[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." ONIGIRI It was the interlude between the second and third round of the Chuunin Exams. The Genins had just arrived at the capital of the Land of Water, Kagamino no Shi, after a long trip from Mizu no Tera which counted as the second round of the exams. After settling into their new dorms, the Genin had a week before the start of the final stage of their exams, a moment to further prepare, relax, enjoy the city, or a bit of everything. The week passed by quite fast, the anxiety before the exams affecting a lot of the candidates, who would then try to find their own ways to cope with that. For Shigure, the best way to deal with those feelings was by investing some time in his favourite hobby and passion: cooking. Having bought the ingredients earlier in the day, the young Hyuuga headed to the one of the kitchenettes in the dorms, laying out his ingredients on the counter as he grabbed the utensils he would be needing. He was going to prepare some Onigiri, one of his absolute favourite foods and - perhaps - his main specialty in regards to his cooking. Although they are technically a simple dish, the rice requires a lot of attention, as the wrong measure of rice vinegar, or a small mistake during the cooking phase could ruin it completely, or taint its flavour. There was also the shaping of the rice ball, which although not really influential on the flavour, would definitely affect the presentation of the food, and that was something he was quite picky about. For those looking at the scene, the Hyuuga looked extremely peaceful and focused, as he would start preparing the pan with the rice, adding the necessary seasoning before moving back to the counter, grabbing the knife and cutting the salmon in cubes, and separating it in a bowl for the filling of the rice balls. The smile on his face was large and happy, his mood was quite elevated, not a single indication of being concerned with the deadly competition to come. And in truth he wasn't, not at that moment. When he was cooking, his mind would cast away all of his concerns, it was a truly therapeutic activity for him. The normally perceptive Shigure would be so enthralled by the activity that he would become oblivious to his surroundings, a tunnel vision of sorts. If anybody walked into the kitchenette, he would definitely fail to notice. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Cooking at the Kitchenette [Souma] [421 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 287 | notes

"Are you cooking rice in a pot?"

The voice was calm, but borderline monotone despite the curiosity coming from the girl with the odd, jelly-like blue hair peering past him at the stove. Souma, one of Iwa's genin judging by the marked band around her neck that was nearly broad enough to hide the small girl's mouth. She looked around the room briefly, frowning faintly. "There is no rice cooker. Which is why you are using a pot. Hm." She looked back to the pot, curious. "How do you know how much water to use without the little marks on the rice pot? Is there a ratio? How do you know what the right temperature is?"

Souma, clearly, was not much for cooking.

"Salmon. Good choice." She looked around at the other ingredients. "I see the seaweed. No furikake?" The sesame-seaweed mixture was by no means required for a dish, but Souma was used to its inclusion. "Is this Konoha-style onigiri?" Questions, unceasing, curious without end or any shame at the asking. She wasn't particularly tall- maybe five foot even- and kept bobbing and leaning around him to get a better look at what he was doing without directly interfering. "Have you had Onigiri with katsuobushi? Amaya-san always soaks a little soy into the katsuobushi when she makes them for my snacks. That way they're tasty but not very heavy. She worries I'll ruin my appetite for dinner. I don't, though."

As if the question only occurred to her just now, Souma turned to look up at Shigure. "I'm Tantetsu Souma. From Iwagakure. You're from Konohagakure. What's your name?"

