Hidden In The Leaf's Shadow

Cast

Red - Ezaki Tuto
Green - Kamiko Karatachi
Kahki - Osamu
Blue - Tsugumi

Part 1 - Preliminary Tension

Fourty-two Genin, fourteen whole teams - nearly half of the participants that had entered the Forest of Death had made it to the tower bearing both Heaven and Earth. Such an outcome was technically possible, but the improbability of it had bewildered the Chūnin and Jōnin that now observed the arrayed formation of contestants. Between rampaging beasts, the dangers of the terrain and the possibility of scrolls being lost or destroyed, it was common for only a quarter - or less - to make it this far. This generation, it seemed, were intent on being different.

Ezaki lazily leered over the railing of the balcony suspended above the indoor arena. Arena - that was it - it wasn't always used during the Chūnin Exams, but was a tool kept secret from the Genin in case too many had made it this far. Though it hadn't been announced yet, all the Konoha Jōnin were keenly aware of what came next - the Preliminary stage before the Tournament.

"Slacking off already? I thought you were meant to be the reliable one!" the familiar, eccentric voice of Konoha's premier puppetmaster jolted Ezaki out of his thoughts, though his eyes didn't leave his team that were scattered below with the other Genin.

"I've already checked," the bandaged man grumbled through his bindings, "twice, actually. No foul play, no odd signatures, the barriers and seals are fine-"

"It's really a waste of our talents," the taller, thinner ninja's tone remained eerily calm and cheerful, even as he accusatorily swung a bladed metal limb towards his fellow Jōnin. The arm was not his - it didn't take long to recognize it was a spare for Kichōna - wielded with all the reverence of a spare tool rather than something macabre. "Or, more accurately, my talents. Why the Anbu have us clumsily running around on too few strings, I really can't say," he sighed and weaved the sign of the ox, placing the arm wholesale into a scroll and nestling it in one of his many eclectic pouches for later.

"You know why."

"Yes yes, the Hokage-"

"You also know we're not supposed to talk about it."

A moment of silence passed between the two as their eyes glanced towards the nearest Anbu members. A total of four of them were scattered about the room, though only two of them were in uniform - the others were presumed by their positions and uncanny emptiness about their presence. None of them heard, or at least cared to, but it's not like they'd care to escalate the scene further.

"So, who do you think's going to make it?"

"Are you asking me to bet on Genin fighting each other like animals for a meal?" Osamu chuckled his usual eerie allegro, "and you all call me unhinged."

"I just wanted to-"

"Of course it's Kichōna, I've been looking at the previous Exams on my off-time and decided I'd make sure she's built for success. It's been tough finding an alloy that she can use for her Jutsu that doesn't break - normal steel won't cut it so I've actually been looking at some alloys from Amegakure - not all that easy considering the embargos but I just so happened to know this fellow who-"

Ezaki cursed his lack of foresight. Osamu would be at this until something else distracted him and he couldn't back out now, not without an excuse. Fortunately, the two women that approached across the balcony were more than enough. He was caught between trying to keep up with Osamu's rapid verbal assault and covertly eyeing the two to come closer - every second grew longer and more tense as he tried to hide his disdain for the conversation. Fortunately, the puppetmaster was doing an excellent job of distracting himself, throwing random trinkets and wild gestures as his normally still posture exploded into eclectic scientific theories that Ezaki could only barely keep up with even were he trying.

"Should we help him? He is distressed and Osamu is..." Kamiko could read the room in ways that few could ever understand. To her, the clash of emotions was more than just posture, prose and tone - she could literally see Osamu's emotions flare like a great, greedy, social beast rising over Ezaki's own aura, his own reserved and cowering from the bombardment of thought that had wrested command over the balcony.

"One moment. Odd as it sounds, Osamu has been discussing some fascinating theories," the elder librarian's face betrayed no emotion, serene as always - beneath, Kamiko can see her soul pull a mischievous grin, enjoying this in more than an academic capacity.

"... How long have you been listening to them?"

"I just started now, but I've been remembering the last few minutes."

"You must tell me how you do that someday."

"Only when you tell me how you do yours. I've never met someone who can see things for what they are so easily."

Ezaki's rapid eye gestures turned from collected to desperate. At any point now Osamu would start asking questions and neither of the Jōnin were mentally prepared to deescalate. Thirty seconds that felt like minutes passed and the cavalry had arrived.

"-do you know that a Pistol Shrimp is? Fascinating creatures, really. I was considering applying their mechanism to-"

"Excuse me, gentlemen, not to intrude on your affairs but the room is quite warm. You ninja are used to standing but I cannot seem to find a place to rest. Osamu, perhaps-?"

"Well far be it from me to make a fellow scholar stand like the plebeians. A chair, a chair, yes I think I have one somewhere..."

