[Chuunin Exam] Third Times a Charm

[Ace Trainer]

Indra was back at the small training ground, one that was not one often used for chuunin exams, isolated in a far off corner of the village. He frowned as he looked down at his feet, placed in the same position he had been mere weeks previously when he'd faced off against Ashura. He knew what the stakes were this time around - if he didn't win he'd likely be looked at as a failure. The first chuunin exams, he'd been limited in what he could do. The village had forbade the use of his genma abilities and while they are sparse, they certainly would have helped. So when he and Ashura failed the exam, it hadn't been too much of a mark against them. When he faced off against Ashura, however, he'd expected to have faired better. His compatriot outclassed him in many ways, though, and it was hard to convince the village he was worthy of promotion.

Which brought him to today. It was clear if he didn't prove his worth they'd begin to ponder if a new host was needed. Indra was tacitly aware that he wasn't entirely expected to be a success, only another temporary vessel for a permanent problem. But, he wanted to last, he wanted to defy expectations. And that meant he needed to pass the chuunin exams.

"You know the rules", their referee would call from the side of the circular arena. All in all, it was about 30m in diameter, perfectly round and covered in sand. The training dummies had been removed, leaving it open for normal combat. Indra stood at the southernmost point, against the wooden fence that surrounded the arena, and his opponent was opposite of him.

In truth, he had no idea who he opponent was or what he was capable of. But he'd been assured that the genin he faced was aware of Indra's state and that it was no reason to hold back. Ikinari's assurance of this made the message obvious; under no circumstances can you fail. Do whatever you must, but pass. Looking forward, Indra gave a small nod to his opponent. Game on.

[Kenpwnchi]

So ... it was, apparently, that time of the year again; time for the Chūnin Exams (being hosted in the Sunagakure no Sato). Today, not unlike other days in the Kaze no Kuni where it's extremely hot, boasted an unusually high temperature that could procure sweat from just momentary strides from one place to another. The Sun, remaining fixed in the sky where it usually resided, was glowing with a uniquely brilliant hue, and provided a source of light that, strangely, gave inspiration to the soon-to-combatants. With each growing moment, temperatures would, eventually, break the Sunagakure no Sato weather records, making today, interestingly enough, one of the "hottest" days. While there were some who were unable to function in extreme heat, this was not the case for Yaku; a young boy whom was born during a time in the Sunagakure no Sato when the temperature of the Kaze no Kuni never seemed to dropped below 100°. Still, being functional and, actually, enjoying the heat were two different concepts; both shared by Yaku, yet he was not above complaining.

"Unbelieveable! Out of all days to host a damn Chūnin Exam, the Kazekage and the Sunagakure Hyōgikai pick today! Ugh!" Yaku would scoff before crossing his arms, and turning his head in disbelief at the fact he, already, has an opponent to face, and under the current weather conditions, as well. Yaku was not opposed to fighting, especially to get himself promoted to a Chūnin, but he was against being all sweaty during the altercation; prompting him to wipe away the current sweat trickling down his forehead with an open left palm. "I mean, would you look at that? Great! Just great!" Flicking his left hand downward, the sweat that was, now, on his hand would pepper into the sand blow; dampening it ever so slightly before almost instantly drying back up. It would be unfortunate for any fighter using Suiton today, but, thankfully, that wasn't Yaku's field of expertise. Having to travel a great distance to get to the arena where he would be fighting, after approximately 30 minutes, Yaku would arrive.

Glancing around, the arena didn't seem like much, but, given that the Sunagakure no Sato was home to sparse resources, Yaku assumed it was the "best" that his village could provide. However, it was really isolated compared to the other locations that Chūnin Exams were usually hosted, and there weren't many spectators in the seats surrounding the battlefield. Looking up at, Yaku would intricately observe everybody who would be watching him fight today, but, looking down, he would also try to scope out where is newly found opponent was. Not taking long, as he slowly approached his final destination, Indra would appear within his range of sight. Coming to an abrupt stop, roughly 10 meters (32 feet) away from Indra and 20 meters (65 feet) away from the entrance north, Yaku would analyze Indra down to the smallest details. Hearing the referee announce that "they know the rules", Yaku shook his head in agreement, but that didn't mean he intended to follow him. He was, indeed, a ninja, and ninja were known for their skills of deception. Faking a smile, that beamed almost from ear to ear, Yaku would wave with his right hand; his left hand still quite sweaty from earlier.

