Army of Me [test event]

[Hotaru]

DECOMMISSIONING
RANK: B
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TYPE: Profession Test
LIMITS & DATES: Solo
COUNTRY Mizu no Kuni
REWARDS: 100 EXP , 5,000 Ryo, Chuunin Examiner Profession
SYNOPSIS: After receiving her application to become a Chuunin examiner and reviewing her qualifications, Kirigakure has decided to allow Hotaru to take on the position, provided she passes a mandatory test of her skill. An old chuunin examination field is to be reopened, however, before it can be used by the students of Kirigakure, it must first be decommissioned. Unknown traps, beasts, and other dangers still lurk beyond the gates of the arena. Since she will have to deal with these dangers as a potential examiner, Hotaru must remove the dangers before she is promoted.

Walking out of the mission compound with her assignment, she scanned the details of her task carefully. Apparently the remnants of a past examination still lingered beyond a fenced off section of land. Though it seemed like a job for more than one person, the prospect of a steady paying job kept her questions and complaints at bay.

”This must be it.”

She sighed, looking up at a giant sign hanging over a 10 meter tall gate that read “Field 31”. With the key supplied by the mission compound, she unlocked the giant door, sliding the chain link barrier open enough so she could comfortably walk inside. She knew that it was supposed to be dangerous, so she cautiously looked around for any sign of a trap or dangerous creature. Though it seemed similar to a survival exercise, she was seeking out the hidden dangers instead of just trying to live through them.

Her outfit was typical of her style, however, because of the occasion, she decided to come to her test appropriate for the theme. The standard issue chuunin vest replaced her normal jacket, and an ‘army surplus beige’ bikini covered her chest. Green and brown camouflage print shorts barely reached her thighs, and black combat boots covered her feet. She had hoped that dressing up would put her in the mood for the task, but she felt more like a shock trooper than someone who was supposed to be proctoring exams.

At least I look the part....

[/blockquote]

[King]

Field 31 was one of the more impressive trialing grounds within Mizu no Kuni. Strangely, it had been decommissioned due to its impressiveness; the trials were too difficult, and many of the candidates had either been maimed or killed in the many events taking place here.

Now, where glistening chrome and steel had been, rust and debris lingered.

The path that Hotaru walked forked into two areas, the danger zone and the arena; both would need to be dismantled and secured for the revamp. The arena, the much larger of the two, was easily visible in the distance (even with the mist and treeline), towering over the shades and shadows. The "danger zone," however, was far more secluded. It was, without a doubt, the more difficult of the two.

Her path was her choice to make.

[Hotaru]

The road split in two before her, one way leading into the dense forest, the other to an open area likely used as some kind of arena. She wondered what the structure of these tests was like, and tried to fathom how it compared to her own exam.

Since she had no experience with this particular area, Hotaru made her way towards the arena, figuring she could 'warm up' there before heading into what appeared to be the more dangerous area. Making sure her boots were tied tightly, her hair was securely pulled back, and her tools were all in order, she proceeded forward.

With the mist obscuring her vision of the path ahead, the Chuunin kept her guard up and took in her newly visible surroundings with each step. If the path was clear of traps, beasts, and other surprises, she would make her way to the arena uninhibited.

"Wonder what's over here..."

[King]

Clear of traps? That'd be ridiculously easy.

Granted, when the area was actually being used, the path to the arena was clear of any and all obstructions. However, when it had been decommissioned, several groups of ninja had been sent in to make sure people weren't snooping around where they weren't supposed to be. This included a slew of traps, all of which the red-head was soon to find out.

As she proceeded forward, the area fell into an eerie silence -- there wasn't a chirp from a bird or cricket, a croak from a frog, or the shuffling of deer, startled and afraid, moving deeper into the woods. No, there was simply silence. Cold, bitter silence. That is, of course, until Hotaru stepped over one invisible wire (due to the mist and its low proximity to the ground), causing the steel to illuminate with the light of the several seals the brush along the ground had been hiding.

If she was quick, she might've caught sight of the sudden light behind her and been able to escape the explosion that ripped out merely a second or two later. But, that's only if she was quick. And even after that, well--

It's safe to say this was only the start.

[Hotaru]

Shit.

Hotaru cursed, feeling the pressure of a wire accompanied by the gleam of a reflection through the mist. A powerful leap carried her backwards while a layer of chakra instinctively flooded to cover her body. She had been careless and assumed that the road to the arena was clear of obstacles, but it was clear this examination field was more dangerous than it appeared.