The rustle of his scrolls, bags and half-formed mumbling was met with a barely concealed sigh of relief from Ezaki, who gives a silent 'thank you.' Tsugumi's response, made with her eyes alone, was enough to make the Jōnin choke and turn his head back to the Genin below, his face a gentle red. Kamiko - who really did not need to feel that connection - also found herself turning away out of modesty, leaving the shuffling puppetmaster the only one oblivious to the tension.

"Aha, I knew I had stored this here!" no sooner did Osamu pull a scraggy square of metal, wood and silk from a scroll did it unfold into a worn-looking stool, padded in mismatched blues. "I keep this one on the occasion that I find inspiration in the field and simply must work away from my workshop. Please, Lady Tsugumi, take it."

"A proper gentleman."

"Think nothing of it, I know how the old iliocostalis like to complain in the humidity."

"Ezaki, where is Natsuo? I haven't seen him anywhere - his team is down there, no?"

"He's preoccupied."

"On mission?"

"The Anbu have him dragging those red eyes of his all over Konoha. Half of other Uchiha Jōnin with him. Yamanaka too..."

"I had noticed the place was tenser than usual, might I inquire-"

"Konohagakure business."

"Oh come Ezaki-dear, whatever it is you can trust us~ besides, perhaps we can help?"

Ezaki's face turned into a grimace, whatever trust for the others quickly boiling away to a forceful glance, barely catching the prying eyes of a bird-masked Anbu agent now gazing at the gathered group. "Konohagakure business, please, leave it to us."

Silence gathered, even Tsugumi's usual, subtly forceful aura was forced into reservation. Ezaki's tone was serious enough to tell them everything they needed - his glance towards the Anbu had not gone unnoticed and only further punctuated the point. A whole minute passed before anyone could muster the strength to break the tension and speak again.

"So, I've only been here for a few Chūnin Exams - and, admittedly, it was some years ago - but I do not recognize these grounds. Not only that, but there is scarce enough room for an audience. Am I to presume this place is for another purpose?"

"It's sometimes easy to forget you're not a ninja. This is the Preliminary Arena."

"Preliminary?"

"You've never seen this number of Genin in a tournament, right? This is the reason."

"One on one, a fight until one or both sides can't fight anymore. Guarantees to at least half the contestant population."

"That is... Rather barbaric."

"That's what I've been trying to tell them. There's so many better ways to determine a ninja's physical abilities. Pulling, pushing, twisting, scrunching. Why I've already designed a few puppets for the process but every Hokage has flatly refused me. Hmph."

"You are particularly worried, Lady Tsugumi."

"One of my students has been... Unable to fight for some time."

"Sen?"

"Yes. Her contribution to her team's efforts is superb, but if this is as you say, I am unsure if she can bring herself to."

"She must've known about the tournament at least."

"She already knows the real test of the tournament, where she didn't need to win her fight. She must've known about this too..." Tsugumi's thoughts trail off as her eyes close in meditation.

"I apologize, Ezaki."

"What for?"

"It appears our teams fought - and quite viciously at that."

"Who told you?"

"Ichika's chakra network is still healing. I've seen what happens to someone when they're hit with Gentle Fist. The effects can stay for days if they're hit too much."

"Impressive. Yeah, they fought early on. Kita managed to negotiate for them to go their separate ways, actually."

"He has been an exceptionally clear-headed student, despite everything. I'm proud he remembered my advice."

"You know not every encounter will go like that in the field, right? Sometimes the enemy might take advantage of that kind of ceasefire."

"And sometimes more people die than they need to because nobody's willing to try. Kita's a smart kid, he'll only get smarter, he knows when it's a bad idea."

"Speaking of, our teams also fought, Lady Tsugumi. I am told it was a close battle. Unfortunately it seems it was interrupted by some kind of powerful beast - our sensors could never pick it up, it was moving far too fast. Personally I think it follows my theory that the Forest of Death's unique atmosphere and the cross-breeding of introduced species has resulted in creatures capable of chakra natures not yet recorded and..." even Osamu could notice Tsugumi's total lack of movement, as if caught in a trance, or perhaps asleep. "Mmm, well, yes, good show."

Ten seconds, twenty, thirty, a minute. Tsugumi's silence was enough to draw idle attention at first, then amusement, then concern.

"Is she alright?"

"There's nothing wrong with her chakra, but she's not asleep."

"Meditating, perhaps? A poor time for it I must say, but sometimes you catch a thought you really need to process - I just talk about it with my puppets, though."

"Something terrible is about to happen." Tsugumi's voice was calm as her eyes opened, their usual tinge replaced with a swirling geometric pattern of purple hues. Her gaze turned to the students, then to the announcement board - just in time for the names to begin cycling.