Starring:
Date: December 1, 2012
Summary:
Etsu was in need of some food, so she rigged up a pole to go fishin with in these waters. After finding a nice spot (due to getting lost), she met up with Usagi and Ryo who attempted to both warn and help her regarding fishing in these waters. There's no telling what's in these parts or anywhere for that matter. Everything is poison.
"Second Promotion Exams - Everything is Poison"
Blood Marsh - Shadowed Canopy [Kirigakure]
Ryo had entered the shadowed canopy in the cover of the previous night. Given his eyes, it was a decent place for him to hide against a majority of the shinobi. The lack of light in the canopy made it easier for him to hide with minimal chances of detection. The boy was in a cypress tree not too far from the main section of the marsh. He was able to watch the red mist and anything that moved through it. This made it a decent place for hunting, but right now that was not what Ryo was doing. He was in preservation mode.
A hand clamps down on his shoulder, with the full intent of giving him a very familiar technique. Shadow imitation. "Don't move a muscle" It's a warning, not a threat, and Ryo should be able to tell that by her voice alone. Usagi's looking at him for a few moment, breathing deeply and softly.
This place again… Etsu was beginning to feel like she was getting turned around in this place and it didn't help that this red mist permeated the whole marsh with the exception of a few high places. Sigh. Well, at least she could be satisfied that she finally earned some long deserved sleep. Now, she needs to earn some long deserved food. This place probably had the best opportunities to find something, hopefully that was an actual fish and not some mutated excuse of a death trap.
She hopped from root to root that raised from the water, attempting to look inside it to see if she could spot some actual fish. There were few times that she saw something, but nothing worthy of note. They were either too small or too, well, you know the deal. Something has just got to give, though and she intends on finding a meal. She even rigged together a fishing pole. Those cutthroat vines had to be good for something, right?
Ryo glanced towards the hand on his shoulder. "Hello to you too Usagi." The boy must have been dozing off if Usagi had gotten that close to him. "I heard earlier that you lost your scroll. Isato still has his. Other than that, how you doing?" he asked. He had not even noticed Etsu yet. "You hungry..?"
"If you weren't about to light up this part of the marshes like fireworks, maybe" Usagi motions to several hidden explosive tags, set with tripwires. He'd almost stepped on two. "You're literally right above where I'm bunking down with Sakuryuu….she still hasn't woke up yet" She's keeping her voice low, then sighs. "Yes, I did….to Aburame Etsu. Isato still has his, and honestly, I'm probably not going to get two scrolls at my current level, so I'm stopping to help out my friends, and those who need it" She hasn't noticed Etsu yet either, but still….she likely will soon.
With her makeshift rod, Etsu uncoiled the vine from around the stick and proceeded to cast it off in the water. It had a few rocks tied to it to give it weight and sink deeper into the water to really catch fish. With a splosh sound made in the water, she'd kick back and relax against a wide root she'd settled onto to wait for the fish to come. It's too bad she didn't really have anything on her. Chum or…hmm, maybe these mushrooms might do…
"I like fireworks." Ryo states as he follows Usagi's motions so that he stepped around the tags. He was not shocked to see traps. There were a lot of them. Some were better than others. "From the news it looks like it will be mostly Konoha shinobi in the finals. Besides, I think for me it would be the worst if I made the final exam and lost in the first round. I still have high expectations due to my clan. Though I think what you're doing is admirable."
Usagi nods and sighs. "So did I. But I know when I'm outmatched. And admirable or not, I'm likely to not make chuunin. At this point, it doesn't matter…I already accepted that, and am just doing what I can" She shrugs slightly, then releases him from her shadow. "So, how's your scroll hunting going?" she tilts her head to the side a bit, backing up, but going down the tree.
There's nothing on the line yet, but Etsu has patience. She has enough time, today at least, to get something productive done now that she's freed herself from roaming genin. From what she's heard, they're growing more aggressive in attempts to gain scrolls. She thought about this and the scroll she obtained only to huff about it all. She doesn't think these are worth dying for.
Just then, she hears something splash in the water and her rod responds with a bit of movement. She picks it up and begins to try and set the hook to catch this thing.
Ryo felt naturally bad for Usagi. It sucked that she had to admit defeat but not everyone was going to pass. "My scroll hunting is over already. I wonder how much longer we have in this place. In some of the areas it is hard to tell day from night." Ryo then reaches into a bag at his side and pulls out some cooked pork. "I got a boar earlier. Just might want to warm it up."
Usagi nods slowly and sighs, though she hears the water splashing for a brief moment, waving Ryo's speech off after a few moments, though she does pause to take the boar meat offered. She takes a bite, and begins sneaking her way towards the sound, though she's walking on the 'under side' of the branch, instead of on top. If he wishes to follow, that may be a good idea for him to do as well.
