Love Is a Forest (NK/S9 Only)

It was still fairly dark and Taka herself was feeling very ill and she needed to rest. She couldn't stick around all night waiting to sober up. Sitting around doing nothing wasn't helping her much. She decided it was time to start the mental test. "Well it seems it time, I'll be at the Forrest of fun. Find me" Taka said to Chikami. Taka opened her eyes from her sitting position and stretched her arms out right which came along with a large yawn. All of the sudden the Taka who was sitting down next to Chikami poofed. Taka was down below in the ramen shop and she knew it was time for her to leave. She quickly made a string of handsigns and transformed into a small dog. She began to run off towards the Forrest of Death.

After a couple of hours of her moving towards it grabing a bite to eat from behind a butchers shop and some other things. Taka drunkenly arrived at one of the gates to the Forrest of death. The gates were quite impressive looking and it looked like getting in would be no easy task until Taka remembered she could simple open the door. Taka poofed back into her normal form and streched herself out getting back into her human form. Takas hand gripped onto the gate and yanked at it. For some reason it wasn't opening....Taka then using both hands pulled at it and ripped the gate open. Due to her drunkeness she still wasn't thinking 100% clearly. Taka wiggled her way inside. Takas eyes were excited to see such a place and she happily strolled herself up to a nearby tree. She looked up and saw exactly what she was looking for...a nice warm place to relax and enjoy herself. Taka made a quick handsign and bolted up the tree and quickly reached the top of the tree. The spot she had looked at had branches mixed and mingled with long green thickets of brush all around them. Taka took a small jump and landed onto the branch. She then laid herself down onto the tree and shut her eyes. It was still dark out and Taka was covered by branches so it would be very hard to find her until the sun was in full swing.

Jutsus Used:

Before the purple-haired girl could leap down to see if her childhood friend was safe and not seriously injured, she was surprised to hear her sensei suddenly speak to her from down by her feet. Her indigo eyes opened wide as she looked down at Daisuke, her mind slowly trying to process what he had just said to her, plus the fact that he had already managed to find his way back here despite just being flung by Makoto's jutsu. Speaking of her other team mate, he had fled after his jutsu had been successful; what had been the matter? Her mind was being tugged in all sorts of directions and she was forced to eventually take a deep breath and start thinking about the mental challenge as well as the safety of her friend. Makoto was no longer here, so she had to focus her energies on what was currently happening.

After Takeshi had gained consciousness and she had gone through what had happened to their sensei, she briefly glanced back up at the ramen shop roof before exhaling a deep breath that made her shoulders sag a little. "Daisuke-sensei made it back to the roof before you woke up, to tell me that we had to meet him at the 'Forest of Fun'." She said to her childhood friend with a small thoughtful frown, wondering where on earth this place was that their sensei had requested them to meet at. The pair of them started to move around the village, all while Chikami tried to puzzle out where this forest was exactly. It wasn't very easy, due to the fact that Konoha was well-known for its surrounding forests. It could be any one of those forests inside or outside of the village. She doubted that their sensei would request them to leave the village, so that left the many forests within Konoha itself. Personally, she couldn't see how a forest could be fun in any way; it was a place that was, at this time of year, a heat trap without normal household facilities that made the girl feel slightly uncomfortable. She enjoyed being outside in the correct weather, but it was currently the worst part of the summer. Drawing to a close, the summer months now 'gifted' Konoha with humidity, even during the night.

As the pair made their way through the village, attempting to find Daisuke, the purple-haired girl continued to work over the concept of this forest that was apparently so fun. 'The only somewhat special forest I can think of within the village... well, that's the Forest of Death, and far from fun by any stretch of the imagination.' She thought with a slight shudder. Of course, she was more than familiar with the history of that forest, and what it was known for. It was usually used for Chuunin Exams, and within its fenced enclosure, it contained all sorts of deadly creatures. That was far from her idea of fun; her concept of the word included staying at home with a stack of good books, concluded with working on her numerous experiments and tinkering with Ichirou, her puppet. With the second approaching hour of no luck, she decided to act on her thoughts.