"Yo! Are you my opponent?!" Yaku would shout; cupping his mouth with both hands to make his voice bellow out with an echoing boom.

SpoilerShow

Notes:

• Yaku translates into "Bake".
• Yaku is an NPC .
• Yaku is a Genin.

[Ace Trainer]

As his opponent arrived, Indra gave him a confused look, tilting his head to the side. This kid didn’t look like he was that serious of a threat. Perhaps Ikinari had called in some favors to get Indra a favorable match up? Now wasn’t the time to worry about that though. The kid looked pretty sweaty, a problem Indra couldn’t relate to. Some people in Suna acted like they weren’t in a desert, and their attire and all that didn’t really support desert life. Indra felt well suited for it though, and his flowy dress and desert attire was well suited for life in the sun. Quietly, Indra said a short prayer to himself, asking for the Light to guide him on this battle. On such a sunny day, he could feel Her Light all around him, yes, this would go good.

When the opponent shouted, Indra shrugged and gave a half-hearted wave back, ”Uh, yeah man. Obviously.”, he said back, not certain he’d be loud enough to be heard. what a weirdo. But, if this was who Ikinari wanted him to fight, Indra needed to trust that his mentor, and The Sun were watching out for him and that this was what was meant for him. He would smirk slightly, hopping back and forth from one foot to the other, seemingly getting some energy into him. The rush of battle was not exactly 'new' to Indra, but it wasn't super familiar either, and knowing he was getting into his third chuunin exam, he felt like he needed to shake the nerves out of himself.

Both were present though, and the referee would wait no longer, with a blare of his whistle and a commanding chop of his hand through the air, the battle was on!

Indra wasted no time, chakra strings forming from his fingers and attaching to he puppet wrapped on his back. The puppet would creak to life, reaching through its wrapping and jumping out into the air landing in front of Indra. The monk would stand slack jawed for a moment before flying forward towards Yaku, ”Hope you’re ready!, Indra shouted, more enthusiasm coming from him than before. He couldn't get into his head about this, if his opponent wanted a good fight, he was about to get one. The chain inside the left arm would shoot out, flying forward directly at the boys stomach with 20 strength and speed. Indra going in for the early attack.

SpoilerShow

*[Puppetry Style • Initiate Puppetry Technique]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
The Puppetry Technique is a Ninjutsu technique used by puppeteers. By releasing chakra from their tenketsu, the puppeteer is able to release chakra strings from their finger. These strings are able to move 25 meters. This jutsu allows the puppeteer to attach their chakra strings to inanimate, chakra-less objects at [Control] Speed. While an inanimate object is being controlled, it’s treated as if it has a speed equal to the puppeteer’s control.

A puppet frame made available to puppeteers or those interested in it in Sunagakure, this frame is designed for offensive operations. Roughly human shaped, the wooden frame is smaller than standard frames and has shorter limbs but includes more bearings in its joints allowing for increased mobility. The frames are often customized as far as hair, facial features, etc. The frame has 10 strength and 30 speed, making it more durable than most standard frames available. Additionally, the left arm has a 30m chain coiled in it, which can be ejected with 20 speed and strength, allowing the puppeteer to wrap up targets engaging with the puppet.

Interestingly, Indra’s puppet frame is very clearly a puppet, with no-adornments on it to make it appear deceivingly human. Its face, which has a single eye in the center of its face and a jaw connected by two bolts on either side of the head, is somewhat small. It has white hair on top that gives little impression of realism. The puppet wears a deep purple robe with a white stripe on the hood, and white cuffs at the end of each sleeve. The puppet, like many puppets, is wrapped in white bandages and carried on Indra’s back, typically via a strap that crosses his body.

[Kenpwnchi]

Indra gazed at Yaku with a distinctive amount of confusion, but, from Yaku's perspective, Indra was the "odd ball". Yaku analyzed Indra, but there were implications that would seem to indicate that Indra was not great at reading people; for if he was, he would have easily predicted what was about to happen next. While not appearing threatening, that was the impression that Yaku wanted to give Indra; calmly walking closer to Indra, as the boy took time out for prayer, and shaking his head back and forth in disapproval. It wasn't that Yaku had a preconceived perspective about Indra, nor did he hate religion; in actuality, he knew nothing about Indra except whatever was being presented to him, so it would be whatever skills Indra exhibited that would determine how he would act. Already, Yaku took note of the fact Indra believed that faith would save him; eyeballing the boy as they made their silent prayer. But, in the world of ninja, there was no god but the one the ninja made themselves. Yaku was more than willing to show Indra why he should believe in him, and not the "light" that would eventually lead to darkness.