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." QUESTIONS AND INTRODUCTION The voice seemingly came out of nowhere, prompting Shigure to turn around and search for its source, finding it in a petit, lithe girl with bright blue hair. He quickly noticed the forehead protector tied around her neck, indicating she was a shinobi from the Hidden Rock Village, an enemy nation, but Shigure didn't really care about those things; they were in a neutral ground for the duration of the exams, and he also firmly believed that feeding the cycle of hatred was one of the major issues of the shinobi world and hoped they could break out of it one day. Before he could respond to her first question, the girl responded it herself, reaching out the correct conclusion that he was cooking it in a pot due to the lack of a rice cooker. Shigure smiled at the girl and nodded. "Precisely!" his tone was friendly and enthusiastic. The Rock kunoichi then asked how did he know how much water to use without the markings, and if there was a ratio, and asked about the temperature, which made him chuckle; it was not often that people seemed all that interested in his cooking, and it was a subject he loved to talk about. "Well, I've been cooking for quite some time, so I know how much water I need by heart, and yes, there's a ratio considering the amount of rice you are making. As for the temperature, I cheat a bit and I use my eyes to detect it with precision" he winked at her, not offering a deeper explanation on how his eyes would be able to determine that, cooker's intuition maybe? He did have odd eyes, though. White and devoid of any details. She liked his choice of salmon and saw the seaweed, and then inquired about the furikake, which he grabbed from a bag near him and put it out, so she could see. "I wouldn't say it's Konoha-style... It's more my own style of Onigiri. Which would also not really be Hyuuga style... So... Yeah hahaha! My own little thing!" he shrugged. Shigure liked experimenting with food. He didn't seem bothered at all with the small girl bobbing and leaning around him, and even moved a but to make space for her. "We usually call it bonito flakes in the Leaf, but yes, I quite enjoy it, but not as much as salmon Onigiri. And to be fair, I can eat a lot, so it never ruins my appetite!" he admitted, shaking his head. It was impressive that he was so fit considering the sheer amount of food he would consume. Maybe he had a very good metabolism, or maybe it was his intense training that burned all the calories he was consuming. Either way, he was grateful for his genetics. Finally, the girl introduced herself, and Shigure's forehead protector didn't hide the fact he was indeed from the Leaf, so he nodded. "My name is Shigure, from the Hyuuga clan. It's a pleasure to meet you, Souma-chan." he bowed his head ever so slightly. "Would you like some Onigiri? I'm making a lot of them!" he offered with a large and kind smile on his face. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Onigiris almost done [Souma] [542 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 286  | notes

"Mmm. That IS cheating. But that is okay. I would, too, if I could. It would be silly not to use what intel is available," Souma states simply, nodding faintly. She smiled a bit, too, to see the furikake. "Good. Furikake makes even plain rice taste good. Sometimes I sneak plain rice balls and roll them in furikake when nobody is in the kitchen." Souma seemed impressed, though, to hear that it's essentially his own devised recipe. "I have never invented a recipe. That is very impressive."

"Katsuobushi is not bonito, though. Katsuobushi is tuna. Skipjack tuna. Bonito flakes are bonito flakes," Souma murmured, seemingly puzzled. "It would be like calling your salmon onigiri "tuna dango.""

"Shigure. It is nice to meet you, Hyuuga-san. If you want to share, I would have an Onigiri or two. If I can use your furikake, at least." She moved to get some plates together, as well as some chopsticks, and brought them back over to Shigure. "How have you found the exams so far? You do not need to share anything that would be compromising. It is interesting to hear what others find challenging and what comes easy to them. I know it was challenging to me," she offers, "-to consciously allow myself to remain poisoned when I had the ability to remove it. I thought it seemed a little silly to insist we not fix it. If they wanted to impose a dangerous time limit, they could have done so in ways that would not be in our power to interfere."

Pause.

"I think."

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." FOOD IS READY Using the Byakugan to cook better could be seen as cheating, but Shigure didn't see it that way. It was something he was born with, so it was completely natural to him to just go ahead and use it. It's like saying someone couldn't use a thermometre to check the temperature of something because it was not widely available. Still, it didn't bothered him when people made it seem like he had an easier time, for he didn't cook to win competitions or anything of the sort; it was for his own satisfaction. Souma seemed happy when he showed the furikake and he chuckled lightly when she admitted to just roll rice balls in furikake when nobody was seeing. "I used to do that when I was a kid." he admitted. The girl did not agree with his statement, but in the Leaf they were referred to as the same thing, so he just arched one of his brows, looking as puzzled as the girl, but he didn't insist in the subject. With them both introduced to one another, the girl accepted his offer, conditioned to the permission to use the furikake, which he agreed to with a firm nod. "But of course, help yourself to it!" and as he said that, he went to the stage in which he was giving shape to the Onigiri, gracefully giving them form and placing the seaweed around its bottom. He was rather skilled with his hands, and in a matter of a minute or so he had prepared twelve Onigiri, putting them in a plate and then washing his hands. Souma asked how he was doing in the exams so far and he smiled, feeling a bit proud. "I think I'm doing good so far... But this last round is what will truly determine the outcome of the exams." he said, keeping the humble tone despite the fact he had the third highest score in the whole exams, only behind Suzuki Taru from the Mist, and Kuishinbou Kashiwa from the Grass. Souma mentioned it was challenging to her, especially the first phase when they had to deal with the poison. Thinking back on it made him feel a shiver running down his spine, he really thought he was going to die. "That... Was rather scary. I chose to stay behind so that my team could survive... And I really thought I was going to die." he admitted, as he grabbed the plate and placed it on the table, grabbing one of the Onigiri for himself, and devouring half of it with one bite. "Delicious!" he exclaimed, making a silly, happy face. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Onigiri ready [Souma] [446 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 258 | notes

"Me too. And now. It has not stopped being tasty. So." Souma shrugged, as that explained it as far as she was concerned. And with the confirmation that the furikake was free game, she smiled to herself as she took some and sprinkled it onto her plate for judicious dipping into the topping. "I am doing- passable. Not great. But that is fine. There are always standouts. It is generally not great for the medic to be one of them. Incentivize attacking the medic more than necessary and you become too great a tactical target to ignore."