She cleared her throat a little and reached forward to tap her friend on the shoulder, briefly grasping him to slow him down and make sure that he listened to her. "Takeshi-kun, I think I have an idea of where he might be." She told him with a firm nod, reaching a hand up to the side of her head and tapping it gently to show that she had been thinking about it a whole lot. "The Forest of Death. You know about it, right? It's a dangerous place crawling with deadly animals and it's usually used in the Chuunin Exams to test potential ninja in regard to their skills in a harsh environment. That's the only place I can think of that might be of any note, and perhaps Daisuke-sensei was trying to throw us off his trail with the word 'fun' describing the forest. After all, this place is the furthest thing from fun." She explained her thoughts to the blonde boy and then directed him in the correct direction. If she remembered correctly, the Forest of Death was located at the back of the Training Grounds. As luck would have it, they were currently rather close to the desired location due to their wanderings around different forests in the village. They moved through the Training Grounds at a fair speed, with Takeshi leading the way (his female companion didn't have the heart to take over, especially since he seemed so intent on either proving himself or getting back at their sensei), and Chikami following after him.

At their current pace, it didn't take them very long to reach the dreaded forest. Only a small portion of the fenced area was currently visible, because the trees and plantlife covered the rest of the high security fencing. The door beside the main fence had been torn open, something which made the young girl gulp somewhat audibly with apprehension. That didn't look too good. Either the creatures inside the forest had fought back, or Daisuke-sensei became violent with the fenced door. Slowly and hesitantly, the pair of Genin entered the Forest of Death and stood in the opening clearing.

"Okay... so where do you suggest we start looking, Takeshi-kun? This is a big place, after all." She slowly lifted her head to the thick tree canopies that spread out above them and tilted her head to the side slightly, nodding and pointing upwards. "The trees would be a good place to hide. I'll follow after you."

Words: 957

"The Forest of Death. You know about it, right? It's a dangerous place crawling with deadly animals and it's usually used in the Chuunin Exams to test potential ninja in regard to their skills in a harsh environment. That's the only place I can think of that might be of any note, and perhaps Daisuke-sensei was trying to throw us off his trail with the word 'fun' describing the forest. After all, this place is the furthest thing from fun." The girl spoke only moments after managing to force Takeshi to slow down, eventually halting his trek in order to gain the majority of his attention. Upon the completion of her explanation, the boy was left to ponder her words. He had never heard of the Forest of Death, nor had he know that there was even such a place within or even near Konoha. It seemed far too sinister to be believable, yet Takeshi knew his friend well enough to know that she wouldn't lie or joke about such a thing. If she said that there was indeed such a malevolent place called the Forest of Death then there was; it was as simple as that. Though even someone like Takeshi had to agree with his female companion, such a place didn't seem at all fun.

"Now that I think about it, didn't Daisuke-sensei say how she managed to reach the rank of Chuunin at a young age? If this place is really used to test Genin, then you're probably right and we'll probably find her there. It's as good a place as any at this point. I'm getting tired of looking for the old bat. Let's see if we can find her there."

With that the two were off with Takeshi taking the lead as he had been. With this new bit of information to help lead them in the right direction, the young boy found himself growing more and more excited. They'd find Daisuke and show her just how capable they were. Especially Takeshi. He wasn't about to let himself fall behind like last time. The thought caused his insides to squirm as he struggled to keep his enthusiasm contained. A new challenge was a new opportunity to prove how excellent of a ninja he could be! And without Makoto around to steal all the thunder, he and Chikami would be free to display their awesome synergy! It would be perfect. The team would be better off without that Senju teacher's pet.

"You just wait, Chikami. We'll get him this time. Just the two of us like it should be."

The trek to this rather bizarre locale didn't take long but upon reaching the area, the two began to slow down. The sight of the overgrown forest that seemed barely contained within the rather rusted and relatively flimsy fencing left Takeshi somewhat awe-struck. Though the boy tried to speak, words elluded him, leaving him speechless as his mouth hung agape. The very air felt tense as Takeshi slowly made his way toward the only visible door, noting right away how the structure had been nearly ripped from its hinges. Who or what could have done this? Already Takeshi was starting to regret coming here, all earlier signs of his enthusiasm starting to melt away.

"Guess we should look inside."

Takeshi eventually spoke and though his voice was but a whisper, to him he might as well have been yelling. Moving slowly and carefully, the blonde youth squeezed his way through the opening left by the broken gate, entering the seemingly forbidden grounds. As the boy moved, he made sure to regularly check on his friend, not desiring for the two to become separated for fear of getting lost or losing her. Either outcome would have been disastrous. He cared for his friend far too much to let her out of his sight for too long. It wasn't until Chikami finally spoke up that Takeshi halted his steady crawl forward. Turning to look at the female, the young blonde remained silent as he listened to her suggestion. Once again the purple haired girl's words carried much wisdom. The trees were indeed a good place to hide in such a place. It would be far easier to avoid predators up in the thick canopy as well. At least that's what Takeshi figured anyway.

