Konohagakure almost feels like a different place at night. The normally bustling village is almost completely barren of life with the occasional exception. Drunks still meandering around in the open, stray animals coming out to hunt for whatever scraps have been left behind, shinobi who still stand guard to watch over the village. And sometimes there are a few people who just can't get to sleep, like Choko.

It's the night before the Chunin Exams officially begin, and Choko is taking a nature walk through the outskirts of the village where the trees grow freely, taking care to remember her path so that she can return to the inn her team is staying in. It's not quite as easy as following her own tracks in the snow anymore. She's starting to miss snow. The air in Konoha is unpleasantly humid, and it's only so tolerable now that the sun has been gone for a while. Even so, she's dressed much more lightly than usual to keep herself from melting and is just enjoying the night air and the sounds of nature around her.

She's much too restless to sleep right now. The Chunin Exams are always a huge deal. She's taken them before, sure, but this time it's supposed to be different and she can't help but worry. She has a fresh start with a new team and a new Jonin sensei. It'll hurt if she fails again, but it'll hurt even more if the exams show that her current team isn't going to work. If that was the case, then adding more years and experience to it wouldn't change anything, would it? It didn't help her with her last team. It just ended with her getting removed from the team.

And really, she isn't sure how she feels about her team. Mitsu, the only boy among them, is a nice easygoing person. But at the same time, he's a freak with a frustrating attitude that makes her feel like he's always looking down on her or that he knows something she doesn't.

Kuro, the newest member of the team, is... plainly put, annoying. Her constant spouting of strange words of curses and dark powers at work were somewhat amusing at first, but quickly became grating when she learned that they never stop.

Rio, her Jonin sensei, is a mystery wrapped in a swaddle of a hundred other mysteries. So much about her feels artificial, and the parts that feel natural are very likely to just be more feints to hide who she really is. Choko can never feel confident that she's actually getting closer to her sensei, and not just getting chummy with a façade her sensei is putting up.

Then there's her. A wimpy crybaby whose only skills are shooting arrows and carving wood, a hobby that's completely outshined by her teammate using a single flick of his wrist. And once again, she's found herself to be the weakest link in her own team. Even if Mistu is weird, his ninjutsu and wood release are so powerful that it makes him feel unstoppable. Kuro is a monster in close combat, and has her family's techniques as a special ace in the hole to take on opponents above her weight class. Choko can't compare to them. It's only been about a month since she left her village with Rio, and the majority of that time has been travelling, not training. How is she any different from the girl who was so useless that she was abandoned by her former sensei?

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

Choko yelps out a short shriek, her whole body jumping in surprise. Her pupils widen on instinct as her Water Reflection Eye activates, expanding her field of vision. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the person standing just a few feet from her. She closes her eyes to get them to return to normal and tries to control her breathing again.

"Oh, uh... Sorry about that! Didn't mean to spook you. I'm- wait, are you okay?"

It takes Choko a moment to get what she means before quickly rubbing her eyes that had started to get a little wet.

"Dammit, get ahold of yourself. Don't show weakness in a foreign village."

"I-I'm fine. My allergies are just acting up out here."

She turns her head to get a good look at the person who had approached her this late at night. A blonde girl with amber eyes somewhere near Choko's age. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she was wearing an orange kimono on the thicker side to insulate from the night's air. Her expression tells her that she didn't really buy the excuse Choko just gave her. Choko was going to ask who she was and why she was here, but the blonde girl was quick with her words.

"You're here for the Chunin Exams too, right? I'm Ichika from Yuga! Nice to meet you! You like taking late night walks like me? Isn't it so soothing to get some of this fresh air in your lungs? Are you having trouble sleeping before the exams? Don't worry, I couldn't sleep either. How aren't you freezing dressed like that? I had to put on an extra layer. Oh, right, what's your name?"

She was a ballistic missile of energy, speaking so quickly and in such a warm and friendly manner it was like she thought they'd known each other for years. Choko was feeling overwhelmed from her presence. Questions and concerns were rattling around in her head before she decided to only focus on one of the questions. Hardening her expression and putting up her persona, Choko took a breath and kept her guard up in front of Ichika.

"...Choko, from Shimogakure. Now if you'll-"

"Oh, Shimo! No wonder you're fine out here. You'd be comfy in a freezer, huh? I love your hair, by the way! Do all Shimo girls have white hair? Sen and Tsugumi do too, and they're from Shimo. But yours has that cool orange pattern underneath. Is that natural? Think you could teach me how to do that? I want to try out this one style-"

Choko couldn't find a moment to speak up during Ichika's overexcited chattering. One thing did stick out to her though.

"Sen and Tsugumi are here too? Ah, great... The exams are going to be even harder than I thought if I have to compete with Sen."

And once again, Ichika finds a way to punish Choko for getting distracted as the archer girl finds her wrist suddenly getting grabbed. Choko's eyes widen again and she gasps. Her instincts are flaring up like crazy and cause her body to tremble slightly. But before she can yank her hand free, Ichika is already shoving something into it.

"Here, some candies from Yuga! They're healthy. My teammates don't really want any, so I've got plenty to share. Oh, did I startle you again? Sorry!"

Choko swallows the words she instinctively wants to say and just nods before pulling her hand back. For a moment, she opens her hand to look at the treats she had just been forced onto her. They were small and jagged like rock candy with a dark red hue to them. She could already feel them starting to stick to the sweat in her palms, so she quickly pocketed them. She struggled not to make a face, still trying to appear cool and calm despite her several slip ups just moments ago.

"Thank you, I suppose. I won't be eating them now if you're hoping for that. I do want to sleep soon."

"That's okay! Oh, and you're right. It is really late, huh? We should be getting to bed! Don't want to sleep in and miss the exams, right? Okay, bye bye, Choko! Good luck tomorrow! If you like those candies, stop by Yuga and I'd be happy to give you some more! They're locally made from natural waters!"

Not once did Ichika's smile or energy falter for even a moment before she left with a cheerful and bubbly wave. She was here and gone so suddenly that the silence that followed her departure only made Choko feel more uneasy than soothed. This encounter was so... mentally exhausting that it's making her yawn.

Choko pulls out one of the candies given to her to examine it more closely, making sure to only touch it with her fingernails. She wants to try to get more of a read on one of the other genin she'll possibly be going up against during the exams. She can't see any signs of poison, but she'll definitely be washing her hands in whatever water source she can find nearby to get it off her hands. She'll have Rio take another look at it in the morning to be sure. The words of Ichika comes back to mind. Natural waters of Yugakure, and the strange red tint... Reminds her of those lessons about the Valley of Hell.

She grimaces at the thought of them being made of blood. It's a ridiculous assumption, but it almost makes her want to toss them away right now, but... she chooses not to. For now. Just to check for poison later, and not for any other reason like some strange feeling of being treated warmly and genuinely by a kind stranger. It's just data to collect to help her prepare, and that's that.

She puts the candy away once again and starts making her way back towards the inn, letting out another yawn. At least she'll be able to get to sleep easily once she's back in bed. For some reason, she feels like putting in a little more effort into getting her hair ready tomorrow.