Beauty and the Bells: Team 23

((I know cheesy title XP))

Team 23 has been called to the training field for exercise before their next main mission. Since the team has undergone quite the change it was imperative that they be tested and could work as a team. This standard, but effective training exercise would help them immensely in the missions to come.

((Simply post your arrival to the training field to start, no the jounin is not there...she's late XP))

First to arrive, to the training area was Masaki, he had came earlier than instructed. Emerging out of the morning mist, he put his back to a tree and closed his eyes while exhaling from his nostrils. The purple haired shinobi opened both of his eyes with a calm pragmatic stare into nothingness. It was difficult to associate what he was thinking about with such an ice cold stare but, one would wonder if it was less than kind. He had a handsome enough features but, his left eye was pure white except for a dark spot in the center of his pupil that would make one think he could still see out of his damaged eye. Sadly, they would be mistaken. It had been irrevocably damaged. As a shinobi, this could prove to be a career ending injury as he no longer had depth perception. However, he overcame his disability through hardwork and dedication. Exhaling softly, the purple haired Genin veteran slowly rose to his feet to hear an assortment of footsteps coming his way.

Running with great speed, Ryoko's feet treaded through the short grass as she jumped from tree to tree, branch to branch in a fast but, not so silent fashion. Landing on the ground before Masaki, she stood up from one knee. Cocking a brow, Masaki looked down at his team mate with a perplexed expression as she took a deep breath before looking up at Misaki with a big grin.

"GOOOD MORNING!" She said all smiles.

Masaki couldn't help but, smile back a little as well at his more than enthusiastic teammate.

"Morning..." He replied with a sigh scratching the back of his head.

"Hehehe.... looks like you beat me here! But, I guess second isn't so bad!" Ryoko said cheerfully, "But, I'll beat you next time!"

Masaki shrugged indifferent to the contest if it even was one as the girl's eyes burned with conviction. The two sat by the tree as they waited for their leader and third teammate. However, it became apparent that both of them were late.

Ryoko was bustling with energy as she began punching and kicking at the air while Masaki leaned back against the trunk of the tree trying to get some shut eye. That's when he heard something so very feint, it was so quiet that he instantly dismissed it as nothing. However, turning his side away from the sun, he saw his own shadow against the tree but, on the otherside of the tree's shadow was a shadow of someone leaning against it.

"..." Masaki drew a kunai ever so silently from his pouch as he quickly got around a tree as he pointed his kunai at the silent onlooker. The stranger was so surprised, he instantly shrunk back and used his arms to shield himself in fear. Masaki stopped his kunai as he blinked in surprise. It was gensou his new teammate, the boy shriveled in fear behind his arms, the boy was skinny and looked as if he could be broken like a tooth pick. He had greenish blue eyes which looked around in all manners in paranoia.

"Ohh! Finally you show up!" Ryoko said as he lifted the petrified boy to his feet and put her arm over the back of his neck. "Hehe... don't mind him Gensou-kun, he may come off as creepy but, he's really nice! The problem is he's just really shy!"

((Taken rolls to see what would happen here, got lucky tho so yay!))

The earth would open in front of the group as a medium sized hole embodied itself. Eliza would jump out of the hole landing in front of the group without a sound.

"Hello there!" she would smile and tilt her head a little to the side, "So your my new team?"

Immediately Eliza's face would turn serious and she would intensely stare at each member of the group in turn. Then she would again smile, "What a group! Shy, enthusiastic, and somewhere in between, seems like the perfect mix."

Again she would turn serious again, "But we'll have to see if that's true..."

She would sit down in front of the team and signal for them to sit as well as the hole behind her would close, "Well lets start off right, I understand your pretty new teammates, and I am just meeting you all so lets do a bit of an introduction, what do you say?"

She would look over the group then point to Ryoko,"Why don't you start? You seem raring to go!"

As the jonin popped up from the earth, all three Genin reacted completely very differently. Ryoko clapped her hands in surprise as she thought it was some magical mole demon and got disappointed seeing as it appeared to her new teacher instead. Misaki drew out his kunai from under his sleeve from the newcomer and slowly retracted it under his sleeve.

And Gensou....

Misaki and Ryoko turned to find their teammate not there but, as leaves began to fall. They looked up to find him clinging onto a branch. As the Jonin introduced herself, they settled down. They thought of her as a bit eccentric except for Ryoko who found her ordinary. As Eliza pointed to Ryoko, the girl's smile expanded wide as she stood up straight and saluted herself.