"Alright then, follow me."

Like before, Takeshis words came as nothing more than a low whisper. It was still dark out, only just though. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon and as such both the sky and the forest around the two youths was beginning to come to life. Even through the canopy, Takeshi noted how the blanket of dark blue that hung overhead began to grow lighter in shade. The two needed to find their sensei or at the very least get out of here before the creatures of the forest began their morning hunt. Without another word Takeshi moved toward one of the trees as he drew two kunai from various pockets of his dark grey cargo pants. The soft thud of metal sinking into the thick wood resonated gently in the humid morning air of the forest as the boy began to slowly scale the tree, using the kunai knives to create hand holds for himself while his feet did their best to find suitable perches along the tree's exterior. He just needed to make it to the starts of the canopy. Once he did that the task of climbing and traversing the trees would become much easier.

"Stay close Chikami-chan. I don't want anything to happen to you."

The boy spoke once more, this time in a slightly louder tone as to guarantee that the girl would hear him. He truly didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

Taka was sound asleep in the tree and somehow had yet to fall off, however this was about to change. Underneath her two genin seemed to be sprinting up the very Tree Taka was on. With the sun just rising up it would still be difficult for them to see Taka and considering Taka was still a couple 100 meters above them it would be hard from them to see the nested Taka in the branches. The noise from the young genin moving up the tree had now caused Taka to awake and for a moment Taka had forgot where she was and moved her feet off the branch thinking she'd feel ground but had nothing but air under her. Taka at that moment realized where she was and her hovering feet jolted back up and landed back on to the branch. She nimbly stood herself up and looked below to see what was making the noise. Around 80 meters below her see saw two genin who were moving up her tree. 'Ahh they have found me...impressive! Good kids' Taka thought. "Hello down there!" Taka yelled in a cheery grin.

Taka jumped herself off the large branch she was on and onto the trunk of the tree. She began to travel downwards towards the two below her. Taka had still a little bit of booze in her but her liver had processed 99% of it already so she was sober by now. When she reached the genin, Taka extended her hand in order to shake the two hands of the kids and if they agreed the pleasantry they would notice the firm calloused hands, you could tell she has held punched and fought many battles. However something weird about her hand shake was noticeable, her handshake was weak and it seemed when she extended towards them her extension was in a gently and calm manner not a strong and aggressive way . "How'd the search go! Myself had a nice nap." Taka said with a cheery grin. Taka looked a bit different now. The sun itself was glaring right onto the group as it rose. Revealing Takas face..she looked a lot different from yesterday in the night sky. The details of her face now were able to be seen easier. Her face looked more soft, relaxed and besides the occasional scar on her face. In the night you couldn't tell this but now it was obvious she had no jutting jaw or protruding cheekbones, her chin was small and cute while her cheeks were slim and still rosy from the alcohol before. Even when she extended her smile it wasn't really a grin and more the way a girl smiles when she is joyous about something that has worked. Takas own lips were slim and small and seemed to be as if they were pristine and taken care of well. Not like a mans whos could look chapped and roughed.

It seemed that her companion agreed with her decision on where they should head next, going through the logic behind Daisuke’s reasoning. He did, after all, become a Chuunin at a young age; a prodigy, by all accounts. Perhaps he wanted to test them or make a point of it in that regard to the young Genin. Chikami assumed that there was more to this mental challenge than merely finding their sensei, however, considering all they had to do thus far, so she was expecting more to come. As they started running in their new direction, it appeared that Takeshi was pumped fit to burst about finding their sensei, and she couldn’t help but smile at his words about how they would find Daisuke, just the two of them, like it should be. Well, it was true that it had always been just the two of them; since they were young children. They had always stuck together a bit like glue, and it seemed that her childhood friend didn’t even seem to mind that she had stuck to his side because she needed his courage and outward strength. Of course, in return she had offered everything she could; much like her brains, and knowledge of the tricky reading and writing that he could never truly grasp too well. But he still had something that she lacked, something she was desperately searching for.

Courage.

