| abstract | - Summers in the Land of Lightning were often tranquil, even more so in the secluded network of valleys along the border of the Land of Hotsprings. The temperature rarely rose high enough to cause discomfort, and even when it did escape from the sun's punishing rays was rarely far off. Whether in the form of lakes or a gentle breeze, the valley rarely had a day where one would consider the weather to be uncooperative. The forest seemed to be completely relaxed, the only sound heard for miles being the crisp afternoon breeze that gently rustled the foliage as it passed through. Activity in the land seemed to be static, not a single creature daring to disturb the serene silence. Unfortunately, it didn't appear such serenity was meant to last. A thunderous boom echoed through the trees as a brilliant explosion shattered the silence like a glass wall. Large clouds of smoke hung high in the air, visible for miles in every direction. The spectacle had been a little larger than she had anticipated, but as Akira pulled a strand of her long brown hair from her face, she couldn't help but smile and feel pleased. "There." She stated, dusting the dirt off her top and shorts. "There's no way they didn't hear that. I'm sure your new teammates will find us easily now." The lack of a response caused Akira to flicker an expression of concern before looking over to the small figure next to her. "Are you not excited Michi?" The young boy patted at the jacket he held in his arms, which he had brought with him despite the temperature. His hat laid on the ground, just behind his feet, knocked off his head by Akira's spectacular explosion. "I am not particularly excited Lady Akira. I've always enjoyed training under your wing, and I know you've been preparing me for this day for a very long time, but I never gave much thought to the fact that I would have to be paired up with other genin in order to participate in the Chunin Exams. I may also potentially be nervous because I will be paired with Genin from other villages. I understand that the exams are being conducted in this manner to display the unity of the shinobi nations, but I am still not completely comfortable with the idea of being assigned partners who I have never met." Akira made her way over to Michi in several long strides before bending over and plucking Michi's hat up off the ground. "Michi." She began dusting off the boy's hat. "Your going to do fine. You are smart, talented, and despite what some people may believe, a great person as well as shinobi." Akira flashed another smile as she placed Michi's hat back upon his head. "I'm sure these things won't be lost on your partners either." From across the valley, high above the forest floor, a young Kumogakure shinobi took notice of the plume of smoke that rose suddenly from the horizon; its distant sound travelling to her a moment later in the form of a dull, low boom. She had been sitting with her back against a large slab of gray rock, downing a quick lunch of onigiri and bubble water that she had brought with her on her way to the rendezvous point, but when the explosion rocketed into the sky she quickly got to her feet. “Hmm, pathetic,” she murmured to herself after a moment of observation. Why did common shinobi take such pains to show off? It was uncouth. “Well Pipa, that looks like the spot they want us to meet,” she said as she quickly bundled up the remnants of her lunch and picked up a large, floppy-eared rabbit from the grass it had been nibbling on. She placed the creature on her shoulder and stroked its fur gently, thinking back to her departure from Kumogakure. “There will be many Genin, but you are different from any of them.” her mother’s words echoed in her mind, “You are not like other shinobi, always remember that.” “Listen, Fūjiko,” her father had said, “I have given you everything you need. Trust in yourself.” I promise, she swore silently to her parents, I will make you proud. With a flash Fūjiko vanished like a wisp carried away by the wind. It was only a few moments later, however, when she shimmered into existence on the edge of the clearing where Akira and Michi were waiting. She glided with easy confidence to the center of the field, noting that the other genin who was supposed to meet them had not yet arrived. “Good afternoon,” she said calmly, curtly. Quickly taking stock of both the jōnin and the boy her age, she decided that both could be disregarded. “Yamada-san, Michi.” While her tone was cool and formal, her posture was one of complete disinterest as she shifted her weight to one foot, inspecting her fingernails as if they were infinitely more important than introductions. "You got here quick." Akira stated, flashing a friendly smile to the newly arrived Genin. "I take it you weren't very far off when I sent my signal. You must be Fūjiko." Fūjiko had to consciously restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Who else would I be? She wanted to retort. Instead she simply nodded, keeping her eyes trained on the two shinobi in front her at all times. To say she was tense would be an understatement. Despite her effortless poise, she was nervous, and she fingered her rabbit’s ears somewhat anxiously. She had not interacted with Genin her age since graduating from the Academy nearly three years ago, and had no idea what to expect. For a moment, she recalled the fond days when she and her brother would beat any student who happen to look at them sideways to a quivering pulp: days when terror of the brother and sister duo reigned supreme throughout the school. But now she was on her own. Could she even trust the other members of her team? Who was to say they weren’t out for Kumo’s secrets? Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Yes, I’m Fūjiko, and this is Pipa,” she said, motioning to the rabbit, “And no: before you ask, he doesn’t talk.” "How intriguing." Akira seemed genuinely amused by Pipa. "I don't think I've ever seen a kunoichi with a rabbit as a pet. How cute." Michi walked forward until he was even with Akira, but didn't dare venture closer to Fūjiko. "This is Michi. He will be your partner for the exams. I assume the final member of the group will be arriving shortly. Resting against a large tree in the live forest, snores escaped the young Iwa genin. The sound of the blast was horribly loud, jolting him awake, yet his eyes remained closed. Tsukasa was rather irritated at the interruption due to the beautiful nature of his dreams. "Well, these guys are fun." he muttered under a yawn. Standing to his feet, he grabbed his beloved sword that laid beside him. A few seconds of stretching and he was off to the source of the smoke, which wouldn't be a very long walk considering that he was already resting in close proximity to the group. His mind would begin to wander as he walked. The orphanage from which he came from made him smile; the kids were so bright and playful. Every once in a while, Tsukasa wouldn't mind teaching them basic fighting skills, which he wasn't allowed to do, but he was risky. He specifically remembered when the Tsuchikage called him into her workplace. "Tsukasa, I'll explain why you're here. Simply put, you specifically have been chosen to participate in this year's exams. I've been paying close attention to your accomplishments as a genin and I'm impressed. I hear you make good use of Futton?" a smirk danced upon her lips. The genin was worried. "I don't mean to sound disrespectful," he scratched his blond hair, "but isn't there someone stronger than me? I mean, I'm not one to put themself down, but I am pretty lazy and uncooperative." he chuckled to lighten the seriousness that the kage exuded. She put her hands together in deep thought, but surprisingly, she smiled at his statement. "Tsukasa, have you heard of Han? I'll assume you haven't. He was a jinchūriki, possessing the Gōbi. His skill with Futton was incredibly great. His past remains a mystery, but Tsukasa, I see you as his second coming. Although you do not possess the Gōbi, you are still a powerful child. That is why I picked you out of many others." she spoke calmly to the boy. Her smile lit up the room. She was the reason why he walked through this forest today, and he didn't want to let her down. As he approached the group, he casually sneaked up on Fūjiko, his new teammate. "Hello, miss." he grinned at the girl. He then looked to Akira and Michi, and simply waved. Somewhat unexpectedly, interrupting the newcomer’s cheery greeting, Fūjiko whirled around and a blast of sharp, cutting wind rushed past the Iwa Genin’s ear. She kept her fist extended, crouching in a ready position, eyes blazing with the will to fight. “If you dare to try and sneak up behind me again,” she said evenly, “You’ll regret it: I purposely missed that time.” Akira tried to maintain her smile, but the sudden burst of violence from Fūjiko caused a crack in her demeanor and a bead of sweat could be seen forming on her forehead. She glanced over at Michi, who observed the two Genin before him, stone faced. "These are my teammates?" Michi spoke aloud. The boy's flat tone made his words sound more like a statement than a rhetorical question, and his blank expression made it difficult to determine what he was thinking. Tsukasa stood completely still when Fūjiko reacted to his playfulness, a small cut formed on his ear from the wind, allowing a single drop of blood to glide down his ear. Strangely, his mask did not crack, his smile only widened in response. "Hmm. I see you're not a fan of jumpscares. But it's fine. Kunitsu Tsukasa, Iwagakure." Tsukasa lent his hand to the girl, but retracted it upon seeing her anger. Michi's voice alerted the young man, causing him to turn around. "Yes, we're your teammates. But please, do not make it seem like we are the stupid minions of yours. Just.. it makes you look full of yourself." his words were light, but the undertone of them could strike deep. He then smiled at Akira. Fūjiko’s gaze darted back and forth between Michi and Tsukasa, but she did not immediately let her guard down. “What sort of a pathetic excuse for an introduction is that,” the venom was palpable in her voice as she addressed Tsukasa, but she nevertheless relaxed a bit and straightened up. “And don’t misunderstand me,” she stated flatly, “It’s just that I’m not a fan of imbeciles, regardless of where they are from,” she said with a disdainful glare at the Iwagakure Genin. Earthworm. She sneered inwardly. "Oh my." Akira murmured to herself, unable to contain her disappointment at the direction the team's first meeting was going. "It appears we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Your all supposed to be a team after all. Fūjiko, Tsukasa, why don't we apologize to each other, wipe the slate clean before we continue." “Yes why don’t we,” Fuujiko sniffed and crossed her arms, “but I’m not going to wipe the slate clean until he wipes that stupid grin off his face.” Tsukasa frowned. "Apologize for a joke? um, alright then. Miss, I apologize for alerting you." he laughed internally, but tried to erase his smile in order to make the young genin happy again. "You guys are horrible at introducing yourselves. I'm the only one who's stated who I am." "An excellent point." Akira placed had hands behind her back, turning to Michi as her smile returned. "Michi, why don't you introduce yourself to your teammates." Michi looked up at Akira, the unchanging expression masking his confusion. "Didn't you just introduce me Lady Akira?" "Not formally Michi. Go ahead." Michi turned to Tsukasa and Fuujiko, his eyes briefly moving from one to another. "My name is Michi. I'm a Genin from Hoshigakure." Whatever. Fūjiko thought as the light in her eyes dimmed and she began to once more lose interest in the situation at hand. "Fūjiko Amachi," she said, emphasizing the clan name. "Kumogakure," she ended with a sigh. "Amachi?" Akira put a finger to his chin as she pondered the name. "I don't think I've heard of that clan before. Have you Michi?" "No Lady Akira." Tsukasa's smile widened at Michi's comment. The smile soon turned into a burst of laughter. "Haha! why add emphasis on a clan if nobody knows about it?" he then gripped his stomach lightly after another minute of laughing. The breath escaped his body so quick that Tsukasa fell to the floor to catch himself. But the whole ordeal sent him reeling once more, filling the air around him with the sound of happiness. Fūjiko’s eyelids lowered with veiled contempt, “Well of course, low-born individuals like yourselves can’t be expected to understand.” While it took some effort on her part, she managed to ignore the hyaenic Genin rolling on the ground in front of her and instead turned to Akira. “Wasn’t this supposed to be a training session?” she asked. "Something of the sort." Akira replied, hoping to shove the botched introductions under the rug as quickly as possible. "We don't have very much time before you are all to participate in the Chunin exams, and you've all only just met. Therefore, I feel it's vital we start with some team building."
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