"My name's Ryoko!...uhh.. I can't remember my last name at the moment... I think it started with a T... but, anyway! I'm a Taijutsu specialist and I can make things goo wish and woo! with my super awesome wind element Jutsu! I like training! Ramen and punching people! My goal ninja way is to kick ass!" Ryoko said posing with Gusto.

Gulping Gensou began rather slowly, "H-hi... I'm Takanashi G-gensou. I'm a genjuts-su specialist. I like watering plants and I-I uh... don't really have a favorite food... i can eat just about anything.... My goal of being a ninja... is to become stronger..."

Misaki cocked an eye brow shaking his head at the other two, it certainly was a wacko team and by the looks of their leader. He could tell this team was going to be oh so wonderful to be on. "My name's Misaki Kaito. I like books." He said turning his gaze.

Ryoko then raised her hand shooting her hand straight up way over her head. "ooo..oo... question!"

"Yes..." Misaki said with a sheepish look.

"Why aren't you in the same class as me and Gensou-kun?" Ryoko asked cheerfully.

"Oh..." Misaki said with a slight pause. "My team members along with my Jounin leader were killed while we were on a mission."

Ryoko's eyes expanded and then mumbled a loss of words, "Uh huh... I see... I'm sorry about that..."

Eliza would frown, she had recognized that mission, there was quite the uproar about it, in fact she was meant to be assigned the mission originally. Perhaps that's why she took this kid on her team, kinda of a thank you for avoiding that massacre.

"Those are quite the goals, you'll have to work hard for them, and Misaki I think you'll be quite the asset."

Eliza would smile and jump up, "Well then I guess it's my turn! I'm Eliza Hyuga, not part of the main branch by the way, and I simply love Dumplings! I also expect my students work hard and have fun doing it!"

She would do a quick spin ending in her signature gentle fist stance, "Oh and I'm a master of hand to hand combat, I haven't lost yet."

She would again stand up and smile, putting her hand behind her head, "That was fun, but now to business." she would look over the group with an oddly intense look, "This is a simple exercise, being from different classes, and even more one of you having a previous team, I believe it is a fair one." Eliza would hold out two bells, "Misaki may know this test, its about teamwork, you need to take the bells from me."

((I'm hoping Misaki will either say something or you'll comment on the fact theirs 2 bells not 3 XP))

Misaki nods and makes a small smile as if remembering something. His other teammates looked to him for any advice but, he didn't say a single word.

"Oh, so this bell exercise. We just got to take the bells from you and we win!" Ryoko said as Gensou opened his mouth.

"It's not that simple...." Gensou stated rather reluctantly, "There are only two bells so it's implied only two of us can pass isn't that right Misaki-sempai?"

Misaki nodded slowly a little surprised on how sharp Gensou was.

"But.... but... that can't be true! How can we work if a team if we're competing against each other?" Ryoko asked shaking her head.

"That's why I said it's not that simple." Gensou said as he blinked and laughed nervously. "Ugh...hehehe... at least that's what I think!"

Eliza would smile, "Right on the dot there. Two bells means two of you pass, and as added incentive I'm taking those two out for all you can eat ramen!", she would look at Gensou, "In my experience its the smart ones that are the bane of this test."

She would attach the bells to the left side of her waist. Then she would get into her gentle fist stance, "So...who's gonna try and be the hero?"

Ryoko's eyes lit up hearing her hear the word Ramen and without a moment's hesitation Ryoko leapt into the air as she squeezed her hand into a fist. Descending down at Eliza, she would try and punch her sensei in the face with a powerful punch. "RAMEN!" She cried crying out her battle cry.

"Guys don't go af-" Misaki said as he din't even have the chance to forewarn them, "Damn it Ryoko! Gensou we need to-"

The purple hair ninja let out a sigh "stay together..." as he watched Gensou run across the field hands up running like a fool away from danger. Running toward the oncoming collision between the two girl's Misaki began using hand signs.

'Ram → Boar → Ox → Dog → Snake' Misaki thought to himself as hands quickly followed his thoughts.

Eliza would quickly look towards Gensou watching his hand signs, seeing his attempt at a jutsu Eliza would, without looking up, grab Ryoko's fist, and in a spinning motion drag her around in the air releasing her to fly at Gensou.
((However I failed hitting Gensou, so You can decide how he avoided Ryoko XP))

"Isn't this fun?!" Eliza would laugh.

(I realize I wasn't very clear XD Misaki is actually the one running toward them. Gensou is just running...away XD)

'A Jounin? How the hell are we supposed to beat someone like her!' Gensou thought to himself as he ran but, he stopped just for a second, 'but, still...' Gensou would look around for any water that was nearby.