She nodded firmly with a soft sound of affirmation so that he would hear her agreement to his earlier statement, and continued to run behind him towards their destination. It didn’t escape her notice that, when they arrived at the Forest of Death, her childhood friend seemed to lose some of his earlier bounce. She too wasn’t feeling all too great by the look of the place, but she didn’t let her apprehension show too much when she followed him inside the fenced-off area. To say that this forest was strange seemed to be an understatement. Not only was it eerily silent, but it felt as if things were watching her every step after they moved inside. While it was still somewhat dark outside, the sunlight was starting to filter through the tall treetops slowly; casting new light upon the otherwise scary place. At least this would make her feel a little more at ease, surely. Plus, what with the sun coming up, their challenges for the night would nearly be at an end. Upon her suggestion to go for the trees while searching, Takeshi agreed that it would be a good move to explore the high canopies.

What surprised her was that, instead of using chakra to start climbing the tree, her childhood friend drew out two kunai and started to scale the tree trunk in that way; digging them into the bark and moving upwards as if he were rock climbing the old-fashioned way. Her indigo eyes widened in shock upon seeing him doing as such, and she sighed gently before channelling her chakra into her feet so that she was able to start moving up the tree without as much effort as Takeshi was putting in. “Takeshi-kun, why don’t you make things easier by using the Tree Climbing Jutsu? You know, like you used before to get up the ramen shop.” She suggested, keeping pace with her friend as opposed to rushing ahead like she would have done. Her confusion was clear, etched within her very face while she looked at the blonde boy making things so hard for himself at present. His words of how he didn’t want anything to happen to her made a small smile touch her lips, however, and she averted her gaze slightly in embarrassment. Sometimes she couldn’t help but feel like Takeshi treated her like a very little sister, but it was nice all the same; to be cared about in some way.

However, after climbing further, she was alerted to the sound of their sensei’s voice calling down to them in greeting. ‘Huh? Have we really found him already?’ She thought in surprise, her head snapping up to try and see where Daisuke was in amongst the mess of thick leaves and branches. He leapt out of quite a high branch and started to make his descent down the tree trunk towards them, appearing rather casual and definitely in a better state than he had been previously in the night. Upon reaching them on the tree trunk, he held out his hand towards them in a strange polite gesture, something which Chikami had been far from expecting. Her eyes widened slightly, and very slowly she started to hold out her hand towards him to grasp it and shake it to return his polite offering. Why he had chosen to do that of all greetings, she was unsure, but she wasn’t about to be rude about it. The closer she looked at him now that the light was shining down (not artificial light, and yes there was a large difference), she could see that his face didn’t appear to be all that manly. He had a very slight, almost feminine face, something which threw off step entirely once more.

Their sensei asked the two Genin how their search had gone, and also stated that he had managed to have a nice nap in the process; probably hence his current more sober state. The purple-haired girl thought briefly about the time they took to get here, and shrugged her slender shoulders a little bit before tilting her head to the side. “The search went okay, thank you, sensei. It took me a while to figure out where and what you meant by your statement, but I’m glad that I eventually got it right. It took it a couple of hours.” She mused aloud, sharing the details of their trek in short to answer the question asked of them. Questions started to pop up in her mind about what was going to be happening now, because if she remembered correctly, they would have one last challenge to undertake before they were allowed to go and sleep. The more she thought about it, the more she realised how exhausted she was. She probably looked rather worse for wear too, due to her tiredness. A slight sigh slipped from her lips and she hesitantly scratched the back of her head before directing her attention once more to Daisuke.

“What other tasks remain for us, Daisuke-sensei?” She asked curiously and politely, hoping to not come off as sounding irate and sleepy, but instead rather eager to undertake the remaining trails that their sensei had laid out for them.

Word Count: 1105
Total Word Count: 2062

“Takeshi-kun, why don’t you make things easier by using the Tree Climbing Jutsu? You know, like you used before to get up the ramen shop.” The girl's question brought about a small swell of anger as the boy continued pulling himself up the tree's length, his arms burning from the build up of lactic acid brought about by the constant strain. He had climbed a fair distance and his fingers were now beginning to ache as they clutched at the handles of his two weapons. His friend did bring up a good point and it was one he couldn't really figure out too easily given his current position.

"Cause I can't!"

