[X] Help me, information, get me Memphis, Tennessee...
"Kibi!" you declare, pointing her out.
"... what, the guy behind the little girl?" Kankuro asks.
You frown. "No, the little girl! Word around the campfire is she's a genjutsu specialist. And since I'm the only other genjutsu specialist here, as far as I know, I wanna get a firsthand look at the competition."
"... well, the competition is currently picking her nose," Kankuro replies, "so if I were you I'd wait a sec to take that look."
"Cute." You roll your eyes. "Look, genjutsu takes cunning, refined chakra control, attention to detail, keenly honed senses, an instinct for psychology, and a perfectionist streak a mile wide - most people who are good enough at it to be known as genjutsu specialists are adults. I'm a freak of nature to be as good at it as I am at this age." Your eyes flick over to the oblivious Kibi, who's sitting on the railing and innocently kicking her shoe off her foot and catching it with her toes, over and over again. "So what does that make her?"
"Hm. I guess you've got a point," Temari says with a frown. "Genjutsu isn't like taijutsu; you can't just look at someone and tell how good they'd be."
"Well, that Lee kid looks like a lot of fun," Gaara says, "if he can keep up that turtle-mode longer than he did here. It's been too long since I got some actual exercise." He grins at you fiercely. "Wouldn't mind taking you out dancing, though."
"Hey, I never say no to a free meal."
Ahahahahaha oh god I'm dead.
What's up?
Gaara wants to fight me.
Oh, don't worry about it. There's a note of distaste in Lupin's voice, but he doesn't sound disapproving, exactly. He's just the type of jerk that likes to flirt violently. He won't actually hurt you if you don't hurt him first; he'll just scare you half to death to impress you.
Oh, so he's like you?
What? No!
"What about you?" you ask Temari, ignoring your other-self's indignant defensiveness for the moment.
"The auntie over there," she replies, nodding at Sayuri. "A quick win to take me into training for the finals with no injuries. After that, who knows?"
Wow. Harsh.
Gaara gestures expansively. "Ah, poor Temari; you've got no appreciation for-"
"No. I don't," Temari cuts him off. "I didn't come here to play around, I came here to get promoted."
"Temari vs Ira!"
"I withdraw," the Sound boy says in a clear but quiet voice.
Temari frowns. "... that doesn't mean I didn't come here to fight," she says peevishly to the air.
And my suspicions of him already being a chuunin are almost completely confirmed. Why else would he travel all this way just to resign? We must be hammering out some kind of alliance with Oto.
Iwa's gonna be pissed.
"Next match," the proctor says, barely missing a beat, "Hyuuga Neji vs Kibi."
Kibi beams, and turns around to hop off the railing and hug first Ira and then her sensei.
Neji casts a brief glance in a worried-looking Hinata's direction, and shunshins to the lower floor.
"Aw, man!" you whine. "There go my chances of facing her. Stupid magic eyes."
"I have something to say before we begin," Kibi calls, bouncing down the stairs. Hopping the last three steps, she smooths out her skirt and strolls casually over to face Neji.
"I came to Konoha for these exams because my mother said this town was full of strong and kind-hearted people," she says, smiling up at the dark-haired boy, who waits, listening with a politely neutral expression. "And she was right! Everyone from Konoha who's fought today has been really strong and really nice. That pretty nee-chan with the exploding seals could have made them lethal, but instead she just played happily with her friend. That boy in the funny jumpsuit let the pretty Mist boy have a chance to give up. Even the doggie nii-chan helped his friends out by trying to fight the mean demonboy for them!" She clenches her hands in two excited fists and bobs up and down in excitement. "That's why no matter what happens in our fight, or who wins, I wanted to say thank you for facing me, and I hope we can be friends afterward."
Well, now we know why they're called Sound. All in all, you're impressed; this is a pretty intricate aural genjutsu she's weaving, here.
"Kai," you whisper, and the reality is laid clear before you. She's hypnotizing Neji to respond to certain keywords or actions on her part with hesitation or even outright fear, and he isn't even noticing.
That idiot. After all his talk about not overestimating yourself...
"I will take your request under advisement," Neji says stoically.
"Begin!"
[X] Cheer Kibi on. Genjutsu that can fool a Byakugan is always impressive to see in action.
[X] Cheer Neji on in such a way that you make him snap out of it.