"Waaaaahhhhh!" Ryoko said as she was thrown into the air heading straight for Misaki.

Completing his hand signs rather quickly, he ran straight head course towards Ryoko. She bumped into him but, suddenly turned into a puff of smoke as she flew out of there skidding across as she grinded to a halt.

'Subsitution Jutsu...always handy...' Misaki thought to himself as he threw a smoke bomb at his feet hiding his location. However, Misaki suspected that wouldn't be so effective against one of the Hyuuga birth right. It may be worth a shot though, if Eliza didn't activate her Byakugan that is.

Misaki held his breath, he had a vague idea where Eliza was but, it wasn't as if he hit targets with his sight anyway. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a kunai and an explosive tag. Wrapping the explosive tag around the kunai's handle, he let it soar forward waiting for Eliza to either dodge, or defelct it to detonate it.

An explosion would go off in the smoke blowing most of it away. The the center Eliza lay on the ground with blood on her chest.

Suddenly a hand would appear from the ground and drag Misaki until all but his head were buried. Eliza would appear beside Misaki as the fake body dissolved to mud. She would smile, "That was good, I wasn't expecting the explosive, but smoke bomb and kunai was pretty obvious..."

She would pull down her eye in the taunting fashion and start walking away.

Misaki grunted at that comment, he was rather textbook when it came to his textbook. However, the boy wasn't exactly finished yet. He had jutsu that didn't really require hand signs. He began muttering something under his breath.

"Sometimes... in chess you need to be willing to sacrifice your Queen in order to put the King into Check." He muttered as the smoke was still thick.

Combining Henseki (Voice Mimecry) and Suro-boisu Jutsu (Voice Throwing Technique), Misaki threw Ryoko's voice to come directly at her 5 O' CLock.

"Hah! You're open!" Ryoko's voice rang out startlingly close to her ear as the real Ryoko came charging in through the smoke with a baseball slide to take out her Sensei's legs from under her. Misaki would then try to wiggle free from the dirt.

**************************************************

Gensou had ran far enough way and slowly made his way back through the trees making a U turn. With his back against the tree, he took a small breath. Cowardly as he was, he wouldn't leave his squad behind besides he needed the bells too.

'If I stay far enough way....' Gensou thought to himself, 'I can help and not put myself in harm's way.'

Gensou began forming hand signs as he prepared an illusionary Jutsu. He'd have to use sound as his medium as letting himself be seen was out of the question.

Eliza would turn to her 5 oclock striking...air? At that moment her legs would be taken out by a bat swing, realizing her mistake she would put her arms out and land in a hand stand and flip away from Ryoko, "Good move...maybe I'll try harder."

Eliza would stand putting her hands together and announce Byakugan, as her eyes would change ever so slightly. She could now see in all directions as she went into her gentle fist stance. "You've impressed me guys, but you still have a lot to learn."

"Ohhhsuu!" Ryoko would tug hard on Misaki's head with a grunt of effort.

"Ahhhggg... careful!" Misaki would say as his head was being pulled. Once Ryoko pulled his shoulders from the dirt, he could use his arms to pull himself out of the dirt.

**********************************************************
Completing his hand signs, but, unknowing that his sensei had activated her Byakugan. He placed his thumb and index finger in his mouth to let out a sharp whistle. Utlizing sound as his medium, he'd try to distort the environment around Eliza to throw her senses out of whack.
*********************************************************

Once Misaki was out of his hole, he knew exactly what to do as he recognized what Gensou was up to. He put his hand on Ryoko's shoulder so they wouldn't be affected by the Genjutsu.

"Gensou... means illusion doesn't it?" Ryoko asked catching on as well.

Misaki nodded with a grin as he formed his own hand seals with the last one ending in tiger. Fighting up close would be a mistake, he was going to utilize fire ninjitsu and fight from a distance.

Eliza would stand facing Masaki and Ryoko, she would seem unaffected by the genjutsu, until Masaki would see her shift her feet ever so slightly as if he balance was a little off.

Eliza would then dash at the two in front of her attempting to strike Ryoko with her gentle fist. She would miss her first two attacks due to balancing issues, and then hit the third on Ryoko's chest causing 2 points of damage. ((You can choose how she dodged the first 2)) Eliza would keep an eye on Masaki with her Byakugan, however she knew she was caught off guard by that genjutsu, but she was trying her best to hide it's immediate affect.

