Tatsuo, it was easy to feel intimidated by the power and experience that surrounded the eight year old child. 'I've trained for this,' the young Uchiha reminded himself, and he started mentally running through all of the ways he's improved, and all of the things he knew he could do. He wouldn't be a sitting duck. Steeling himself, the young boy sat on a bench nearest the railing so he could easily see into the arena below, where the upper echelon of Konoha had gathered to address the Genin.

The word that came to mind when looking down at the group of them was formidable. Tatsuo couldn't tear his eyes away from the Hokage, and the mask of many eyes that he wore. It was all at once fascinating and grotesque. He listened as the men spoke, their voices loud and projecting clearly up to the group in the rafters. The stages of the exam were explained. and Tatsuo understood that first they would be taking a written exam. Tatsuo wasn't worried about that, he'd always aced his exams in the academy. This couldn't be that different, right? Next would be the team mission, and Tatsuo frowned slightly, glancing around his peers. He wondered who he would be teamed up with. No matter who it was, he would need to find a way to work in unison with them on the spot. And lastly, there would be the one on one test of combat. This was likely to be the most trying stage, but Tatsuo wouldn't back down from it. He had come all this way, and he wasn't going down without a fight. Being the smallest one there, he really felt like he had something to prove. Once the explanations were finished, Tatsuo sat back quietly, contemplating how things would go. He'd better start formulating a strategy now, before it was too late.
_____________________
WC: 359

Jiro arrived after the bulk of the others had already gotten there, sliding into the back row with his hands in his pockets and his hood pulled up. He rested his feet against the bench on front of him, silently glancing around as the others grouped up, watching everyone and getting a read of the room. Most people seemed excited, some nervous. Some sat in quiet confidence. The quiet ones were the ones to look out for, he knew. The teen chewed on the toothpick in his mouth idly, listening as they were addressed from below.

The exam seemed straightforward enough. There was nothing he was particularly concerned about. While he knew where it was appropriate to have caution, he didn't doubt himself. He knew that even in training, he hadn't been pushed to the limits of his abilities... and if he had more to give, he'd probably get to give it here. That was fine by him, as long as he didn't die for any stupid reason. When the team missions were brought up, Jiro just scratched his head a bit. He'd been told once that he'd been placed on a team, but he hadn't yet met all of them. If they were paired up for this test, that would be a good a chance as any, he supposed. With the announcement seemingly finished, Jiro sat back and continued watching everyone, waiting for the signal that things were moving forward.
_____________________
WC: 241

Meanwhile, outside the main city of Konohagakure-no-Sato, within the village outskirts...


"Himari!" A mature, feminine voice bellows through the ground floor of the household. "You're going to be late for your Chūnin Exams, young lady, you better hurry up!"

"I'm coming, Mom!" The young kunoichi responds back from the bathroom upstairs. She'd been getting ready for this day since early morning, but it's not like she's nervous or anything. It's just that Himari has never been to a Chuunin Exam before so it's only natural that she's a little bit anxious. After all, this is a very big deal for her. If she succeeds in passing the Chūnin Exams then she'll finally be able to take on bigger and more important missions for her village and become an even more respected ninja.

Himari momentarily pauses in front of the mirror to check if everything looks right. Her black hair is neatly brushed and tied into a ponytail with a purple ribbon, her cheeks are rosy red from excitement, and her white eyes sparkle with determination. She gives herself a confident smile and nods approvingly at her reflection before she grabs her backpack and heads downstairs where her mother, Nozomi, is waiting for her with a plate of breakfast. "Here you go," Nozomi says as she hands over the plate to Himari. "You'll need your energy."

"Thanks, Mom!" Replies Himari as she takes the plate. She sits down at the table and begins eating her breakfast while her mother watches her from across the table. After a few bites, Himari looks up at Nozomi and asks: "Mom? Are you worried about me?"

"Of course, I'm worried about you," Nozomi replies with a sigh. "But I know that you're going to do great today." She smiles reassuringly at Himari before continuing. "I'm very proud of how far you've come since becoming a Genin, Himari. You've been working hard these past few years and now it's finally paying off."

Himari finishes eating her breakfast and stands up from the table. She places her empty plate in the sink and turns around to face Nozomi again. "Thanks again for the food, Mom!" She gives Nozomi one last hug before heading out of the house. Stepping outside and closing the door behind her, she takes a deep breath and looks up towards the sky. It's a beautiful sunny day with not a single cloud in sight. The air smells fresh and clean and there's a gentle breeze blowing through her hair which makes it look like it's moving on its own like waves of water. She smiles brightly at this sight and begins walking towards Konohagakure-no-Sato's Chūnin Exams venue, where she hopes to meet up with her team for their first Chūnin Exam together.

Nozomi, herself, attends the same event later after Himari has left. It's been some time since the last Chūnin Exams, so there's likely to be a change in tradition given the peculiar changes in leadership in more recent years. The stakes may be far higher than ever before compared to when she last participated around Himari's age.

As Himari walks through the village streets, she notices that there are quite a few people gathered around the entrance to Konohagakure's Inferno Arena, a place that sends chills down the Genin's spine the last time she traversed through this place. She wonders how Jecht has been doing since their last encounter, perhaps she'll find him at the epicenter of the Arena where the leaders of the event will stand. For now, she wades through the crowd of people coming through, waving to, presumably, one of the higher-ranked shinobi that greets oncoming Genin into the Arena. Upon entry, she quickly finds a spot to sit among the masses, noticing a handful of friendly faces she's come across since her graduation as a Genin. Spying her bulking teammate, Tenshi, sitting amidst the crowd, she makes a beeline towards him, jubilantly.

"Heyya, Tenshi!" She hollers and waves to him with equal enthusiasm. "Heyya, Nokino Onee-san! And... friend!" She waves to Nokino and Yukio, respectively, before seating herself beside Tenshi, her legs swinging to and fro, as she awaits the arrival of the rest of the VIPs and retinue. When the Hokage and Deputy Hokage arrive—along with a surprisingly large number of members who follow in tow, family members? Other high-ranking officials? The phenological diversity made it difficult to pinpoint, but they all seem to have a common interest in being together—Himari listens attentively to the ongoing announcements that take place.




First from Iscarot, then proceeded by Hokage himself, Lord Aokidanza—who she can't help but feel a little intimidated by his presence, especially since he's such an important figure within the village. He's the one who's responsible for protecting Konohagakure from outside threats—then finally, Goto gives a rundown of the three stages involved with the grand opening of the "Culling Games".

The written exam portion of the exam sounded like the easiest out of the three involved, as that determines the character of the shinobi or kunoichi in question and whether they fit within the expected, village culture, if they succeed in winning higher-ups favor. Himari's confident that she'll pass this portion of the Chuunin Exams with no problem. The second part of the exam is where things get interesting, as it involves a team exercise, the nature of which is deliberately kept hidden, likely to simulate an actual combat scenario. This portion of the exam is where Himari intends to shine, given her repertoire of Jutsu. Finally, the last stage will pit applicants against each other in a one-on-one tournament to determine their ability to stand their ground, outwit their opponent, and emerge victorious while keeping their wits about them.

She's not sure how she'll fare in the third and final portion of the exam, but she's always been a quick thinker on her feet, yet she hasn't seen the number of applicants registered nor the skill gap she can expect. So, she hopes for the best and prepares for the worst.


WC: 1,006
TWC: 1,006