She took one of the offered rice balls, dipped the exposed rice into the seaweed and sesame, and bit it delicately, almost ladylike. Chewed slowly, patiently, swallowed. "I am nervous about the combat round. I think I have a good chance, but. There are standouts. And a bad pairing could be disastrous." Munch. Chew chew. "I wish it did not feel so out of my hands. But I will do my best, and we will see if my training and study was enough. That is all to be done now."

She harrumphed quietly at the further mention of the poison. "After spending so much time being told to be prepared for anything, finding out we would not be allowed to use our preparations was..." She grunted wordlessly. There were phrases she wanted to use that were decidedly...

Impolite.

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." PREPARATION Souma claimed she was doing passable, and if he was completely honest, he hadn't really checked for her name there, as they did not collaborate in neither the first or second round, and since there were so many Genin taking these exams, it was nigh impossible to keep track of all of them. Her explanation revealed that she was a medic, just like one of his teammates and that made him smile. "Oh, you are a medic? I have one in my team, his name is Wahei." he said, with a large smile on his face. "But I do agree, medics should not standout, or they will become a target." he nodded. Shigure devoured the first Onigiri in two bites, and immediately grabbed a second one and ate it in the same rhythm. He wasn't necessarily savage while eating, but it was obvious how much he enjoyed it. He also chewed rather fast, and by the time he grabbed the third Onigiri, the girl spoke again, saying she was nervous about the combat round, and that was fair; medics were not really meant for one on one combat. "I've been looking forward to this round. As a Taijutsu specialist, I'm confident I can do well, but to say I'm not nervous would be a lie. It's healthy feel that way, it helps us prepare, as long as we don't allow that feeling to take over us completely." his tone was quite calm and spirited. A brief pause as he ate the fourth Onigiri and listened to Souma, nodding to her when she was done. "Be confident in yourself, in your training, it's going to be okay. We can't change our past, so moving forward, just do your very best!" he winked, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up just before grabbing the fifth Onigiri. As the conversation drifted back to the first round. He could understand her frustration, it was one shared by most of the other medics. Deep exhaled, his feature turned a hint more serious. "I can imagine the frustration... I was really frustrated thinking that was where my life would end. And recovering from it was not fun..." he admitted, almost having goosebumps remembering those two days in the medical ward. And then he grabbed his sixth Onigiri, alone eating half of the batch. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Discussing preparations and the final round [Souma] [394 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 347 | notes

Souma took her time eating. Small bites, thoroughly chewed. The sort of approach one would expect from a girl sat at a formal dinner, not someone standing around eating a rice ball. "Mmmh. Mhm. I do not know many. I am glad you know Wahei, then. It is good to know friends who can fix you. We get hurt a lot. But I think it is like steel. You take iron and you pound carbon into it. You heat it, you hammer it, you shape it and quench it and it is all traumatic to the steel, but what comes out is strong, flexible, capable of holding an edge." Delicate bite. Patient chews. "I hope that is how it works. I would be upset if there was not a purpose."



The Iwa kunoichi brightened slightly to hear him speak of his specialty. "I like Taijutsu. You cannot be disarmed of Taijutsu. It does not care what nature your chakra takes. It asks that you be strong, and quick, and focused. That is enough." Bite. Chew. "I feel out of place sometimes. It is common for my relatives to have a Katon or Doton nature. We have some Suiton, but not many my age. I think that is why I liked Taijutsus. It let me avoid getting laughed at when everyone else was making rock spikes and fireballs." She smiled a little. "It is hard to laugh at someone who just kicked you in the face."



A nod, then. "I will not let it overtake me. If what I have done is not enough, then I am not ready to be a Chuunin. I think what I am most worried about is being ready- and appearing not to be because I faced someone exceptional." She's quiet a moment. "I heard someone say there is a Jinchuriki among us. I did not hear who." Bite. Chew chew.



"I hope I do not have to face them."

