HSV: Chunin Exams Squad B Test 2

Chunin Exams

Test 2

“Guys...I think we're lost...” Akane sighed as she held the map up. “I can't seem to find the path at all on this thing...”

“Here, let me look at it.” Linali held out her hand. Once Akane handed it over, she studied it very hard as she turned it in all sorts of directions.

After a few moments, it was Akane who spoke up again. “So? Do you know where we are?”

Linali blinked. “Um...I think we're going the right way.” She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

Akane sighed. “So...we're lost?”

“We're not lost!” Hikari smiled that Yoshida smile which reaffirmed a sense of comfort. “The proctors said the second path was straight. There wasn't supposed to be anything challenging about that, so as long as we keep going straight...we should be fine.” She clapped her hands together.

Linali blinked. “She's got a point...” She looked to Akane.

Akane sighed and nodded. “Yeah...I guess so...I just have one question...where did the path go?”

Both Linali and Hikari looked around. The one thing that was different from the first path was the fog that made it nearly impossible to see anything. With the first path, there had been many physical obstacles, but the girls had decided on the second path. They wanted the fastest path so that they could finish this second test as fast as possible. With their combine speed, it wouldn't be hard. However, they neglected the catch in the second path. Apparently this fog wasn't just ordinary fog. It could potentially ruin their chances at advancing if they didn't get through the forest within the time limit.

Linali turned around in all directions as she desperately searched for the path. “We were just on it! I swear!”

Akane sighed. “I thought we got lost...” She nodded.

“Don't worry guys,” Hikari smiled. “I left us a trail. All we have to do is follow that and we should find the path again.”

“You...left us a trail?” Akane blinked.

“Of what?” Linali asked.

“Breadcrumbs of course!” Hikari giggled, holding out the small bag of remaining crumbs.

Both Linali and Akane looked at each other before shrugging. It was a Yoshida thing after all.

“Alright, then...lead the way, Hikari-chan!” Linali gave her a thumbs up.

Hikari nodded. “Right! This way!”

Linali and Akane trusted their teammate and friend. Despite having the Yoshida's characteristics of optimism, Hikari was a very intelligent young woman. The fact that she made a trail in case they got lost was proof enough to show that. The other two girls were quite fine letting her lead the way in hopes of getting back onto the trail.

After a while, though, something didn't feel right. The fog seemed to get denser and each girl shivered at something unknown. Akane wrapped her arms around herself as she rubbed her arms, despite wearing a hoodie in the summer. Linali tried to play off the feeling by brushing her hair back from her shoulder. She kept her eyes peeled in case there was an attack, but it didn't feel like there would be one. No, the feeling was different than that.

“Hey guys...” Hikari's voice had dropped from its usual cheery tone.

“What's up, Hikari-chan?” Akane asked as she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Linali blinked as she looked at the purple haired Yoshida. “Is everything okay?” She asked Akane, though the other girl shook her head. “Oi, Hikari! Snap out of it!” She moved in front of Hikari and blinked.

Hikari had a blank expression on her face. Her eyes were glassed over and she held her hands at her side. It was as if she wasn't looking at Linali at all. Instead, she was looking through her. Her mouth hung slightly open as if she was caught in a trance.

Linali furrowed her brow before waving her hand in front of Hikari's face. “Oi! Anybody home?” She asked, tilting her head.

Akane frowned. “Linali-san...I don't think that's going to work...”

“Oi! Duck lover! Wake up!” Linali grabbed Hikari's face and shook her up a bit.

“Linali-san!” Akane grabbed her arm. “Stop! You'll hurt her!”

Linali sighed as she released Hikari's face. “Sorry...What's gotten into her? Did she see a duck or something?” She looked around in hopes of finding that creature which could steal the attention of any Yoshida.

Akane sighed. “It's useless...I think she's trapped in a genjutsu.” She breathed. “The vacant expression gives it away...”