Propelling herself backwards along the same path she had walked a few moments before, her arms crossed in front of her body as she braced for an incoming explosion. Hopefully she had reacted quick enough to the trap and was spared the majority of damage while the buffer of healing chakra built up around her body absorbed anything she was unable to evade by retreating.

Assuming she wasn't dead, she would have to proceed much more carefully. Not wanting to waste more time looking for traps to disarm as she made her way to the 'arena' portion of the field, she formed a string of handseals and called a boiling river of rock to the surface. The corrosive lava leaped from the earth and barreled down the path, hopefully clearing any other traps that would give her trouble. 3 meters tall and wide, Hotaru made sure to carve a considerable 'window' on the path before she proceeded.

The magma settled and cooled, forming a jet black obsidian pathway for her to follow. Though any standard traps would certainly have been melted or activated by the movement or heat of the lava flow, something told her that this was not going to be as easy as she had once anticipated. Cautious footfalls carried her forward, hopefully to her desired destination. However, she was now much more alert to her surroundings and would not be caught off guard so easily again.

SPOILER: Click to show

In'yu Shōmetsu - S Rank
Fushokuzai - S Rank
Yōuton: Yōnagare - C Rank

[King]

Luckily, she went back instead of forward. The damage she received was negligible, nothing short of a few smoldering burns along her jacket and jeans; they singed and cooked, but nothing that would seriously harm the girl.

In the moments that followed, the lava she sprouted caused a series of violent explosions to erupt along the path. Unfortunately, having anticipated such a maneuver, those who had laid the traps had a back-up plan just in case.

Converging on her figure in the form of a spear (two points, one from either flank) were towering walls of kunai, moving with all haste and seeking to pepper her body head from toe. The sound of their release was the only hint they were coming, along with the groan of wind as they sped toward the girl.

Presuming she lived through this, the path to the arena would be clear.

[Hotaru]

As soon as she cast her lava technique, she heard clicking from either side accompanied with the reflection of metal visible just on the edge of her periphery. How and why this trap was activating now she had no idea since it hadn't been triggered the first time she walked passed it. With a surge of chakra to her legs, she leaped backwards again, avoiding the follow up trap.

Just a few meters in front of her, two flurries of kunai collided, the resulting chaos creating a cacophony of metallic clashes and sending knives ricocheting in all directions. Letting out a sigh of relief, it didn't seem like there were any other traps left in the immediate vicinity. Another set of hand seals was performed, birthing an exact copy of herself from the trail of lava in front of her. Just to be safe, it would be handy to have a shield to blaze the trail ahead.

Following in the wake of her clone and stepping in the same places a few seconds after the fact, she successfully had made her way to the arena without another incident. The mist was thick and had obscured her view of her destination, but now that she was up close, she finally got her first good look at where she was headed.

Assuming no traps activated upon her arrival, she would send the clone in to make sure the coast was clear.

SPOILER: Click to show

Youton Bunshin no Jutsu (Lava Clone Technique)
Rank: B
Type: Supplementary / Youton Kekkei Touta
Range: See special!
Handseals: Yes
Chakra: High [per clone]
Special: Up to one clone can be made at a time, plus one more each time retrained, for a maximum of five (5). When defeated, clone explodes in a burst of hot magma, spreading its burning essence everywhere. Explosion range covers 5 meters all around the clone. Finally, Lava clones can cast any known general Lava jutsu one rank less than the highest rank known in 'Fushokuzai'.
Description: With this technique, the Youton user is able to call upon aid from a perfect copy of themselves. Comprised purely of molten lava, this clone retains the user's movement speed and can share linked mental judgement. Best of all, when struck physically, most items slowly sink into the magma pit that has become their body, corroding away at appendages and weapons equally. Finally, when defeated, the clone explodes into a blob of intense lava that aims to take over the nearest opponent available, burning and melting them in place.
Domain: Youton. Fushokuzai 'B'.

[King]

The arena was a large, massive coliseum of a structure. From Hotaru's point of view, she would see only set of double-doors -- it was the entrance, and seemingly the only exit, as well. Sending her clone in first was a wonderful tactic, namely because she would've been foolish to presume that the arena itself was devoid of traps. However, the true danger of this forsaken place wouldn't be exposed until much later.

With the doors ajar, the dark hall that stretched through the entire side of the establishment led to a pair of stairs. Of course, there were a handful of corridors on either side, each holding their own dark corners she could chose to explore.

However, presuming she continued straight and true, she would first need to climb the impressive flight of stairs (which turned and doubled-back, time and time again) which, in the end, would bring her to the upper stadium. Once there, she would have a perfect view of the center arena -- large, circular, and filled with dirt, boulders, and trees lining the walls.