He'd grunt angrily as he continued to hack at the tree's exterior, scaling a bit higher with each powerful arm movement. Back in the village, the child hadn't thought about climbing the ramen shop's walls. He had just done it on pure instinct and desire to keep up with Chikami. It hadn't been until he reached the roof of said establishment that the realization had dawned on him. With his mind so focused on the feat he doubted he could replicate the events. It had been a fluke if there ever was one. There was that and also the fact that this tree was much more massive than the shop's walls. It was far easier to use the technique to scale smaller vertical planes than larger ones due to the simple principle of momentum. Getting a running start toward one's intended target allowed for the wall to be scaled far easier. Such a principle would not come into play here due to the sheer size of the tree. While Takeshi might be able to get up near twenty feet if he really tried, he wouldn't be able to keep up his sprint due to the effects of gravity. For now this was his best option if he didn't want to be left stranded on the forest floor!

The boy continued his laborious climb, noting how Chikami kept her pace slow in order to match his crawl. For that the boy was thankful if not a bit hurt by the fact that he was moving at such a slothful pace. The two seemed to climb for quite some time it seemed before a voice called out to them from the tops of the trees around them. Unable to see as clearly as Chikami due to his current position, Takeshi felt his body tense. In the next moment their sensei was hopping down in their direction, managing to stop herself right in front of the two. It was then that the scene became rather surreal. The two females stood upright on the side of the tree in direct defiance of gravity while Takeshi struggled to hold himself at their level. As the boy clutched desperately at his two hand holds he was all but helpless to watch as the older of the two extended her hand in what seemed like a congratulatory handshake, more toward Chikami than the boy, not that Takeshi could even shake the Jounin's hand if he wanted to due to him needing both to hold himself stable against the massive tree's trunk. Though the light was pouring through the breaks in the overhead canopy with greater intensity Takeshi was unable to get a clear picture of the Jounin's rather feminine face due to his lower angle, but even from his lower vantage point, the boy couldn't help but notice that the woman's face looked far more womanly in this light than it had a few hours ago. Whether this was intentional on her part or not was lost on Takeshi but the sight only further confirmed Takeshi's original assumption that despite their sensei's masculine mannerisms and semi-deep voice, she was in fact a female. Though Takeshi was fairly sure of this fact, he couldn't help but remember how the Jounin had seemed to react to Takeshi's earlier accusations about Daisuke's gender. She had gone so far as to threaten Takeshi, though that hadn't dissuaded the boy from continuing to refer and think of their sensei as a female. Grunting lightly Takeshi could only hang there as the two conversed about what their next intended task was to be. Not wanting to seem too pathetic, the boy kept his mouth shut lest he started to whine about his tired hands and arms. For now all he could do was try to hold on as the two figured out what was next on the team's agenda.

Dawn had come and gone and the sun was far past simply peeking over the horizon. Sleep was desperately needed by the young male at this point but that was another weakness he wasn't willing to admit to. He wasn't about to let on to anyone that he was near his physical limits at this point. He'd keep pushing himself in order to prove himself.

It seemed that the one of them didn't have the ability to climb trees using his feet...that was something that would need to be fixed. Takas attention shifted towards the her other genin who was now speaking. She began to ask about what task was up for them next. Taka wasn't super sure what she wanted them to do...she had a couple ideas. However she wasn't totally sure how to really test there mental capability. She thought for a moment and then began to speak "Give me a accurate response for how to defend yourself or escape, hanging boy you are first. One Katon user just fired on the bottom of the tree, three of his buddies are on the surrounding trees. How do you respond?" She looked at the two and was curious to of how they would respond. She tried to usher the question quickly giving them little time to prepare themselves for whatever Taka had asked. She hoped she would get a quick and acceptable answer. Taka lifted her hand up and began counting down with both hands. When she reached five she would say "Chikami just got hit by kunai" She was testing there feel for combat and what they would do, the reason she gave such short time is to try and get there minds first impulse. She was curious to what kind of people they would be in combat, she could guess what the boy was...a hot headed pyro.

The purple-haired girl was surprised when her companion revealed to her that he couldn’t use the Tree Climbing Jutsu, because she had seen him use it in the early hours of this morning when they were trying to tag their sensei. He must be tired, surely, after climbing all this way just utilising his arm strength and ability to hold his own weight. She looked at him worriedly, almost offering to help him by using her own chakra to sustain his ability to stand on the tree like she was doing, but she knew that he wouldn’t take too kindly to that suggestion from her. She could just hear his reaction, should she have done such a thing, and it would probably sound a little like this; ‘I’m fine Chikami-chan, I don’t need any help!’ All while she was stood facing their sensei, she was worried about her friend and how his arms were holding up after all of the strain.