Linali groaned. “Oh man...! Does that mean we have to carry her or something?” She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Linali-san...We have to take Hikari-chan with us. We can't just leave her here. After all, we're comrades. We've sworn protection to one another.” Akane frowned slightly, a bit hurt about Linali willing to leave her behind.

Linali sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know...I know...I wasn't going to leave her behind, you know. I just...don't wanna carry her.” She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

Akane sighed. “Leave it to me...I'll carry her...” She crouched down and easily got the girl onto her back, grabbing her legs to hold her in place. “Come on...We have to find the exit. We don't want to lose to everyone else, right?” She smiled at her one lucid teammate.

“Yosh!” Linali nodded. “We're off!”

Hours had passed since Hikari had been caught in that genjutsu. Neither Linali nor Akane could exlain why or how she'd been caught, but they knew it wasn't good. They had to break it before they finished the second test. Akane had showed signs of getting tired and so they decided to take a break from walking in the dense fog. They sat Hikari down against a tree as Akane and Linali went to open the map again. They had lost sight of the breadcrumbs long ago and were once again traveling blindly through the forest.

“I'm pretty sure we have to go this way...” Linali said as she pointed on the map. “We past a river at some point not too long ago. If we go back to it, we can see which way the water is flowing and follow that.”

Akane nodded. “Yeah...but the problem is finding the stream again...That was hours ago since we passed it...” She frowned.

“I remember how to get there.” Linali grinned. “Just leave the leading to me!”

Akane sighed as she smiled weakly. “I was afraid of that...”

Linali pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “What are you saying? I'm a bad leader?”

Quickly, Akane shook her head and held her hands out. “N-No! Not at all...It's just...eto...You can get distracted easily...” She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

“Fine.” Linali puffed her cheeks out. “Then YOU lead the way out of here!”

Akane frowned. “But...I'm carrying Hikari-chan...”

Linali nodded. “You're right...I guess I'm the leader.” She shrugged.

“...unless YOU carry her?” Akane smiled weakly. “We should take turns. We are comrades after all.”

Linali blinked and then sighed. She was just being lazy. She didn't mind being leader because all she'd have to do was walk, but then again, Akane had been carrying Hikari for a while. Linali nodded. “Alright, fine...I'll carry her and you lead...but you better find us a way out.” She mumbled.

Akane smiled. “Thank you so much, Linali-san! Let me go get Hikari-chan and we can leave.” She breathed.

“Yeah, yeah...” Linali nodded, waving Akane off as she went to get their teammate.

“AHHHHHHHH!”

Linali snapped her head up. The scream seemed to echo all throughout the forest...and it sounded like Akane Miyazaki. “A-Akane...?” She called, but there was no answer. “Akane!” She ran back to where they had left Hikari to rest. “Akane! Where are you?” She called out and stopped.

Akane was hunched over as she grasped her arm. Blood seeped through her jacket and down her arm, dripping into a puddle on the ground. Her whole body moved as she panted.

“Akane!” Linali went to her side. “What the hell happened?” She asked, removing her headband sash to wrap around Akane's arm to stop the bleeding.

“H-Hikari...she...she...”

Linali blinked and furrowed her brow. “What about Hikari? Where is she?” She looked around and couldn't find their teammate anywhere, though the fog didn't help with her visibility.

“She's awake.” Akane looked to Linali. She had cuts along her face, though they looked shallow as if she'd dodged something. Shuriken?

“She is?” Linali asked and then her eyes widened. “Wait...did she do this to you?”

Akane nodded. “Yeah...”

“What? Our fun-loving-duck-lover?” Linali blinked. There was no way that Hikari Yoshida could ever harm one of her comrades. She loved her friends almost more than she loved ducks. “Where did she go?”

Akane shook her head. “She's in the fog...I can't see her anymore...” She panted.

Linali frowned. Akane had lost a bit of blood and was looking rather pale. “Akane...I'll find her.” She breathed. “I promise.”

Akane shook her head again. “No. WE will find her.” She smiled weakly. “She's my friend too, you know...” She panted.