((Eliza hit 0/5 times))
((Ryoko hit 2/6 times))
((Gensou hit 0/3 times))
((Masaki hit 0/4 times))

Misaki retreated back as Eliza advanced forward not wanting Ryoko to be caught in the blast. Ryoko readjusted her movements as she made 2 fists. She easily dodged the first two strikes by leaning back but, doing so her left her open and completely off balance flailing her arms before she was knocked back by both strikes.

'Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!'

Finishing his hand signals, he took a lot of air into his chest before cupping his mouth with his hand as sure enough a great ball of fire would form before him. The ball of fire was blazing with great intensity as it would then roll towards his sensei while in her disoriented state. Misaki took a few breaths as he ran directly behind the fireball, Kunai drawn. Misaki's plan was simple but, still oh so clever. Despite The Byakugan's prowess to analyze their enemies, they suffered from the same weaknesses real eyes did. Misaki was counting on that the fire would be too difficult for her to stare into and even force her to shut her eyes.

Ryoko, on the other hand, shaking out of it grunted as those attacks had strange effects to her. Feeling a little off balanced, she would run and try to flank Eliza by running around her.

Gensou took a breath and continued to try and disorient Eliza's vision to make her see double and throw off her sense of balance.

Misaki grinned as he thought that they were about to get her. Yet, his smile faded, he had forgotten that the Hyuga Clan had a very special tool to deal with attacks from all sides. He bit his bottom lip as he decided to change direction at the last moment.

((Good call Misake XP))

Eliza was disoriented, and it was obvious it was getting worse. She would see things on all sides coming at her, "8 trigrams, palm rotation!" she would announce as she would spin fast enough to disperse the fireball, her velocity would also push Ryoko further away, although not dealing any damage. Using the perception of her eye's she would locate the origin of the genjutsu by following the chakra flow in the air. "Got ya..." she would smile as she would run as fast as she could toward Gensou, however about a foot in front of him, she would trip having lost her balance completely. "I hate genjutsu..." she would say holding her head trying to stand back up.

Gensou gulped as Eliza had ran straight towards him, his eyes bulged as she suddenly tripped in front of him. The boy let out a sigh as his heart throbbed against his cage. This was his chance, he had a decision to make to get close to Eliza and take a bell for himself or to escape. It was certainly possible, if he could just get the bell and run off he'd be okay. He reached forward but, would suddenly step back. It was indeed tempting bait but, Gensou was far too clever and paranoid to take any chances.

Gensou would use his strongest Genjutsu, he would form hand signs quickly while Eliza tried to stand up. Releasing Eliza from his earlier Genjutsu, into someething far more troubling.

"Oceanic Realm- Dark Abyssal Drowning..." Gensou would say as if the illusion was successful.

The world around them would fade and would change. Both of them would stand in the middle of the ocean, the waves lapping over eachother as the water beneath them was dark. Gensou would stand over with his hair hiding his eyes as Eliza would steadily begin to sink into the water beneath them while Gensou just stood there.

Eliza would smile as she began to sink into the water, "Nice one kid." she would say before she would disappear below the water. She didn't panic or struggle instead she closed her eyes and....
Back in reality Eliza would thump to the ground in front of Gensou, she wouldn't move, and it looked as if her breathing had stopped.

Gensou would crouch down cautiously reach forward as he grabbed one of the bells. Giving a sigh, he seemed to have passed his test. Holding the bell in the palm of his hand, he smiled as it rattled in his hand.

"Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! MINE!" Ryoko said as she ran forward as her foot crashed into the side o his head sending him flying with a dynamic entry!

"Gahhhhhh!!!!" Gensou went flying into a tree as Ryoko raided Eliza's unconscious body for the last bell as Misaki shook his head with a sigh. The vetran pulled out a kunai and hid it under his sleeve.

"YES!" Ryoko jumping in the air as she clutched onto the bell, "WOOOO!!!! VICTORY!"

She ran over to Gensou and violently shook him, "We were totally awesome! TOTALLY! AWESOME!"

At this point Gensou was seeing stars as his eyes were swirled in true anime fashion as his head rocked back and fourth. Misaki would put his hand on Eliza's shoulder and focused his chakra into her to awaken her from Gensou's Genjutsu.

Eliza would wake up rather quickly, hitting Misaki with a quick strike to the face, "Oh darn...sorry Misaki..." she would say as she sat up.

She would look at Gensou intensely, "Just for future reference...I dislike genjutsu users, but... she would smile, "That was very impressive, just try not to leave me like that next time okay?" She would then stand up and turn to Misaki, "Sorry about the hit, I just have those kind of reflexes..."

Eliza would punch the air, Ryoko, Gensou, Misaki, you all did great. Let's go get us something to eat shall we? I've got a craving for some ramen, my treat."