the storm bringer | ✓

XI

eleven

(— the forest of death)

Winter grabs her bag, stuffing supplies in it, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her thoughts kept circling back to the dark-haired Mist genin who'd been watching her during the first exam with such an intensity it made a shiver run down her spine. It was almost as if he knew something, and was just waiting for the perfect moment to speak his mind.

Her fingers slipped inside her weapons pouch, tracing the cold metal of an old hi-ate she'd kept hidden in there for many years. 

But what exactly did he know? Did he have some sort of clue pertaining to her past, or was it merely something more trivial, something to do with an advantage he'd have over her in the exam?

She sighed putting the backpack on and standing up, knowing there was no use dwelling on her questions. Besides, she had an exam to complete. It didn't take her long to find the gate that she'd been assigned to, her blood humming with excitement. 

Winter grinned at her gate keeper who kept on glancing at her worriedly. 

"You aren't nervous at all doing this alone?" He finally asked her incredulously. 

"Nope," She said popping the p, "a team would only slow me down right now." 

He sighed, "Alright if you say so." 

Her eyes narrowed as Anko yelled out, "Ready maggots?" She crouched down already having a plan, "The second exams begins... now!" The gate opened and Winter sprinted in her eyes gleaming.

Within minutes an earsplitting scream rang out somewhere far away from her and her eyes grew cold at the sound, but she kept running, sticking to her plan. 

The trees were easily hundreds of feet tall, and beasts roamed around. The air had a musty smell to it and her face grew smooth giving off no emotion. No matter what she heard, Winter kept on running not slowing down. After around three hours of running, she finally slowed down, coming to a stop. Biting her thumb she did a few hand signs before summoning two of the animals she trusted the most. A cloud of smoke filled the area, temporarily blinding her. When it cleared it revealed two twin wolves, five feet tall. The one on the left is blonde with blue eyes, lightning flickering in his eyes. The wolf on the right is a deep midnight blue with waves crashing in his eyes. "Tempest, Tsunami." She greets them with a smile on her face.

"What's up?" Tempest says looking around at the forest with curiosity. 

"Mind finding the nearest team?" 

Tempest raised his head, sniffing the air. "A team that smells kinda weird and about two miles north of here. Next, about six miles north is another team, but they have something dark in their presence... a dark chakra source, like a beast." 

She nods her head in thanks, "Formation Apex boys, I'm on a time limit." 

The two wolves nod their heads in unison before they start to tremble slightly. Their bodies flicker before changing into their elements. Tempest was now literally made out of lightning that crackled with energy, Tsunami now made out of the raging ocean waters he was named after.

Smiling slightly at them Winter pulled her hood up and over her head so they could only see the tip of her nose and the bottom half of her face. "Let's go!" She sprinted forward, her summons and lifelong best friends on either side of her, slightly behind making a V formation. The trees blurred and she silently bit her thumb, swiping the blood across the seal on her forearm. Within seconds she was holding Zabuza's sword and she held it behind her with one arm, strangely resembling the deceased nin.