She almost did a double-take when Daisuke seemingly ignored her question in order to spin a scenario, and it was only after she let this soak in that she realised that, in actuality, this was the next part of their test. But much to her dismay, she hadn’t been the one which would answer this theoretical scenario. After giving the initial scenario, their sensei held up a hand and started to count using his fingers, before stating after five seconds that Chikami herself had gotten hit by a kunai.

She chewed on her lip slightly and balled both her hands into fists, trying to resist the urge to say anything on behalf of her friend. It was so tempting, not because she didn’t think that he couldn’t answer the question, but because this kind of mental exercise was one that she was quite good at. Strategizing was one of her key strengths, after all. At present, all that was keeping her from speaking was her in-built reflex about speaking out of turn. It was a bad thing, and in the orphanage she would be punished for such a thing. And as such, she waited patiently for Takeshi’s response, hoping that he made one soon before she blurted her inner thoughts on the matter right out into the open. ‘It’s easy, really. The priority would be to get away from the Katon jutsu, so that should be avoided first. You can worry about the ‘buddies’ when you get to them. Because there are only three, and a great deal of trees to choose from to leap to in that kind of situation, the chances are very slim that you would actually bump into anyone…’ She thought, finding comfort in speaking internally about her answer to the question given. ‘And it isn’t specified where I was hit with the kunai. If it was in the abdomen, that might prove problematic. If it was in the arm, I would survive and we could escape together. But of course, the code of shinobi states that the mission is paramount, and comrades must fall second to that rule. So… Takeshi-kun should leave me, the injured party, behind in that scenario.’

While it was a grim thought, it was what they had been taught and what she had read from numerous scrolls and books about the ninja way. Of course, she had never wanted to become a shinobi, but after training to become one she had taken the care to become at least somewhat better versed in their ways and lifestyles, how to conduct oneself in missions, spars, full-on wars and the like. That aside, she looked at Takeshi and waited for him to have his say.

Word Count: 612
Total Word Count: 2674

Himitsu had wandered further than any of his other experiences in the training area. His body had recovered some from the vigorous physical practice he'd just been partaking in, due to his relaxed pace of his walking. He wasn't sweating anymore, and any soreness had word down into a slight tingle in his limbs. He eventually came across a tall, flimsy fence. Within it's bounds lay a vast and ominous forest. It was strange how a cluster of trees could seem so imposing to the young boy, but perhaps that was due more to this particular areas reputation.

Ruby eyes stared up in awe. The forest of death, they called it. It was a well known testing site for the exams. It more than earned it's name if the stories were even just a degree true. Besides being a haven for stealth based take downs during exams, there were also natural dangers like the wildlife within it's borders. The area seemed just a bit darker than everything around it due to the gargantuan trees shading over everything. A straight fall from one of the tallest ones could only end in death or crippling injury. The genin felt like he was staring at a green epitome of challenges to come.

His contemplation was cut short when he spotted something from the corner of his eyes. It briefly looked like two figures in the distance. They reached the boundaries of the forest, and rather than turn back wandered in. His eyes widened before his brows scrunched. He hadn't gotten a good look at the figures because of how far away they were, just passing glimpses really. They looked too small to be adults though. What could they possibly be doing at this place? Of his many flaws, first was his temper, but curiosity was a close second. Not knowing was an infuriating experience. Gathering his courage he made his way past the large fence and into what was likely a bad idea.

It wasn't nearly as ominous as he'd expected actually. It was creepy for certain, but it didn't seem too much worse from a normal wooded area once you really went inside. Just larger and with less light bleeding through the tree branches. He looked towards the general direction the two figures had entered from. He'd do better to get to higher ground to see them. They couldn't have gone too far in right? He stepped up to a nearby tree, a rather tall one, and focused his chakra in his feet. He sped up the tree as fast as he could maintain while still keeping focus on his feet. He reached about three fourths up to the top before he settled on a branch.

He looked out into the distance. At first there was only annoyance at not finding any sign of them, then he caught another glimpse of movement. Turning his head, he noticed to his left he could make out the vague figures of two small figures climbing up a slightly shorter tree. Making sure he was far enough back for his to press against the trunk, he got a slight running start and ran forward to jump through a path of nearby branches. He was careful, and never aimed for one more than ten meters away. It made the path a little longer with more turns, but was safer in the long run. The raven haired teens robes swayed slightly against the air as he jumped from beach to branch, long with the face shapes hair pieces in his front braids swaying.