"I hope you're praying to your god to save you because, when I'm done with you, that's what you'll be needing!" Testing the waters, Yaku would speak highly blasphemous in an attempt to arouse the anger of Indra; raising his left hand to reveal that it was even sweatier than before. Earlier, unbeknownst to Indra, Yaku had already set into play his grand scheme to secure himself the victory for the Chūnin Exam. In fact, way before he entered the arena, Yaku had prepared his weapon; dripping from his left hand the entire time. That's right! It was none other than his sweat. You see, others were hindered by weather obsessive clothing in extremely hot temperatures, but this was something that highly benefited Yaku. Starting to "bake", Yaku would prepare himself for the cook out by opening his left palm; causing the water in the air (in the form of a shapeless "odd ball"), around Indra's head, to rapidly dissipate and merge with the sweat soaking his left hand. It was a Suiton Jutsu¹ known for leaving those affected by it completely thirsty, and craving for water to drink. This would normally not be a problem, but with the temperature starting to peak, if Indra, currently attaching chakra strings to a puppet, did not make a move, he would be left high and dry. As the puppet reached its apex in the sky, Yaku would have his next technique prepared by the time of its landing.

"I'd watch out if I were you. Standing still might get you killed." Yaku taunted Indra as the boy sent forth his puppet; interested by its design, but not enough to stop him from preparing to counter it. Right hand free for combat, Yaku would display skills truly fit for those of a Chūnin; a way of proving his worth to both the crowd and Indra. Protruding upward, sand spikes² would fling forth from the ground towards the chain of Indra's puppet to deflect it and change its trajectory toward slicing the sand dunes to the right of Yaku. "Is that all you got, lil man?" Skeptical of Indra being able to easily remove the chain of the puppet, Yaku would kneel downward towards the sand dunes to his right, and place his right hand on the sand below to harden³ it; hoping to lodge the chain of the puppet safely into the sand, and, potentially, making it difficult to remove. "What will you do now, huh? My Saton is unsurpassed by all others. There will be no hope of victory for you."

SpoilerShow

Notes:
1.) Suiton: Kawaki Jutsu (Water Release: Thirst Technique)
Suiton: Kawaki Jutsu, also known as Water Release: Thirst Technique, is a Suiton Jutsu. After charging their chakra and infusing it with water, located in their hand (either), the user is able to remotely link (from a 10 meter distance) the chakra coated water in their hand with the water surrounding a target's head (1 ft diameter); absorbing the water around it and merging it with the chakra coated water in the user's hand. This technique is more effective when a target is immobilized, and will need to be repositioned if the target moves. The effects of this technique will wear off if the target moves out of the link distance of it, and the target will rapidly moisturize after quickly readapting to the environment.
-
2.) Saton: Hasshatai Jutsu (Sand Release: Sand Projectile Technique)
Saton: Hasshatai Jutsu, also known as Sand Release: Sand Projectile Technique, is a Saton Jutsu. After charging their chakra and infusing it with sand (using any body part), the user is able to cause the sand to coalesce into spikes, and shoot them at a target (with a distance of 10 meters). Because of the strength and speed of the sand spikes, they are primarily used for deflection as opposed to killing, but they are capable of inflicting large amounts of damage if they hit a target from a close distance (5 meters). However, the sand spikes will instantly dissolve upon leaving their designated range.
-
3.) Saton: Suna Ishi Jutsu (Sand Release: Sand Stone Technique)
Saton: Suna Ishi Jutsu, also known as Sand Release: Sand Stone Technique, is a Saton jutsu. After charging their chakra and infusing it with sand (using any body part), the user is able to harden the sand; making it as resilient as stone. While the sand is hardened, if a target is trapped by it, they will be unable to move (for 1 post after it was used). However, by using extreme force, the hardened sand is capable of being cracked (allowing mobility the post after it was removed). If the user leaves the range of the technique (5 meters), the sand will automatically soften.

