"This isn't good," one of the chunin said as he looked over the corpse they had just found.
"Makes sense though," another noted. "We didn't have any lopsided teams go in the test, and we still haven't found the extra. Unless they achieved what they wanted in the first exam, it makes sense that they'd eliminate someone."
"This is odd," the first noted pointing to an impact on the man's head. "This hit here was post-mortum, very post-mortum."
"With the way he has no face you think that's odd? Maybe something hit him after he was hidden," a third chunin noted. "In any case, let's call Anko in, she's proctor in charge of this part of the test."
Anko frowned as she arrived at the body and felt a twinge in her neck as she took in the face melted away to a blank slate.
"He's in the training ground then," Anko said.
"Mitarashi-sama?" one of the chunin asked in confusion.
"This is clearly that man's work," Anko muttered to herself.
The chunin glanced toward each other questionably, asking silently what she meant. Then Anko moved into her characteristic energy.
"Get in contact with the Anbu and have them send at least two teams into the exam area," she snapped."
"Two teams?" the chunin repeated.
"No arguing," Anko snapped. "Just do it. I'm heading into the exam area."
And with that she took off at a run with a furious determined look on her face.
"What is he doing here?" Anko wondered. "What is that man planning?"
The team from the Village Hidden in the Valley stood in their camp and looked from one to another.
"If Kodachi is here," one of them said, a young man with a wild look worthy of the Inuzuka clan. "I have not seen her or signs of her power."
"She is subtle," another said, a taller man in his late thirties, probably amongst the oldest participants in the exam. "And she's learned a hard lesson about sticking out."
"Just what I'd expect from a pathetic outsider," the third said, a stout short man who gave something of the impression of a badger. "Just do your job and stay out of the way when it comes time for a real battle. Then you'll see what separates the Musk from such outsiders and technique thieves as you."
"But of course," the second man said with tight bow. "Then I would suggest we head in that direction."
He pointed toward the direction where he'd felt a flicker of chi manipulation along in that direction. It had been a bit...unhealthy towards the end, and, if it was as far away as he suspected, that was just the slightest bit...
...interesting.
"Good," one of the two musk said. "Thyme and I will move on ahead, stay here, you'll just slow us down, catch up if you can."
"That's fine with me," the taller man said. "I'll just stay out of the way until then."
He watched as they left swiftly into the trees and then turned slowly around to face the burned and torn face on the figure that stepped out of the trees then.
"You didn't tell your comrades about me this time," Orochimaru said casually. "Though I don't suppose I should be surprised."
"I'm merely a hireling," the other man said with a shrug. "Are you who I presume you to be?"
"That would depend on who you presume I am," Orochimaru responded.
"Well, I presume that you're the S-Class criminal, Orochimaru," the man said. "I might be a chi-adept, but my normal trade is in bounty hunting and you are quite well known."
"Well, I see," Orochimaru said. "Should I be expecting you to make an attempt?"
"Even if I had the channel for that," the other said. "I would not be foolish enough to try something so attention getting now. I have another job currently."
"Well, it is good to know that you have an understanding of your limits, Kashou," Orochimaru said, drawing a widening of the eyes followed by a tight smile from the other man.
"Your reputation isn't for nothing," he said.
"Without saying too much shall we come to an agreement?" Orochimaru asked.
"Assume my employers have an interest in tracking a blind woman," Kashou said. "They would not be upset to see her killed."
"Then that is of little concern to me," Orochimaru said. "But what is your interest?"
"Suffice to say that it not going to interfere with the chaos your minions are looking to cause," the other said. "I can secure that on my own and I'm sure my efforts will only cause the Konoha shinobi another headache for you to exploit."
"If you do get in the way," Orochimaru noted.
"Then you'll be sure to destroy me," Kashou said. "As I said, I'm merely a hireling, I'm not going to step in the way of a force of nature for that."
"You show wisdom," Orochimaru said. "Let's hope that we have no cause to end this agreement."
And with that he vanished into a burst of purple fire that gave the chi of the area a slick and slightly nauseous feel to it. Without being a chi-user, the foul man couldn't have a truly deep impact on the chi flows, but it was still unpleasant.
Kashou shook his head clear maintaining a smile and breathing out a sigh of relief.
"Now to find a Saotome and see if she's the real deal," he said before leaping into the trees away from the direction he'd sent the Musk.
From the shadows, Orochimaru watched and stepped out considering.
"Saotome?" he asked. "Interesting."
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(Posted Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:40)
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