Two trees between him and the group, he was behind them at an angle and lower than them by about five meters. Peeking out from behind the trunk he could vaguely see them. Only half hidden, it would be easy for more perceptive eyes to catch sight of him. There was an adult, blondish and possibly male. Though Himitsu couldn't see them as well as the one closer to his age. A blond boy with spiked hair and a brunette with bright eyes. They had headbands, so most likely they were fellow genin and the adult was their sensei. Interested, he tried his best to at least get a vague understanding of their words. It wasn't perfectly clear at his distance though.

Word Count: 762
Chakra: 115

Takeshi felt the burn in his arms as they strained to hold his weight. This particular spot was especially hard to stop on given that there seemed to be no small knots or outcroppings on the massive tree's body for him to place his feet. No. He was holding his entire weight solely in his hands and arms which were already taxed of their energy reserves. He was holding on through pure grit and will at this point. As the boy silently struggled to keep his grip from slipping, Chikami and Daisuke-sensei continued to speak to one another before the Jounin finally seemed to turn her attention toward Takeshi's hanging form. "Give me a accurate response for how to defend yourself or escape, hanging boy you are first. One Katon user just fired on the bottom of the tree, three of his buddies are on the surrounding trees. How do you respond?"

Immediately Takeshi's mind froze up. What was this?! He was close to slipping and he was being quizzed? A low growl escaped the child's throat as he glared up at his Jounin instructor, the knuckles of his hand now bleaching white from the effort the boy was making to cling for dear life.

"I'd call the one on the bottom of the tree stupid for firing his jutsu at the tree instead of at me then I'd throw one of these kunai at one of the idiot's frie-"

Takeshi seemed to freeze as his gaze drifted off toward his side, as he seemingly inspected the area around him as though he were visualizing the scenario which had been described to him. It was far easier for the boy to think about such things if he could create a concrete picture in his head, him being more of a visual and kinesthetic learner than an audio based one. Suddenly the boy froze. Had he just seen something? A shape of some sort hidden amongst the trees? It had looked vaguely humanoid but it was difficult to make out in the low light of the dense forest. Whatever it was, it wasn't too far, though it was lower than his current level. All thought of his sensei's question had seemingly been lost as the boy's greenish blue hues slowly narrowed in an attempt to focus on what he was seeing. "Chikami just got hit by kunai"

"What?"

The sudden statement seemed to bring Takeshi's mind back to the task at hand. Or rather it seemed to bring his attention toward his childhood friend, his eyes wide with panic as he stared at her, assessing her before shaking his head. The question had obviously scared him. Takeshi valued Chikami a great deal and though he tried his best to hide the extent of his concern for his friend, he often could not stop those reflexive reactions toward any person or thing that may have posed a threat to her. As such, in regards to the small girl, Takeshi often came off as emotional or reactive. He would always do his best to keep the small girl out of harm's way. A small sigh of relief left the boy's lips though once he realized that the girl was indeed fine and in perfect health.

"No she didn't. Don't be stupid."

The words were spit out before he could fully comprehend the situation. In the next moment Takeshi would suddenly bring his legs up, bending both at the hip and knee, adopting a pose that seemed to closely mimic that of the fetal position. The boy would suddenly let out a loud grunt as he slammed his feet against the tree's trunk. The resulting force generated from the sudden action would easily be enough to free Takeshi's two kunai from the tree's wooden form, causing the small blonde boy to sail backwards from the tree as his eyes once again directed themselves toward the humanoid figure that seemed to be peeking halfway from behind a tree. Given that Takeshi was at a higher vantage point than the mysterious figure, the fact that he was quickly losing altitude was far from a concern in his mind.

"Hey you!"

The boy's voice would call out through the humid forest a split second before his feet managed to make contact with an intermediary branch that was about a meter higher than the one on which the newcomer stood. Though still about twenty feet away from the strange person, Takeshi could now see them far more clearly as he quickly turned to face in their direction. From this distance the person looked as though they were perhaps around the same age as Takeshi and Chikami. This small detail caused the boy's confidence to swell, along with his curiosity. Who was this person? Were they an enemy?

"What are you doing spying on us?"

Takeshi would demand as he allowed his body to sink down slightly, bending his knees as he brought both kunai up and in front of his body in a defensive stance, the knives now held so that the right was held in a reverse grip style while the left was held in a standard fashion.

