[Honō Kojirou]

Kojirou managed to get some crucial rest, but he was still not nearly as revigorated as he had hoped. Perhaps another challenge that this Exam meant to bring him… but alas, that was it. The proctors led them straight into another area – the round infrastructure, the outlining of the walls, the hole above where the moonlight shone through… it was like a cavern arena. Felt very suitable for the proud shinobi of Iwa.

Yes, the similar glow from the opening above reminded him of when he met Ahma. That put things into perspective… she explicitly pleaded that, should he partake in the Chūnin Exams against her wish, then it’d be better for him to die here. The entire prospect of being a shinobi appeared to be a disease in her eyes… and yet, here he was. Because when she asked him what he aimed for, he was uncertain – even if loyalty meant so much to him, he was uncertain. He came here to shake that uncertainty off.

He could still breathe… it was his turn now. "Oh! Okay, then… let’s go.”

Against Okada Goro, the young boy who could lift one of the earlier stones with ease while he, himself, couldn’t… okay, he didn’t mean to think about that. It only made the swordsman shutter, and that wasn’t what he needed right now. Breeeeaaaathe slowly… just like Kizumi-sama taught him.

Just what kind of shinobi was Goro? Should he wait for the younger Genin to strike, or should Kojirou take the initiative? The swordsman knew that he could count on his Kekkei Genkai to keep an edge, but if his opponent was faster than him, then it’d be perilous to rely on that alone. Shigure-senpai was faster than him, and his Lava Release couldn’t do anything against that.

"Uhm… hey, Goro!” Kojirou would suddenly call over to the Genin, "Listen, this is… a bit sudden, but- hey, could you say sorry to your friend for me? I don’t really know what I said to her, but it must’ve been pretty rude. And… I don’t think she wants to see me.” The swordsman scratched the back of his head thinking about what he could’ve done back then. "Not exactly a best first impression, I know. A-Anyway, that’s all. I wanna see what you can do, Goro!”

With all said, Kojirou rested a hand above the handle of his sheathed katana on his hip. He didn’t grab it yet, though… he merely kept his eyes on Goro, awaiting the beginning of their round.

[Okada Goro]

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[attr="class","goro"]There wasn’t nearly enough time for Goro to be fully rested between rounds, though he had at least managed to catch his breath and let the burning sensation from his legs die down. He had plopped on the ground only moments ago, but it seemed he was already being pulled into another room.

He faced a giant domed arena that proudly represented everything he was familiar with as a citizen of Iwagakure. Across from him, he could see a familiar face. It was Kojirou, an older boy from Kusagakure whom he was paired with during the second round of the exams.

Goro stretched his shoulders and legs, hopping up and down a bit to warm his muscles from the short rest they had just received. So, it was a fight, then? He’d smirk, walking up to take his place. He listened to Kojirou apologize, though he wasn’t quite sure why he would do that in the first place.

"If yer talkin’ bout Uta, we ain’t friends. Well…we’re not…not friends eiter I guess. She’ll forget ‘bout it. Shouldn’t let dat bother you,” he said with a cocky smirk, "You got me ta worry ‘bout.” Goro took his stance, ready for the fight at hand. His blue eyes noticed the blade at Kojirou’s hip, the boy’s hand resting gently atop it.

That was his first mistake. He’d just given Goro time to set up for everything he needed.

The boy took a deep breath and a surge of chakra would surround him and within a flash, he would burst forward upon unleashing the Gate of Opening and further accelerating his movements even beyond that of the First Gate. He would appear behind Kojirou in a blink, and would instantly go into attempting to kick him upward, bind him with the wraps around his wrists, and then pile-drive him into the hard rock below.

Between the Eight Gates and his accelerated speed, it would be quite the feat for Kojirou to even manage to unsheath his blade let alone perform any handseals by the time Goro would appear behind the Kusa boy. It was just as risky for Goro, however. Already having depleted a lot of chakra, this would nearly empty him, even with his high wells of chakra due to the Gobi. If it worked, though, it would just as easily be over for Kojirou.

Honō Kojirou

Hachimon: Gate of Opening [1/4]
Kasoku Suru [Accelerate]
Omote Renge [Front Lotus]

[Honō Kojirou]

Huh. Kojirou could’ve sworn that the two Iwa-nin were close… but Goro’s way of explaining their relationship was iffy too. Either way, hopefully he was right – the swordsman would very likely let the prior event pass by into forgetfulness. Now, he could focus on the one he was suggested to worry about – Goro himself.

Kojirou didn’t know how fast Goro was, and at first, the young Genin’s linear advance towards him looked a bit too reckless. Kojirou performed the Iaidō in response, but his blade never made any contact. In less than a blink, Goro was behind him, and Kojirou’s back was left wide open.

Safe to say, the swordsman had never felt such a heavy kick before. Not many thoughts were able to run through his mind at this point, simply bewildered that so much force could be put behind a kick like that. And as it left Kojirou midair, it almost felt like a blanket was covering him as if he was getting ready to go to bed. Deep in the covers – or, well, the wraps in this case – the world turned to a flash that left a deep void behind.

Sadly, he didn’t get to see the view back down again before he went out of commission… or well, he got a glimpse. But all he saw was a bunch of rock about to butt into him.

Okada Goro

Iaido [Quickdraw]