Regardless of which path she chose, the only hint that something was amiss would be the reflective glass windows seemingly lining each and every wall of the halls.

[Hotaru]

Giant double doors greeted her and her clone as they approached the arena, successfully avoiding any remaining traps that might have lingered on the path. Nodding her head, she had the clone open the doors to the massive building and let her lead they way if the coast was clear.

The open door allowed a pillar of light to creep across the floor, casting just enough illumination to see the what lurked in the room. It was mostly empty, with a staircase at the end that lead upwards, to where she assumed was seating for the stadium. The clone took a few steps inside and, provided it wasnt destroyed or otherwise damaged, Hotaru would follow.

"This place is creepy. I should just burn the whole thing and be done with it...."

She sighed, her voice echoing around the empty foyer. Countless panes of glass reflected feint glimmers of light back at her, but she had no idea what to make of it. She thought it best to leave them alone for now. Following her clone, she cautiously made her way up the stairs to the stadium seating.

If she was uninhibited, she would have a clear view of what looked like an arena for the traditional round 3 tournament held at the end of every chuunin exam.

Strange they would put this inside of test facility....

She pondered, looking around for any clues on what she was supposed to do, if anything.

[/blockquote]

[King]

The panes had, indeed, served their purpose. It was a purpose that the "creeped out" Hotaru would come to find out soon enough as she gazed at the arena floor. There was no magnificent beast or slew of creatures waiting to sink their teeth into the woman's flesh; no massive summon to crush her bones; not genjutsu or ninjutsu to decimate the entire arena in one fell swoop.

Instead, there was a single figure at heart. Perched on a boulder, the silhouette -- obscured by the mist and sheer distance -- held no definition, yet the mist Chuunin would feel its gaze settling squarely on her like a mountain.

And there it stood, unmoving. Waiting.

[Hotaru]

The hell....

Hotaru thought to herself, looking down into the arena's depths. There seemed to be a figure sitting on a boulder in the middle of the arena, obscured at this distance by the gentle haze that drifted around the area. Not knowing if it was a threat or if it was even human, she wasn't about to blindly charge into the arena to find out.

Instead, she instructed the clone to make it's way down to the arena's edge to investigate. This, however, was more of a distraction than it was an effort in reconnaissance. While her doppelganger made its way down the stairs, Hotaru stayed at the top of the arena and formed a single handseal, closing her eyes so she could sense her chakra spreading out over the mysterious coliseum.

Her technique would tell her if the person was human, what sort of other threats lurked not only in the arena's depths, but also throughout the whole building, and the size of any chakra pools caught within her field of vision. Her technique would give her an advantage, or at least bring her on equal ground with the veiled figure in terms of information. All she needed to do was wait for the results and react accordingly.

SPOILER: Click to show

Sensor - D

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[King]

Just a tad bit too slow.

The figure settled at the center of the arena shifted, ever so slightly, yet it was a movement lost within the mist. Hotaru's clone began to descend the flight of stairs that lead to the edge of the towering walls, yet by the time it reached the final step, it would've already had its own problem to deal with.

Four soft red glows marred the endless white sheet of mist, growing brighter with each second that passed. But it wasn't because of a flame growing larger, or even stronger--

It was simply the fact that four lava shuriken were zooming across the distance separating them, aimed to pepper the clone's chest and reduce it back to its harmless state. It was a technique that Hotaru would have undoubtedly recognized (when it was close enough), being as how it was hers. Fortunately, her mind's eye would give her a glimpse of a second figure a handful of meters off to their immediate right, no doubt lurking amongst the countless seats.

[Hotaru]

The incoming lava shuriken approached fast but not without warning. The red glowing discs cut through the mist, and their small size and linear trajectory allowed the clone to sidestep them with ease. The attack was more than enough of a sign that the party was hostile, and prompted the clone to form a few seals of her own.

Once complete, Hotaru's copy would spit a large mass of lava 3 meters into the air which quickly flattened out into a sheet . The blanket of lava would quickly fall to the ground, the sides hitting the ground before the middle had a chance to settle. The clone had hopefully trapped whatever was down in the arena leaving the original to deal with the other form.


--

Lava?

Hotaru thought curiously, watching the small shuriken splatter against the steps a couple of dozen steps or so downwards. Whatever lurked in the mist was obviously dangerous, and she knew she would have to eliminate them quickly or risk being overwhelmed by magma. Letting her clone perform it's own technique, Hotaru's hands worked quickly to attack the other figure lurking in the mist.