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." JINCHUURIKI Indeed, having a medic on your team is a real blessing. If either Kaito or Natsuki had been medics, they would likely have survived that gruesome Chuunin Exam, but Shigure didn't want to think about that and just nodded to the girl as he finished eating the sixth Onigiri. Her analogy with steel was quite interesting, and it peaked his interest. "It was good, but why steel of all things?" he wondered, oblivious to the fact that she possessed a Kekkei Tota capable of manipulating it. "Indeed." he responded, grabbing the seventh Onigiri. He smiled when she said she liked Taijutsu, mentioned how one could never be disarmed of it, or how the nature of your chakra doesn't really matter much. He loved Taijutsu and favoured it above all else, even though he was still quite decent with Ninjutsu. "My nature is Fire." he commented, letting the girl continue. It was rather odd to hear she was made fun of for having Water as her nature. "Water release is extremely useful, though. I don't understand why they would tease you about that. I wish I could use it." he admitted, even though he was happy with his own chakra nature. Her pragmatic view of the outcome of the exam was good, not everyone could pass and he knew that well. "I failed the exam twice already, and this is the first time I advance to the final round. If you fail, you can try again, and I guarantee you will be better prepared." he said, trying to cheer her up by sharing a bit of his history. However, the smile faded when she mentioned that there was a Jinchuuriki among them, which made him pause before grabbing another Onigiri. "Are you serious? There's a Jinchuuriki here?" the wide eyes were enough so that words were not needed; one had to be a fool not to fear facing a Jinchuuriki in battle. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Eating all the Onigiri xD [Souma] [329 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 318 | notes

"I like fire," Souma murmurs as she finishes her first rice ball. "And we were kids. This was when nobody could do much of anything yet. So some had neat little fireballs they could summon, or they could make one or two rock spikes and were all caught up in the imagination of how cool it would be later to set off explosions or raise mountains. Nobody thought much of water's potential. In the mountains, we don't get floods, really, unless someone picks a very stupid place to build. Rain channels are not hard to spot. So when all you can do is do something anyone with a water balloon could manage, it leaves room for kids to tease." All calm, matter of fact. She wasn't insecure anymore. It was just a story to share.

"That is true. I know that, I just-" She was quiet a moment. "I want to make my family proud. I do not want my clan to see me as unimpressive. Besides, I do not want whether I survive my matches to rely on whether someone else is feeling merciful or not. If I win, I know nobody is dead."

She looked over as she took a second onigiri, rolling it absently in the seasoning she'd poured out. "Mm? I am serious, but I cannot confirm if there is one. That -is- what I heard, but. I am not sure how to identify them. I know some would say to look for identifying marks, but." She lifts her hand to her hair and plucks at the thick, jelly-like strands. "I am not host to a jellyfish. So that is clearly not a reliable method of identification. We would have to know what marks to look for. And I do not."

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." JUST RUMORS, RIGHT? Kids could be a bit weird, teasing each other for such silly things. Well, maybe Shigure had a harder time understanding the nuances of childhood since he wasn't even allowed out of his house until he was six years old. Maybe that was the reason he was so nice to people; he had always been eager to interact with others, to feel normal in a way. It did sparkle his interest though, to hear other's account of their childhood. Souma also wanted to make her family proud and that made him think of his father, who was never proud of him, never satisfied with his performance, to the point o raising his sister to be his potential spare, in case he proved to be a complete failure. Still, gone were the days in which he allowed that to have any power over him. But the girl looked rather young, so it was understandable, and more than likely, her relationship with her family wasn't as bad as his. "What's important is that you know your worth. If your family do not recognize you, it's on them. I gave up on trying to live up to my family's standards." he shared the piece of advice. "If we fight, you don't have to worry about that. I'm not taking any lives. I don't desire to have anyone's blood on my hands if I can help it." he said, knowing that a lot of people thought similarly, but unfortunately not all of them respected the value of a life. Finally eating the eight Onigiri, he asked her about the Jinchuuriki and she responded, explaining it was a rumor, and mentioning the identifying marks. But then she made a good point, mentioning the odd hair she had and he nodded. "Indeed... Well, I hope this is just a rumor. I don't think any of us could survive a rampaging Bijuu." he sighed, feeling a tad bit nervous about that, but hoping it was indeed just a rumor. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Eight onigiri's eaten, two left [Souma] [342 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 344 | notes

One of those thick strands of hair slid over her face, and Souma absently pushed it back, looking at the ground, squinting as if thinking things through. "I do not- think my family would tell me I disappointed them. I think they would want me to feel like they were proud no matter how I did. But I also think that if they would be proud no matter what, then I am not -making- them proud. I want to earn their pride, I want to give them something worth being proud of. Not just a daughter that is... just okay. I want to be someone -worth- being proud of." It sounded like she had more to prove to herself than her family. She seemed to be very aware that they would be supportive no matter what- so this, then, was her refusal to fall back on that unconditional support. She was trying her best to be exceptional in a crowd of exceptional people standing out among a larger crowd of the exceptional.

