Training for the Exams

[AshBellringer]

Hai boosts Hotaru out of the hole with a extra hard push, to speed the process up as soon as she hears the flashbang go off, and takes a breath as she works to get out herself, pulling her sword out of the wall before taking a breath and running up two steps before leaping and stabbing into the wall again, then slamming her fist and feet into the wall to keep her from sliding out as she pulls out her sword and stabs it back in, higher this time, and gripping onto it before pulling herself out the hole. "Wouldn't have happened if we had access to chakra..."

((Edit: As I was reminded, no Chakra access. Hai uses a less standard way to pull herself out of the hole.))

[serbii]

No chakra dear, no 15ft jumps.

[spudman]

oog: hmm...not sure about those explosive tags would go off without your chakra, but I'll allow it.

ig:

*At the coffee shop*

"It's a start." Nishiyori says. "O, before I forget, the Hokage doesn't want the kids to know I was once or currently in the organization. If it doesn't come up don't bother saying anything, but if they ask you directly if I'm ANBU or something like that just say something like "I don't think so." Moving on..." he hands Aoko the genins' and Hotaru's files. "look them over and tell me what you think they need to be solid chunin."

*On the trail*

Ushio's explosive tags go off, and eight of the thugs are taken out in the blasts, none of them the original. The flashbang goes off but the remaining thugs manage to shield their eyes and ears in time.

Everyone makes it out of the hole, their exit covered by the smoke. As they move away from the hole they are engaged by the remaining thugs. Four of them connect with fists to the gut or kicks to the face, each of the ninja getting hit.

One of the thugs trips on its own feet, his head hits a rock and the thug disappears in a burst of smoke, another shadow clone.

[serbii]

oog: hmm...not sure about those explosive tags would go off without your chakra, but I'll allow it.

*shrug* Blood on the seal? She spent years training against a girl who specialises in shutting off your chakra. Didn't think of it but, ah well, if you didn't allow it I would have thought of something else, more flash bangs or something.

--------------

Hotaru observes the clone vanish with a frown, her expression otherwise unreadable as pulls away from the clone attacking her and daintily removes the seal on the back of her neck, activating her eyes.

[MEKristian]

"You should not have assumed I knew of your past affiliation," Aoko says neutrally, "else you would not have granted me the information that you did not want out in the open." She flips through the files, a serious look on her face.

"They would be easy marks," she says finally, "estimated time of observation for habits would be three days tops. Assassination could take place within 5 minutes, and the bodies would not be found for at least 2 days. Skills required for assassination would not need to be greater than a C-rank weapon or Taijutsu specialist with rudimentary training in presence concealment." She nods to herself, as if confirming her assessment.

[Flux_Blade]

Ichigo grimaces as he stumbles back from the blow to the face. As he stumbles back, he throws another kunai at the man in front of him. This attack hopefully gives him time to move into his taijustu stance, another kunai in his hands.

[spudman]

*At the coffee shop*

"You should not have assumed I knew of your past affiliation," Aoko says neutrally, "else you would not have granted me the information that you did not want out in the open."

"I didn't assume that. Call it a sign of trust. And you probably would have recognized my past affiliation eventually regardless, so just getting that bit out of the way."

As Nishiyori hears Aoko's assessment, he feels a strong urge to facepalm but manages to ignore it.

"That's...pretty accurate actually if that's what we were going for, but it's not. Let's put it this way, in two months I want those kids to have improved enough that they could be considered able to take the ANBU training course."

Maybe that's a bit above the norm for newly minted chunin, but it's good to aim high.

"Growing up as you have you know what's expected of a prospect, right? Not to mention having to meet those standards yourself. So, try thinking of how you might train these four to achieve that skill level."

oog:
o, poor Hotaru. The seal won't blow up or anything if removed, but you guys are not supposed to remove them...

[serbii]

[Ahhh, she will be pissed at you indeed, she didn't take it off to fight better you know. Someone strong enough to make shadow clones is attacking the team she's responsible for, she has no idea where Ushio is and thinks Hai is incredibly green. And then Nishiyori goes and booby traps the restraining bolt.]

[MEKristian]

"I am a solo-operation assassin only," Aoko states flatly, "the standards that were employed for my particular deployments are not reflective of the ANBU as a whole, nor the assassination division. If you wish for me to train them as I was, I hope you have a village pre-prepared for them to slaughter."

[AshBellringer]

Hai lets out a soft grunt as sghe is hit, and strikes at the clone that hit her with her blade, drawing kunai to strike out at the other enemies, throwing them swiftly.

[spudman]

*At the coffee shop*

To be that isolated from even the rest of the organization... Nishiyori shakes his head. "Never mind. We'll figure out how you can help train them as we go." Finishing his coffee, he orders another to go and looks at the tea that Aoko has not touched. "Don't let that go to waste, you risk offending me."