"I'd call the one on the bottom of the tree stupid for firing his jutsu at the tree instead of at me then I'd throw one of these kunai at one of the idiot's frie-"

'This kid....this kid.....' she thought. Taka thought about interrupting the boy as it seemed he knew little of tactics and anything about combat. Taka had hoped that genin would have been better trained coming out of the academy...but it looked like they still came out as greenhorns. Taka then listened to the boys comments. Taka noticed that to here right noises being made and shrubs being moved. Her attention dulled out whatever words the boy spoke next. Taka was more concerned with who the new friend was. Taka would wait to see how long it would take for the two to notice the incoming person. With Taka eye sight it was easy to make out the details of the person streaming towards them, the branches did a decent job of concealing the person. But enough leaps made it easy for Taka to see them travel. She watched as they stopped and attempted to conceal themselves behind the tree. It wasn't until her tree climbing student switched his position that he noticed the incoming figure. Who at this point looked to be female. "She isn't spying, if she was spying she'd be the worse spy I've ever seen. I'd more call it investigative journalism! Also you and Chikami both died, congratulations!" Taka said with a roaring laugh.Taka then moved her attention to the new person. "Why don't we all move down on the ground?" and with that comment Taka jolted forward to a nearby tree and landed on it firmly, she then pressed off and landed on another tree. She did this as she slowly made her way down.  With about her being around 20 meters away from the ground she jumped and simply hit the ground firmly. "Hurry up! You've got 5 seconds." Taka yelled. She moved down quite fast but tried to give the group enough time to catch up with Taka.

It was only after she had been lost in her thoughts about the activity Takeshi had given that the purple-haired girl realised that her friend was losing his grip on the kunai he was using to hold himself up. ‘This is hardly fair… making him answer a question when he is obviously not in a fit state to do so.’ She thought with a frown, looking at him and gingerly offering her hand towards her friend, knowing that he would most probably refuse her help, but she couldn’t just let him hang there. “Takeshi-kun… take my hand, I can help you.” She meant for him to take her hand, and she would then channel more chakra from her body through his so that he would be able to stand on the tree much like she was, and their sensei was. It would make sense, after all.

She was surprised by his reaction to the fact that, in the scenario, she was hit by a kunai. He truly seemed shocked, and almost fearful, as if it had actually happened. It made her smile slightly as she held her hand out towards him, finding the fact that he cared for her so much to be endearing. Well, he always had. Since she had known him, he had been there for her whenever she needed the help. It usually entailed him getting in the way of bullies that threatened to harm her, and he would always stand up for her when she was being verbally assaulted too. He really was a true friend. She just wished that he would accept her help sometimes, especially at a time like now, when there was something that she was vaguely good at, with which she could be of assistance to him. She sharply inhaled air in a gasp when Takeshi suddenly leapt off the tree trunk, however, and started yelling at something or other over in the trees nearby. ‘Is that?...’ She peered over in the direction of where her childhood friend had directed his yell, and truth be told, she could barely see something. If she hadn’t been staring so hard in that direction, she would have never noticed.

‘Of course, trust Takeshi-kun to get straight into a combative state.’ She thought, looking over at her friend as he landed himself on a branch so that he could see the strange figure properly. Chikami fidgeted awkwardly, and almost lost her footing on the tree. She sighed gently and turned to face their sensei as he mentioned that the strange figure’s way of spying was terrible, and it was therefore… strange journalism and gathering intel. Daisuke hastened to add that both herself, and Takeshi, would now be dead in the situation laid out beforehand. This caused the purple-haired girl to scowl, and glower slightly at the back of their teacher when he started to descend the tree to reach the ground. ‘If he had asked me, then this wouldn’t have happened…’ She thought, sighing and gently clenching one of her hands into a fist, somewhat annoyed by this fact. It wasn’t that she was angry at her friend for being unable to answer, it was the situation in which he had been placed. He had been hanging by two kunai, and was supposed to also answer a rather complex question about battle strategy. How was that fair?

The next thing she knew, she was being told that she had five seconds to get down to the ground. Her feet slipped slightly on the tree in shock, and she decided to roll with that. She lessened her control of chakra, so that she was still sticking to the tree trunk loosely, but her weight started to pull her down the tree at an accelerated pace due to gravity taking its toll. About six feet off the ground, she gradually got her chakra hold back, and using that firmer standpoint, she leapt off the tree entirely and landed in a crouch on the ground nearby their sensei. She exhaled deeply and straightened up, dusting down her clothing and gazing around the area curiously, also wondering about that strange figure that had been identified. Who were they? And why were they watching Squad Nine’s training?

Word Count: 706
Total Word Count: 3380