[Ace Trainer]

One thing became clear very quickly, this wasn’t going to be an easy fight! His opponent was quick to cast jutsu and didn’t give Indra much opportunity to respond in these cases! At first he’d cast some strange jutsu, sucking moisture out of the air around Indra’s head. He’d feel a sudden dryness in his throat, and make a nasty sort of look as the puppet surged forward. Whatever that boy had done, Indra didn’t like it. It seemed he’d somehow gotten control of the moisture around Indra, so naturally Indra began to strafe to the left, moving away from where he was originally about 10m off from that position. The puppet would continue to fly forward at Yaku, Indra’s plan unchanging.

A series of Sand jutsu however would force Indra to adapt. Spikes of sand would launch forward from the ground at the chain Indra had fired from the puppets arm. With a quick tug of his fingers the puppet would surge to the right, the chain receding into the puppets arm to avoid being struck. At 20 speed the chain was quick, and at the control of the puppeteer, the puppet was moving just as fast. It would attempt to circle around Yaku, approaching from his right now and launching the chain once more from just a few meters away.

Simultaneously, Indra would pull a kunai from his pouch with his free hand and wrap a flash tag around it, throwing it directly at Yaku, aiming to detonate the tag as it closed in on Yaku. Between the tag and the chain, Indra thought this was a sure fire trap!

[Kenpwnchi]

Easy or Hard? Really, it was all relative to the perspective of the person going through the struggle. Yaku wasn't a psychological expert, but he kept getting the feeling that, perhaps, Indra was the one going through a struggle right now. From first impression, Yaku was able to, quite easily, deduct that Indra was fighting from a corner; both literally and metaphorically. With the moisture from Indra's head, temporarily, surging through his left hand, Yaku was able to discern that his technique had connected, but with Indra, actually, moving away (10 meters from his original position), he had, somehow, managed to escape the range of the Suiton: Kawaki Jutsu (Water Release: Thirst Technique). Impressive was the word that Yaku first conceived in his mind, yet it did not matter to him, in the slightest, that Indra had moved to another location. Yaku could take advantage of that, as well, and he would do so by using the sand, kicked up in the atmosphere from Indra's hasty movement(s), to create a dust tornado¹.

It was true that Indra managed to escape Yaku's Suiton Jutsu, but would he be able to do the same with Yaku's Fūton Jutsu? More than willing to find out, as Indra continued to maintain his focus and control on his puppet, Yaku would fling his, now free, left hand upward to quickly churn up sand from beneath him in a windy vortex. Yaku did not intend to kill Indra, but if Indra needed to have contact with his puppet to properly function it, Yaku would attempt to disconnect them by blocking Indra's sight and preventing him from escaping. With the sand and wind, combined, lightly tapping the chakra strings, Indra would have to determine, through his own insight, if his puppet was successful or not; the sandy wind, itself, capable of lacerating anything organic that tries to move through it. Meanwhile, noticing that Indra's puppet managed to dodge the Saton: Hasshatai Jutsu (Sand Release: Sand Projectile Technique), Yaku remained calm as he, readily, planned his next procedure. Yaku would, with hypervigilant eyes, watch Indra's puppet circling him.

Ready to put an end to all of the child's play, Yaku had two big problems still: Indra and Indra's puppet. Thankfully, Indra releasing his kunai, wrapped with an explosive tag (unbeknownst to Yaku), would, potentially, work in Yaku's favor. With the Saton: Suna Ishi Jutsu (Sand Release: Sand Stone Technique) not trapping the chain of the puppet, it could still be put to use. Motioning his right hand upward, the hardened sand would, simultaneously, rise and circle around Yaku. Despite not knowing about Indra's surprise, as a ninja, Yaku would, still, have the instinct to dodge a weapon being thrown at him; except, this time, it would be done through omnidirectional defensive measures. Albeit small, the size deduction of this technique² simply meant that its ability to protect Yaku was extremely fortified. Unfortunately, Indra's puppet was within close proximity of Yaku, and Indra, himself, would be too preoccupied with trying to find a way to see to uncover what would happen next. With Yaku and Indra blinded by Yaku's two techniques, all they would be able to hear is an explosion. The state of Indra's puppet would be left unknown, but Yaku wasn't exactly finished with Indra yet.