Linali smiled and nodded. “Yeah...We'll find her. Together.” She tightened the sash around Akane's arm. “Does that feel better?” She asked.

Akane winced but nodded. “Yeah...the bleeding stopped.”

“Good...” Linali nodded. “Let's go. We have to get to her before she gets completely lost in the forest.”

Akane raised an eyebrow. “Like we're not?”

Linali rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark. “Let's just go, Miyazaki.” She smirked. “We're not gonna let some duck lover out do us.”

They both headed into the fog as they followed the strong sense of chakra and the rich smell of fresh blood. In a way, it was a good thing that Akane got attacked. With the blood trail, they were sure it would lead them to Hikari. And it did.

Hikari was waiting for them by a small pond. It was hard to believe that there was a pond this deep in the forest, but who knows what was in there. No one could see anything anyways.

“H-Hikari-chan...?” Akane's eyes widened.

“Damn...” Linali breathed as she had gotten out a kunai. Her eyes were fixated on her purple haired teammate. Hikari's expression was dark and...twisted. She held a kunai to her face as she looked at both Akane and Linali. Her eyes were wide and a weird grin was plastered along her features. Her clothes were ripped a bit from prying branches that she'd been ensnared in and blood splattered across her beautiful, white clothes. “Hikari...” She frowned.

“Hikari-chan! You have to snap out of it! This is not the kind of person you are!” Akane frowned as she called out to her friend. It pained her to see her friend like this.

“And how would you know?” Hikari asked in a sinister tone. It was sickening to hear her speak like that. “I'll do whatever I want!” She called, preparing her kunai.

Linali gritted her teeth together. “Wake up, Yoshida! This isn't you!”

“Shut up!” She yelled.

“Hikari-chan...please...snap out of it! What happened to the kind and loving girl that I call my friend?” Akane frowned, clenching her hands together.

“She's gone~” Hikari smirked. Her eyes were glazed over as shadows had already formed underneath.

Akane shuddered at the sight.

Linali gripped her kunai tight in her hands. This wasn't right. This path was supposed to be easy if it wasn't for the stupid fog. She cursed herself internally for taking the “easier” path. They had all decided on it, but Linali felt as if her Warashi lackadaisical nature had gotten the better of her. They were all capable of doing the physically grueling path easily, especially since both Linali and Akane were skilled in taijutsu. But no. They all wanted a break. They were too eager to take a straight path.

Akane frowned as she looked over at Linali. She could tell the girl was hard at work inside her mind, but she needed to think up something too.

“Akane...I'm going to attack Hikari. Once I have hold of her, dispel the genjutsu.” Linali kept her voice low.

“Why can't I attack Hikari-chan?” She asked.

“Because you're already injured. I'm faster now.” Linali breathed, readying her kunai. “Ready?”

Akane took in a deep breath before getting into a power stance. “Ready.” She nodded.

As soon as Akane gave her the go, Linali bolted towards Hikari. This was it. This was the hour of decision. She applied chakra to her feet to boost her speed in hopes to out do the Yoshida. She could tell Hikari was distracted thanks to the genjutsu she was under. She slashed randomly at Linali, but the Warashi had quick feet and managed to dodge. Once she saw an opening, she moved behind Hikari and grabbed her arms.

“Akane! Now!”

Akane nodded as she rushed towards Hikari. She placed her hands on the Yoshida's stomach and closed her eyes. By sending a pulse of chakra through Hikari's body, Akane was able to break the genjutsu which caused Hikari's body to go limp in Linali's arms.

“Damn...how the hell did she get caught in the genjutsu?” Linali breathed as she managed to get Hikari onto her back.

Akane frowned. “I don't know...but we need to get out of here.”

Linali nodded. “Yeah...you're right...” She breathed and started to walk away when she heard a noise. It was a familiar noise like running water. When she turned around, her eyes lit up and she smiled. “Oi, Akane! I found the stream!”

Akane blinked as she turned around. “You did?” She grinned. “Now we can get out of here!” She cheered happily. It seemed that they were going to make it through the grueling second test.