*On the trail*

Hotaru removes the seal and the flow of her chakra returns to normal. The removed paper seal...does nothing. The thug in front of Hotaru stares with wide eyes and points.

"O, you're in sooo much trouble for taking that off without permission!"

Ichigo and Hai both manage to hit the clones they're facing and both clones disappear. Five thugs remain. As the fight continues, Ushio and Hotaru are punched again, the other thugs missing their targets.

[serbii]

Hotaru glares back, moving swiftly out of the thug's reach, "Fine, next time someone strong enough to make shadow clones attacks my team I'll worry more about winning our latest jounin's game than the status of the missing member and keeping an eye on the moronic green genin."
She slips into a fighting stance then straight into an attack.

Ushio backs into a tree then lunges to the side to dodge another punch, the thug's fist hitting the tree instead. She's almost back on the path and with the group now. She throws a mixed handful of kunai and shurikin at her opponent then lunges forward in their shadow attacking with taijutsu and a kunai in one hand.

Both are practised, experienced and high enough on adrenalin not to let the punches bother them too much.

[Flux_Blade]

Ichigo moves to attack the next clone, a sweeping kick to knock the clone off balance before trying to finish it off with another blow.

[AshBellringer]

Hai draws three kunai, holding them in between her fingers to act as makeshift spiked knuckles as she leaps forwards and lashes forwards with a swift succession of Taijutsu attacks at the next closest clone, aiming not to destroy it, but to knock it flying into another close and get rid of two at once as she puts her foot into it's face with a heavy roundhouse kick.

[spudman]

*On the trail*

Hotaru moves to attack and is faster than the thug, taking the clone out in a swift jyuuken strike.

Hai and Ichigo each manage to defeat a clone with their attacks. The thug that Hai kicked in the face dispelled just before hitting another one.

Off to the side of the trail, Ushio throws her kunai and shurikin at the thug but he manages to dodge. He's caught off guard by Ushio's follow up strike and it appears that she'll connect until at the last second the thug is enveloped in a poof of smoke. Apparently the smoke is from a henge dispelling as a brown rat the size of a dog jumps out of the smoke and away from Ushio. By this point their running battle has reached the trail.

The rat looks around and sees that there is only a single clone left. He curses and raises his forepaws into the air and the remaining thug dispels.

"I give up."

[serbii]

Hotaru simply sighs and looks to Ushio with a raised eyebrow, the shorter girl gives her a little smile in return, "Nishiyori-sensei contacted Ichigo-kun and I with a rat summon yesterday."

Hotaru simply nods, looking annoyed then addresses the rat. "You. With her." She indicates Ushio then slips the seal back on to her neck.

Provided nothing really happens they'll start off again to complete the run.

[Flux_Blade]

"Um, Rat-san, what is your name?" Ichigo asks as he recovers a few kunai, at the very least, they could be sold as scrap metal, before returning to his position in line.

[AshBellringer]

Hai makes a few quick rounds to collect the kunai she threw before returning them to her pouches, and sheaths her sword with a breath. "We should continue." She says. "Time is of the essence."

[spudman]

"My name's Ichi." the rat answers and then looks at Hotaru. "And you're not the boss of me." Despite his protest, the rat sidles up alongside Ushio.

"Um, hey." Ichi says, rubbing the back of his head in embarassment. "Sorry about what my clone said earlier. They act stupid sometimes."

[serbii]

"You surrendered," Hotaru says to the rat in her usual aloof tone, "I am the boss of you." She turns on her heels to start along the trail again. "Matsuda, you take the rear."

Ushio moves to a middle position as the group head off and speaks to Ichi, "Ah, it's ok, well now I think about it, maybe it's creepier? Um, anyway, I forgive you."

[Flux_Blade]

Ichigo nods and moves to the back as he moves to continue to scan the area, if there was already one trap, there could be another.

[AshBellringer]

Hai lets out a mental groan at the sound of Hotaru spewing hot air again. Where it all came from, Hai wasn't quite sure, but she was sure of one thing- If she had a opportunity, she would -so- wallop Hotaru. Just once. Sure, she might have some trouble afterwards, but if she could break a bone or something on Hotaru, maybe she wouldn't be so 'high and mighty'.

[serbii]

[Known her less than a day and Hai already wants to maim Hotaru, my work here is done.]

[spudman]

*On the trail*

Ichi looks a bit miffed at Ushio's remark for a second, but the subject is dropped.

The group continues along the trail and everything is going fine. No traps or hazards, nothing attacking them. It's been ust over an hour since the pit trap and nothing seems amiss to most of the group. However, as Ichigo looks at the trees they just passed he feels there's something "off" about them.

[Flux_Blade]

Ichigo pauses in his jog as he looks at the trees, it was almost as if they were planted wrong...

"Hotaru-san, we need to stop and admire the trees and get a good view of what is around us." He stops as he gives the trees another look as he starts to remember what he can about breaking genjustu.