SpoilerShow

Notes:
1.) Fūton: Suna Ran Jutsu (Wind Release: Sand Storm Technique)
Fūton: Suna Ran Jutsu, also known as Wind Release: Sand Storm Technique, is a Fūton Jutsu. After charging their chakra and coating their hand with a "sphere of wind", the user is able to launch the ball of wind at a target; it starting small and, slightly, unnoticeable (1 inch) before expanding around the target in a large (20 meter diameter) vortex of wind that gathers sand around it (from the environment). This technique is used, preferably, to "disrupt and disorient" a target; with the combined wind and sand having several benefits: catching the target off guard, blocking the target's vision (by blowing dust around and in the target's eyes), separating the target from whatever is outside of the sandy wind vortex, keeping the target trapped, and, potentially, damaging a target, if they are organic (humans and animals), trying to escape. Unlike a regular vortex of wind, the sandy vortex of wind is unaffected by Taijutsu. The only hope for escaping this technique is for the target to wait for the user to end it or use Ninjutsu against it. If remaining idle for too long, the sandy wind vortex will begin to close (5 meters distance after x1 post). The speed of this technique starts off fast (20 Speed), but decreases with every moment of motion (-5 speed after x1 post).

2.) Saton: Suna Baria Dōmu (Sand Release: Sand Barrier Dome)
Saton: Suna Baria Dōmu, also known as the Sand Release: Sand Barrier Dome, is a Saton Jutsu. After charging their chakra into any body part (usually the hands or feet), the user will send the chakra through pre-hardened sand, created by the Saton: Suna Ishi Jutsu (Sand Release: Sand Stone Technique), to forcibly make it surround him in a chakra coated "dome of earth". The earthen dome is small (5 meter diameter), but it is strong enough to withstand extreme blunt force from close distances; keeping the user safe will inside of it. However, this earth dome cannot be seen through, also putting the user at a disadvantage if they rely on their sight. This sight disadvantage can be mitigated through use of the Saton: Suna Fīringu Jutsu (Sand Release: Sand Feeling Technique). The speed of this technique is determined by its size and proximity to the user (5 meters = 20 speed), and will decrease (-5 speed for every 5 meters added to the diameter).

[Ace Trainer]

Inexplicably, in the time that Indra had spent unraveling his puppet and sending it forward to travel a mere 10meters, Yaku had managed to do not just three jutsu, but as Indra had strafed off to the left, the boy had pulled off two more! With no indication of channeling or hand seals either. What a talented young shinobi this must be in order to pull off a feat even the great shinobi wouldn't be able to accomplish. Indra was not concerned, though, even as the ground began to whirl around him as wind developed. Controlling puppets and casting jutsu wasn't too difficult for a skilled puppeteer, and as the wind began to whip up, Indra noticed somethign very quickly - the 20m diameter of the jutsu meant that even Yaku was caught in it!

Channeling chakra into his chakra strings, Indra would close both his eyes, allowing the wind to take him. The gusts of fuuton would strike against his exposed arms and chest, small lacerations forming on him. They certainly weren't going to cause him to bleed out, but they weren't painless either. It mattered not, though, as Indra's jutsu finished channeling and his vision (which required his eyes being closed anyways!) was replaced with that of the puppets. Fortune favored the prepared, and Indra's ability to replace his vision with the puppets meant he could not only see to control the puppet, but the puppets artificial eye wouldn't be damaged or obscured by the artificial wind Yaku had whipped up.

Yaku would hear the explosion, and then from his left he would hear the chattering of the puppets mouth as once more the chain from his arm flew forward at 20 speed with 20 strength from mere feet away from him. Yaku had intended on blinding his opponent, but Indra's preparedness meant it had only ended up blinding Yaku! The chain would surge forward with the intent to wrap around Yaku, hoping to pin his arms to his side and prevent him from casting any more jutsu

SpoilerShow

Indra has Advanced Channeling to channel jutsu.

*[Puppetry Style • Puppet Senses]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Required: *[Puppetry Style • Initiate Puppetry Technique]
By connecting a chakra string from a part of a puppet or person, the puppeteer is able to transfer their senses from their body to whichever part the strings are connected to on the puppet or human. This allows the puppeteer from ‘see’ and ‘hear’ from the perspective of what is connected to the string.

[King of Cats]

(I'm taking over for Pwn)

Blinded by the winds, Yaku was at a certain disadvantage when Indra borrowed the sight of his puppet. Yaku, as always, was expecting this however. He moved his hands forward to manipulate more sand but as they began glowing with chakra his channeling quickly drained him. With all the casting he had done Yaku effectively spent up his chakra reserves and couldn't perform the technique he had in mind. Yaku was really sweating now. He had some chakra though and he was a ballsy ninja. There was one more jutsu he could use that might change the flow of battle, his signature Sand Blocking technique. To use it effectively though Yaku would have to end the winds that blinded him.