Well. It was clear at least that she wasn't one to shy away from a challenge.

"I am happy to know you will not kill. I worry that for some, it may seem worth it to take the killing blow to be sure of a victory." She was quiet a moment. "I would hate to be made to make that decision, but I would get another chance if I lost badly enough to be disqualified. The dead get no more chances." She nodded faintly. "Your decision is the right one, I think."

"I think some of us could survive," she said, biting into her fresh onigiri, chewing patiently, making him wait in suspense for her to continue.

"We would just have to run in more directions than it has tails~"

She glanced sidelong at him, unsure if the joke had landed properly- or even successfully registered as a joke.

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rocking' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." DEATH AND TAILS Shigure sighed. "I've seen with my own eyes how cruel the Chuunin Exams can be, and yes, some people have no problem to end someone's life. I lost two of my former teammates some years ago during the second stage of the exams I participated. It's a type of pain that never goes away." he said, lowering his gaze. His white-eyes showing all the sadness and pain he had in his heart. But the Hyuuga shook his head. "Still, I don't think about vengeance... Eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind." he said, and those were the words he heard from his old sensei, when he picked him up from that exam. Regarding the Jinchuuriki, Shigure didn't know what to say, he believed he had never faced one in battle, even though he actually had, that person being the Mizukage himself. Her joke did help lifting his spirits a bit after the painful subject. He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "The problem would be knowing how many tails this one would have... And I think they would be quite big, right?" conjecture was all they could go with. Still, it was almost ironic that the girl he had such a deep connection with, Koume, was the Jinchuuriki they were talking about. The world is a very odd place. And weirdly small at times. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Conversation [Souma] [234 words]

[Souma]

Souma

Of the Tantetsu Clan

Chuunin, Iwagakure Medical Corps

Hyūga Shigure | 272 | notes

Predictably, hearing that there were in fact genin that would happily slay their opponents to secure more glory for themselves left Souma's petite features squished into an angry grimace. "You know what I think? I think that if everyone made sure all the genin from the host village got beat up and failed, every time killing was permitted, villages would mysteriously stop permitting it during the exams. No killing, not vengeance- but consequence." She shrugged helplessly. "I do not know how else one could incentivize never permitting it without control over every village's Council." She scowled, clearly aggravated. "How can they see this as-"

She stopped abruptly, face pale for a moment, then sat down heavily at one of the seats nearby. "Because year after year, the lethal allowance weeds out those who don't leap at the idea of slaughtering others. The very nature of the situation leans in favor of the killers. And every victim is, I would wager... one less Chuunin willing to prevent the same from happening to a future generation."

She took a deep, frustrated breath, opting to latch onto the ironically less aggravating topic of getting assaulted by a rampaging legend. "I imagine so. I am not sure. I have never seen one myself. And there would be no need to wait and count tails. Just scatter in all directions. We would not need to outrun everyone else."

A small bite. Chew. Swallow.

"Just the ones that try to fight it," she finished drily.

"Don't work smart, or hard. Work smart, then hard."

Template by: Monkey

[Hyūga Shigure]

"rockin' some rice balls". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." NOTHING TO BE DONE The Chuunin Exams were still following an archaic formula, a memento from the warring states period, where survival of the fittest was something every shinobi had to be subjected to. "My wish is that in the future, we can change the way the rules work, eliminating this draconian rule that allows people to go for an unnecessary kill. I agree with you, Souma-san. It's a waste of human life, and, if we want to be more pragmatic on the more cold side of our shinobi life, it's a waste of a potential resource for the village." he shared his opinion on the matter. He hoped that future leaders would start changing their minds on the matter, as he knew they had some freedom in establishing the rules of the exams. But still, he wasn't sure how much that would actually change; the Mizukage was a fairly young fellow, and he still seemed perfectly fine with having an exam where death was allowed. Back at the Jinchuuriki subject, his concern was the arena they would be fighting at. Running from a enormous beast in such a small place would be quite challenging. "The arena is not that big. I mean, it is, but not when you account for the size of a Bijuu. If a Jinchuuriki were to lose control there, I would not bet on out survival chances. But at this point, we can only hope for the best." he shrugged. It wasn't like there was much they could do about it anyways. That being said, he grabbed his ninth Onigiri, leaving the last one for the girl who had just eaten a couple of them. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Between Rounds 2 and 3 Conversation [Souma] [283 words]