Exam Part 2

“Kotai Yamarashi,” Akio said as chakra pooled on his skin peeling the veins back from his arms. Short spikes began to form on this layer of pronounced chakra skin. Akio released the blade and pulled back from Gen leaving it protruding from his chest. Standing across from him he seemed to lower his guard now that his body is coated with the hard chakra. 

“Genjiro, that’s incredible,” He said looking at the wound healing from the blade. “I hoped you would be able to heal from a cut but I would have assumed more time with that grievous an injury. You really are a magnificent shinobi.” 

Akio looked into Gens eyes and could feel the confidence radiating through. ‘This will not end with a victory for either of us. If I win I will be so spent from fighting this out to the bitter end I will leave myself completely exposed. If he wins it would be the same call. Best we don’t kill each other before even becoming chinin,’ he thought to himself while watching for Gen to make a move. 

“I’m thinking we would have to settle this with a death match, and I don’t want either of us to die here,” he looked onward at him. “I’m running through it in my head and I would have to either decimate your body to the point where healing isn’t sufficient or run you out of blood and you could die from that as well.” Akio looked down at his hands where the veins were once attached. “Either that or I lose,” reaching a hand up and scratching the back of his head, “and I REALLY don’t want that. So how about we call this one?” He says this in a warm tone to Gen. As he says this the chakra blade imbedded in Gens chest begins to dissipate and the chakra returns to Akio. 

“This isn’t to say I don’t want to fight you some more, you have just moved up to one of the Shinobi who I know is my equal.” Akio pointed to Ray and Yuto, “wanna watch who has the strongest friend?”

Mayumi heard back from her birds, no other kuni, but no teams had spotted them either, their path to the doors clear. "I say we head to the doors, try what we have and regroup if necessary. We could make this a successful stealth mission." Mayumi said keeping her motion toward the center. "Perhaps, I'll scout again quick when we're close to make sure we're not next to be ambushed."

Sebaata holds the kunai up to the door and presses it on. "Clean... " He pushes the door open.

Keeping their distance from the other groups, Hiraishin and Yuki make their way through the forest at a blistering pace. Hiraishin lets out a gasp and stops immediately. "I feel a disturbance in my field. There's something metal around, about the size of a kuni." Hiraishin and Yuki make eye contact and nod to one another in silent agreement. They simultaneously spring into action and search in the immediate area.

Every step we take takes us closer to the center door The path that Tsushi and Mayumi took seemed open as they crept through the shadows. The birds her partner sent out haven’t found anything yet. “I think heading to the center and regrouping if needed is a great idea. Let’s go!” Following her partner’s lead, Tsushi headed forward towards their goal.

Yuki began his search near the trees where he hadn't seen the other teams look. They never came up here to look. I would have seen them. Nobody would have even known to mask their temperature from me. There! Yuki reached far into the hollow of a tree until his fingertips felt the brush of metal and he pulled out a kunai just like the one the 4th had held up. "Hiraishin!" He called out, hoping his partner would hear him.

‘I must have done more damage than I initially believed,’ Akio thought to himself while looking into the heart of Gen. He held up a one handed release seal and one by one the chakra kunai he scattered around began to lift and fly back to his location. Upon hitting the barrier they liquefied into the barrier and eventually the barrier was absorbed back into him. 
“A good story from me?” Akio exclaimed. “How could I even compare to what I just saw from you!” He began walking and talking towards Gen, “Of course I could give you some blood if that will help you out, your abilities are amazing. I think anything I tell you about me will be a underwhelming compared to what you have been through.” Akio made it to Gen and held out his wrist showing his veins. “So your from the Village hidden in the clouds. That’s a place I would love to visit. I saw you come into the exam area, but I didn’t get a chance to formally introduce myself.” Akio took the pill from Gen and carefully took a third of it. Changing his attention to watch Ray in battle while listening to his new friend Gen tell him about his past.

Sebaata and Asami enter a large chamber where 6 other teams are having their wounds tended to and laughing. "I can't believe we made it." "Wow you two found yours that high up?!" "And I thought that wolf had me!" "It did have you! I pulled its jaw open!"