As the four of us walked out, Hinako, Yuto, & I celebrated profusely and chatted while we waited for the next round to begin. Itsuki quickly distanced himself from us, seemingly wanting nothing to do with us.
Hinako looked over at Orochi.
"Hey, don't you think it's weird he got a 100% score?"
Yuto shook his head.
"Nah, I mean look at the guy! He's a brooding loner, those types of people are always smart… like Batman, y'know?"
I interject.
"No, Hinako is right. He was also the first to finish… Either he's crazy smart or somethings up…"
Hinako nods in agreement with me.
"Yeah, not to mention Kagami-sensei! He was there with him before we got to the trailer. Not to mention Sojobo-sensei had no idea he was gonna be there with Orochi."
I go into thought.
"Hm… something's definitely up here. Is he some sorta super-genius or is he in cahoots with Kagami-sensei…"
Yuto interrupts my train of thought.
"Oh! Oh! What if it's both… I mean, he basically didn't react when Kagami-sensei nearly killed me!"
My eyes grew wide.
"Yuto! That might be it!"
Yuto chuckled snarkily
"Am I the best or what?"
Hinako scoffed at Yuto's remark.
"If you're the best at anything it's being a dumbass. You got the trailer wrecked because you wanted to check if anyone was still working! But aside from that… We'll just have to figure it out as the exam goes. Something tells me the four of us will be stuck together for a bit."
While we were on our break, Sojobo pulled Kagami off to the side to talk.
Sojobo snapped.
"Are you out of your mind Kagami?! You know Shuten-doji is one of the strongest puppets among our ranks as teachers!"
Kagami brushes his acts off
"This test is of serious matter, if little Yuto wants to treat it like his elementary school math test, he has no place here at Puppet Arts. We have to keep our school pure with talent like Itsuki's. We don't have a place for subpar puppeteers like what Yuto is looking to become."
Sojobo gets even more frustrated by Kagami's outlook.
"Your view on our students is twisted. Everyone that applies can become a valuable member of our academy. Whether it be Matsura, Ogata, OR Ishikawa."
Kagami scoffs
"Very well, let's just start the next part of the exam so we can get rid of the incompetent ones."
Moments later, Kagami and Sojobo headed over to where we were.
Sojobo stepped forward, "Alright listen up! For the next portion of the exam you will be put into groups of two. Each group has one mission, to make their assigned teacher's puppet retire…"
I looked around nervously, it seemed my friends were thinking the same thing as they also seemed to be nervous. Itsuki on the other hand seemed confident, I couldn't see his eyes but his smirk all but confirmed that something was up.
Sojobo continued, "…If the teacher assigned to the group retires a member's puppet, that member will fail the exam and be asked to try again next year. Understood?"
"Yes sensei!" The four of us said in unison.
Sojobo smirked. "Now, I'd like you guys to present your puppets to each other. After that we'll tell you your teams and who you're against."
We all put on our gloves.
I summoned my puppet first:
"COME, JIRAIYA!"
Jiraiya's yellow flame came alight, presenting my life long partner and puppet.
Yuto looked at it in awe, "WOAH DUDE! Your puppet is wicked awesome! Let me show mine off next!"
Yuto stood tall and put on his gloves.
"COME TO PAPA, GOEMON!"
Rather than a flame, a puff of smoke emerged. It turned into a large swirl, enveloping the puppet. A blue flame raged down the wooden figure taking form as the legendary Goemon. He wielded a sword on his hip and a large pipe which the smoke from before was bellowing from.
I watched in awe as Yuto summoned Goemon.
"THAT WAS THE COOLEST SUMMONING I'VE EVER SEEN DUDE! His pipe is so cool… I wonder what he can use it for…"
Yuto chuckled confidently, "It's pretty nifty aint it? I can't reveal my secrets now though, I'll show you his abilities after I pass this leg of the exam!"
Hinako scoffed, "As if! If I get partnered up with you I might as well be destined for failure. Now behold the beauty of my puppet: Tsunade!"
A purple flame emerges. It bursts out into purple wisteria petals, unveiling the puppet as they fall down. The purple flames enveloped the puppet taking form into an elegant woman with slug antennae wearing a flowing kimono.
Yuto seemed slightly unimpressed, "So you just have a slug lady? Man… I might be the one destined for failure if I get paired with you…"
Hinako smacks Yuto across the head, "WATCH YOURSELF, OR MAYBE ILL BE THE ONE TO RETIRE GOEMON MYSELF!"
Kagami cuts them off.
"Thats enough arguing you two. Now, would you like to present your puppet? Itsuki…"
Itsuki stepped forward and called out for his puppet:
"Reveal yourself… Orochimaru…"
Dark soot covered the ground as a puppet I had never seen before emerged from it. It had no legs, rather it had a large tail like a snake, almost as if it were a hybrid between snake and humanoid. A green flame envelops the hybrid puppet, its bottom half forming a snake's body and its upper half a man wearing a long flowing haori with long straight hair covering his eyes.
I walk up to Orochimaru, studying its unique form. "I've never seen a hybrid puppet like this, Itsuki. Where does it come from?"
Itsuki looked at me, "It's none of your business Ogata. If it were up to me you wouldn't even be seeing him right now."
I stepped back, shocked by his harsh tone. "S- sorry Itsuki… I didn't mean to intrude, y'know?"
Yuto walked up to Itsuki. "Hey! Don't talk to my buddy here like that while you're flaunting some creepy ass snake man! Eugh! Just lookin' at it gives me the creeps!"
Itsuki scoffed. "Whatever."
Kagami stepped forward. "Ukyo and I have discussed the teams and who you'd be fighting… So listen to me now! Ahem… Hinako and Yuto are Group A!"
Hinako and Yuto looked at each other in shock and simultaneously shouted: "NOO!"
I couldn't help but chuckle seeing their reaction.
Kagami continued, "Meaning, Itsuki & Kintaro are Group B."
Itsuki let out a heavy sigh as Kagami continued.
"As for who you will be fighting, Group A will be going against Ukyo. Group B will be fighting me. Now, let's head to the Environmental Training Grounds so we can start the second leg of this exam!" Kagami let out a slight giggle after he finished.
Sojobo looked at him in shock after he said we'd be heading to the Environmental Training Grounds, almost as if he hadn't planned to hold the next leg of the exam there.
His expression had me worried, but more than that was the fact I was not only teamed up with Itsuki, but facing Kagami. If my suspicions about their relationship were correct, they'd all be answered in the next part of the exam.