Academy: Don’t let the bed bugs bite!

Menma stood from his table dropping his fork to the syrup stained plate below, his usual breakfast of waffles fueling him as he walked out the door and locked it behind himself. Down the stairs and through the streets Menma made his way to the Academy to see his instructor from the first day of class, "You.. You're the one who chose the mission scenario over your life.  I'm glad to see you have held out this long, the other's who fell to the Mist have been removed from the class. We only await 5 others now, such a weak generation this year." he smirked at Menma after making the statement, though Menma shrugged away this attempted slight to his peers. In truth he didn't really care what came of them as long as it didn't hinder his own growth, but for now he would remain a team player as he could to further himself. However, this self reflection would have to wait as the others joined the gathering.

"Good Morning you lot, I see only a few could handle the genjutsu prowess of Ichimaru. Well today is a much better day, we are journeying to the 'Forest of Misty Dreams' for a little basic medical training. So let's get moving! Menma brought up the rear as the sensei led them to the outskirts of the village to the forest, he took note of the plant and amphibious life they passed determining what their various properties were. Upon arriving in what seemed to be a grove, surrounded with lush trees and shrubbery that was home for various remedies to poisons and poisons themselves. Menma stood firm as the instructor picked plants from the grove and explained their various medical uses, of course this seemed to drag on and on as the day would soon begin to turn to dark. "Well get comfortable everyone, we're staying here tonight." The others began looking for soft places on the ground to sleep, but not Menma as he walked to the tree line and found a large limb on a tree and climbed it.

In the stillness of the night, Menma woke to a stir seeing the instructor seemingly shiver in agony and collapse letting out a gasp. The others rose from their bedding looking to the sensei as his face become flushed with illness, many began questioning what happened others reflected on the teachings of the day reaching for herbs to cure the ailment. Menma remained at his perch looking out to see the grass beyond the others moving, swaying in an unusual patter evident to be more than wind. "The grass!" Menma shouted out to the others, they quickly looked seeing massive beetles of some sort with distinctive colors pointing to poison. Menma gritted his teeth looking out trying to determine what was happening, these creatures were not home here in the grove. Nothing from his inspection upon entering pointed to creatures of this magnitude, but what could this mean was all he could summon in his mind.

The others seemed to be dropping to the onslaught of the beetles, that's when it hit Menma that today before camp the instructor had everyone's focus on the herb he was holding. 'Genjutsu?' He calmed himself and closed his eyes, now forsaken his physical sight he looked with in to see, to feel his erratic chakra flow. He then lifted his hands forming the seal of the Tiger 'Release!' the words echoed through his mind as he opened his eyes and lowered his hands, then he seen as two other students seemed to awaken from the illusion. The instructor spoke with humor in his voice "The others have failed to even know what they're experiencing isn't real, therefore you three pass. Return to you're homes, await your next summons and be ready." Menma sighed looking to the sky seeing that night itself had never fully set in, how long had he been trapped in the genjutsu?

Leaping from the tree Menma turned to the village, looking back once at those who failed as the instructor began waking them from the nightmare. However, his attention was locked ahead at these two who seemed to be as talented if not more than Menma. "I will surpass them, I will be a legend of the Mist!' He knew now more than ever before he would have to go to the ends of his limits to fulfill his goal.

(741 Words)

500 to Mission Rewards = 1250 Ryo / 6 AP | 741 to Quickdraw (741/1,000) | +7 Vigor

(After Approval of Academy A-Maze-ing Tuition)