Upon completion, she sent a wave of chakra into the ground, heating the stone seating to the point of cracking. At at alarmingly fast pace, a cloud of scorching ash tore through the seating section and headed straight for the other figure, burning anything that was unfortunate enough to be caught inside. Hopefully, due to the positioning of the second figure, it was not aware of Hotaru's presence yet and would be taken by surprise, unable to escape the attack.

SPOILER: Click to show

Youkai (Melting Spectre)
Rank: A
Type: Offensive / Youton Kekkai-touta
Range: See special!
Handseals: Yes
Chakra: Very High
Special: Width and heighth of sheet, range, lava speed and corrosiveness depended on highest rank of Fushokuzai known.
Description: The user will first perform the needed hand seals before releasing a large amount of corrosive lava from their mouth, which spreads into a broad, thin sheet as it travels through the air. Since the lava is shot upwards in a severe arc so as to descend onto the targets from above, it prevents the intended individuals from jumping up to avoid the attack. A great deal of steam is created afterwards by the effects of the lava, so should the target still be alive, a follow-up attack can be executed while the target's vision is obscured. After two turns, the lava used from this technique will harden.
Domain: Youton. Shoujokazan

SPOILER: Click to show

Hai Hane (Ash Plume)
Rank: B
Type: Offensive / Youton Kekkei Touta
Range: 0-50 Meters
Chakra: High
Special: The range and size of the ash plume depends on the highest “Fushokuzai” rank known. The ash plume can be dispersed with a large enough Fuuton Jutsu of rank B or higher.
Description: Hai Hane works similar to Hai Kichou in that it creates volcanic ash, but rather than merely serving as means for distraction, the ash created through this technique is heated greatly, capable of causing severely damaging burns. The user channels chakra into the ground to burn rock, soil, or anything solid in the terrain. Upon burning what is found on the ground, the pulverized matter is send forth in a wave progressing at twice the speed of a kunai. The ash plume is thick and difficult to see through both for the user and the enemy. One who uses the technique must be careful as the heat can burn oneself like any opponent.
Domain: Youton, Fushokuzai: Rank B, Kazan Hai Kichou.

[/blockquote]

[King]

A piss poor strategy at best.

The arena before Hotaru and her clone was massive, much larger than the sheet the clone had shot in pitiful hopes of "trapping" the figure located at the center. Regardless of how wide it was, the chances of it covering the entirety of the mouth was nigh-impossible. With that said, the clone's retreat should've been expected -- simply skipping back, boulder to boulder until the reached the southern (as in behind them) most wall.

As for the figure to their right, a simple push from either leg placed them well out of the range of danger. Dangling now from the ceiling, the copy cat of Hotaru beamed with a devious, menacing smile.

She was gonna have to try a lot harder than that.

[Hotaru]

As the sheet of lava began to settle on the field, billows of steam wafted into the air, allowing the quick footed enemy to escape her technique and vanish to the other side of the arena. The molten lava blanket fell to the ground and began to spread, likely covering the entire arena floor with a coating of lava, melting stones, trees, and traps alike. It would also eventually dissolve her opponent's hiding place if they chose to stay in the arena, meaning they would likely take to the ceiling or retreat into the seating.

Knowing this, Hotaru's clone began running counter clockwise along the edge of the raised arena, hoping to catch some sign of her opponent who was hidden in the mist. In an attempt to lure out her prey, she shot 4 shuriken of lava towards where her opponent had most likely exited the arena, towards the seating directly behind the rock nearest the back of the combat area.

--

Meanwhile, original recipe Hotaru was dealing with a second enemy. Her attack, though powerful, was (for some reason) super slow, and failed to overcome her opponent despite the small, 5 meter gap separating them. Out from hiding, Hotaru watched the form burst into the air, avoiding the ash storm while flying towards the ceiling of the arena.

Reacting as quickly as she could, Hotaru reached into her item pouch and pulled a kunai with an exploding tag wrapped around its handle. Taking aim at the now airborn figure, she gauged the trajectory of her projectile towards where her opponent would intercept the flying knife. As soon as the kunai reached it's target, she would detonate it with a single hand seal, hopefully bringing her opposition down to a single combatant.

If her foe was vanquished, Hotaru would do what her opponent could not and jumped into the air and hung from the ceiling about 10 meters off the ground. With the ash cloud dispersed, she would have no trouble hanging up from the dome that covered the arena. In order to find where the remaining enemy was hiding, she ran counter clockwise on the ceiling, circling around the other side of the arena as her clone. Veiled in thick mist and off of the usual path, she also looked for a sign of her opponent, though being noticed was much less likely.

SPOILER: Click to show

Lava Shurikens x4

SPOILER: Click to show

Kunai + Tag

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