Etsu continued to pull at the line, making sure that she didn't loose the hook, though she felt safe now that the line felt more secure, she proceeded to try and pull whatever it was out of the water.
It didn't put up too much of a fight that she couldn't handle, but it was a little tough trying to handle this rod. She's never gone fishing before so the struggle is more from lack of skill than whatever she caught. Before long, something would rise from the water and she'd proceed to 'reel' it in. With one good yank out of the water, she caught a nice sized fish. "Excellent," she remarked to herself. Much like the rest of the swamp, the fish had a red hue.
Ryo followed behind Usagi. He spotted Etsu. He knew her from the days when they were both on the same team. For the moment he remains quiet, though his eyes seem to look at the red tint of the fish. He was not so certain he'd eat that. Things were not suppose to glow like that. In his mind, Usagi was about to get another patient to take care of.
Usagi smirks softly and nudges Ryo, then whispers 'very' quietly. "Dibs on her scrolls if she gets poisoned" And that'd be the end of that. She's up on a tree, crouched, and horizontally doing so. Not the tree Etsu's leaning against, but still, one nearby.
Etsu looked upon the fish and slapped it down on the root she was sitting on. She'd need to find someplace to make a fire now. She had no ability with fire on her own… Hm. She'd look around, attempting to figure out which trees would be good for tinder. In a place like this, the mists were bound to saturate everything, but there just had to be a patch of dryness somewhere.
Oh well, she'll look for that later. For now, she needed to keep this fish tied down, so she used the rod and secured it so it wouldn't flop its happy way back into the swamp water. She'd sit for a few moments and watch as the fish slowly lost its will to struggle before she decided to leave, but one last scan around the place should help. As she turned, she thinks she may have caught something out of the corner of her eye. She'd cast her eyes up to see Usagi.
"…" She pointed to the fish, "Mine." And again, "And those are mine too." She stated regarding her scrolls. "Have you seen anything around here that could be used for tinder?"
"If you get poisoned, I'll be taking them if I find you" Usagi shrugs slightly. "And I'm not after your food, all I'm doing right now is watching" She remains where she is for the time being, crouched on the tree. "And as for tinder, I'd suggest moss. In a water saturated area like this, you're likely to find a lot of it. Tear it off the tree, and use the underside, which is drier, for tinder" she shrugs slightly.
"That or find someone who knows firestyle." Ryo states revealing himself. He steps out from the cover of the tree. "Its been a while. Of course there is another option. I do have a bit more pork on me." Unlike many, Ryo was the an outdoors type. He and his father still often went on camping trips. It was a good way to learn survival training.
"That is an understandable assumption. Even if this fish is poisonous, there may be parts that are edible. I don't think everything in these lands are poisonous, anyway." Etsu replied. When Ryo steps out, she lofts a brow and then looks back to Usagi. "…" She states again, "They're still mine." She then points to the fish, "Cook the fish…after I finish preparing it." Looks like she didn't need to leave to get fire after all. So, she'd sit down and pull out a kunai to scrape the scales off.
"Only if you hold onto them, Etsu. Even if it's not me or Ryo that attacks you, they're only yours if you hold onto them" Usagi raises a brow down at her. She shrugs. "Besides, as of now, I'm not after your scrolls" She is remaining up in the tree for now.
Ryo moved forward towards a tree and broke off a branch. It was a decent sized branch, The wood was still living so it would take a while to catch on fire. He then gathered some bark and placed them on a dry patch of ground. His finger then start to make hand signs. Soon a fireball starts the bark on fire. He had no issues cooking the fish for her. Soon the boy was looking around for another stick. Once he found one, he'd stab the fish with it and hold it over the fire.
Etsu sat and waited after she'd prepared the fish and removed the guts and…this sac thing. She was sure it was something she didn't want to eat. Must've been a male. Now that Ryo is preparing it, she will wait until its good and done before eating it. "I will hold onto them," she remarked to Usagi. "As I am doing now. All I wish to do is eat. I am sure this fish will be filling to me. I'll need to catch more eventually."
Usagi shrugs slightly. "Fair enough. I've got someone to take care of, so you two have fun" And with that, she leaps off the tree, heading back in the direction that she and Ryo came from.
After about five minutes, Ryo flips the fish over. Another few minutes go by before Ryo hands the stick over to Etsu. "Here you are." he states as he hands her the stick. "That should be good. If you want it a little more crispy there is the fire." Ryo then turns around. "I myself have things to go do. Take care Etsu. My apologies for not sticking around longer." he states.
Etsu took the stick in hand and looked the fish over. She didn't respond to Ryo aside from a salute as she placed the fish back over the fire to make it a bit more crispy. She wanted to get a slight crunch out of it. This fish was going to be great.