The young, prodigal Suna shinobi had been facing off against Indra with the expectation that his unique style of ninjutsu would throw off Indra, which it surely had in some way. Yaku was confident his next move would turn the tide but with his blinding winds turned up to the max he was at a loss. Yaku ended the jutsu with a hand seal, but as his hand was still at his chest a chain from the puppet pounded into his chest. Yaku was taken beck a couple meters and as he bared the weight of the strike the chain wrapped around him completely and restricted his movements. Had he seen it coming Yaku would have prepared a Substitution but Indra had gotten the best of him. Yaku fell to the ground wrapped up in the jinchuriki's chains.

[Ace Trainer]

Indra felt the momentary laxness in the puppetry strings as the chains collided with the boys chest, and with a quick movement of his fingers it would spin to wrap around the boy as he was thrown backwards. A smile would form on his face as the wind around him stopped, the genin keeping his eyes closed as he continued to peer through the singular eye on the face of the puppet. It would roll about, making sure to stay locked onto the boy behind the wall as the chains encircled him and tightened, pinning his arms to his side. With a slight lift of his palm, the chain would lift into the air, holding the boy a good 15m above the ground. Keeping him suspended there for a moment, now able to see him, Indra would take a few steps forward and then jump, landing on top of the wall the boy had erected.

Holding his hand up as high as he could, he would - in quite dramatic fashion - thrust his arm downwards. The chain would suddenly rip down towards the ground, clearly intending to slam the captured opponent into the ground with its full strength. Such a blow would be devastating, even if Yaku was stronger than the puppet. The small crowd would gasp, and right before Yaku would hit the ground, Indra would close his hand into the fist, the chain coming to a sudden stop. "Please surrender.", Indra would say politely, one hand now on his hip, the other still held out as a fist seeming to indicate that he'd resume the body slam if the boy didn't surrender.

This was a decisive victory, surely the boy would just surrender here.

[King of Cats]

Truth be told this wasn't the first time Yaku was fixing to lose a chuunin exam. He had been in one other exam and failed to make it past the written exam. The questions were so hard for a free thinker like Yaku. He thought outside of the box, and not even his home village of Sunagakure no Sato would limit his totally chill vibes with tough questions. How was he supposed to know the advantages of Form 32, he had never used it! Of course he studied hard to get back into the exams this year, he had trained hard too. Though, nothing could prepare him for the fearsome might of Indra.

When it came to strength Yaku looked pretty mighty, but he simply wasn't. In fact Yaku was a user of performance steroids and his muscular appearance was mostly water weight. When the puppet jerked him into the air Yaku felt the hot breeze of Suna blow through his body as if he were a sponge. Perhaps it was the fear for what would come next, but Yaku closed his eyes. To his surprise he floated in the air for just a brief second but Yaku didn't open his eyes. That's when the real surprise came. Yaku was heaved down at the ground. He screamed as he soared back towards the ground, "I surrender! I surre-!"

Yaku slammed into the ground and began coughing up blood. He was at a loss and the young teenager had tears in his eyes. Laying on the ground, bound up by the puppets chains, Yaku began blubbering for mercy. "Please don't hurt me! I'm gonna quit, I'm gonna surrender!"

[Ace Trainer]

Indra would flourish with his wrist the chain around the boy quickly coming undone and slipping from around his body as he laid on the ground. He smiled, the chain receding into the puppet and the puppet making a dramatic jump onto the wall next to Indra. He would gesture towards the puppet and give a polite bow, before directing the puppet to climb back into the storage container on Indra's back, pulling the bandages around itself until it was fully obscured. Grinning widely, Indra would jump down from the wall and stand next to Yaku, "Hey, you did good. Better luck next time, huh?", he said with a smile.

With that, Indra would nod to the proctor, who would take Indra's hand and hold it into the air, "Your winner!", he would exclaim. A few cheers would come from the crowd, but otherwise it was composed of inquisitive diplomats and nosey administrators who were curious how the host was developing, not fans or people excited for a battle. Quickly, those people would begin to file out but Indra was confident this fight would be enough to prove his worth to them. Grinning, he would scan the crowd for Ikinari, trying to find the jounin to no avail. Curious.

Wandering off to the side of the fighting grounds, he would take a heavy sigh and plop to the ground. It took three tries, but he did it. He won his fight.