Chapter 199: 198. New Problems

"Nuh-uh! NO! This isn't-!" Tai started rambling frantically

"Uhhh...Tai, you okay there buddy?"

"No, absolutely not Rei! HELL NO! I did not put up with months of mom beating my ass just so I could drown!"

"So you're finally saying it out loud"

SPLASH!

"Boys, focus. Room flooding with water?" Suzu interjected, her mind on the important matter at hand

For the the water in the room had just spread to ever corner of the floor, now starting to rise. While Rei and Tai continued to look around for clues, Suzu had an epiphany

Recalling the hints given to them at the start of the exam...

"Kitsuchi said it's in everyone's interest to enter this testing area before ten of the thirty minutes given to us had passed. Giving the timing, it's safe to assume the water was set to drop after ten minutes, any other team who took too long on the written part would have a much more difficult time. But his earlier message implies-" Suzu deduced Kitsuchi's true intentions

"There is a way to escape this place...!" Tai exclaimed in relief

"The first and second exams tests the mind and body respectively, Tango drilled that into our heads. We're still technically in the first one, and with this strange, chakra-reacting wall...we're probably not supposed to break out with brute strength" Rei realized

"Soooooo...we solve this with our heads? Okay, anyone got any ideas? Since we don't know whether or not it's safe to use chakra in this strange room, how do we get out here?"

"Given the rate of water flowing, it's unlikely to fill up the room before our remaining twenty minutes pass. So swimming to the top after we've been submerged isn't a practical idea" noted Suzu after peeking at the barred openings on the ceiling

"You're right, and there's no guarantee we'd be able to cut through those bars"

Suzu studied the oxygen tank and glanced at the ceiling, before making her way to the stainless metal desk on the corner of the room. Compiling her thoughts as she tried to unravel their current conundrum

{There's only one rebreather mask...but this is a test for teams}

"Hm? Suzu, what's up? Did you figure out something?"

"Yes, I may have. Guys, why would they give us only one mask for a team?"

"Ah--um, well...huh. I have no clue"

"Simple. It's a tactic to get us to turn on each other" Rei unequivocally answered

"For real?!"

"Haaaa...I knew it" Suzu sighed

{This kind strategy reminds me of Kakashi's Bell Test} "Hmm...hey guys. I don't think it's for breathing under water. That tanks serves another purpose than trying to test our teamwork" Rei suggested

"Rei, Tai, what about the written test? The questions themselves...could there be some hint or clue?"

"Each one was related in someway to ninja, but I noticed many of them were based in chemistry...very advanced chemistry. Some geometry, and integrated problems based on unpredictability...questions that most Genin wouldn't even be able to answer"

"The only reason we managed to get through it is due to the intense teachings our Gifted Generation underwent at Cloud Academy"

"You're right, the whole time, I did feel like we were back in school with Osoi-sensei. And those particular questions..." Tai recalled

{That's right, the relations between chakra and matter is the best way to sum it up. And now here I am, studying this wall and how it reacts to mine...that can't be a coincidence} Rei gained some insight

"I may have theory. Rei, can you strike that desk for me please? There's something I'd like to confirm" Suzu requested

"Hit that?" He glanced at the desk, having a little hesitancy for her request

Rei remembered the kunai Tai used to strike it, and how it shattered into pieces. But sounds of the flooding room continuing to rise forced him to set aside his fears, as he already found himself walking towards it

At this point in time, the water had reached his ankles

{Well...in for a penny} "HAAH!"

SLAM! KLONK!

The clanging noise of his powerful fist striking the desk echoed in the room. Suzu and Tai approached to see the result once he lifted his hand, only to find the desk held a dent no greater than several inches

"Holy...okay. This thing is even stronger than I thought" Rei skittishly stated as he felt his hand tremble

"I'm sorry, I clearly underestimated how dense it was. Here, let me see" Suzu apologetically stated as she held his hand, checking for signs of injury

"Damn...my kunai barely did a thing, and you managed to dent it. Hey Rei, how hard did you strike it?"

"I didn't go all out, and I refrained from using my chakra but...certainly enough that I'm surprised my fists did so little"

{For a Taijutsu-focused ninja of Rei's caliber being unable to break this, completely absurd. An oxygen tank, a nigh-indestructible desk, a ceiling with two barred openings on top for the water to enter, topped by walls that react and disrupt chakra...where's the connection?} Suzu contemplated the true nature of this test

"I struck the wall earlier, but it wasn't as dense. There must be a reason, a purpose for the desk being here, same with the tank. We solve that, we solve this--!"

SPLOOSH!

Without warning, the rate of water dropping from ceiling increased

"What the-?!"

"Stay calm, it's a scheme to make us loose our cool! Focus on the task at hand" Rei advised

"We've already tested the walls, the ceiling isn't an option, but you were able to dent the table, which is even more dense than the wall. The only way I see us getting out of here is by breaking out with a significant amount of force" Suzu determined

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"But it's too dangerous to use chakra remember? How are we going to..." Tai stumbled mid-sentence after becoming distracted by something

"This kind of shinobi exercise typically involves ascertaining some hidden meaning" 

"At a time like this, Tango-sensei would probably say something like, Read between the lines" Suzu mused

"Heh! True...hm? Hey Tai! We boring you here?"

"A-Ah! No..! It's just...um...I've got this idea. It's reckless, dangerous, and really really stupid but-"

Rei and Suzu looked at each other, with the former nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders in approval. Suzu smirked and gestured for him to continue

"Okay. Rei, out of everything here, which would you say has the weakest density?"

"That'd be...hmm...I'd say the floor. The walls, ceiling, and desk were quite strong. Although, I didn't strike the tank, for obvious reasons"

"Yes! You didn't want to risk it exploding, right?!"

"Y-Yeah...where you going with this?"

SPLISH!

Tai placed his hand in the water and tapped the floor, knocking on it with his knuckles several times. After, he waltzed towards the walls and began kneading chakra near it

"When we use chakra near this material, it reacts in unique ways. For example, these walls tend to get warmer when chakra is used on them"

"Get to the point please, it's starting to get hot"

"Sorry. I think we're supposed to blow ourselves out here...by using that oxygen tank"

Upon hearing Tai's idea, the pair stared at their teammate with dubious expressions. Even wondering if the pressure got to him, hence the irrational thoughts

"I know that look, but hear me out. You said it yourself, the oxygen mask isn't meant for breathing under water. But it'll serve as a sufficient explosive, one that doesn't use chakra"

"Okay okay, I can see the appeal. But before you get any more creative ideas mister Shaman, first question, how do you expect us to survive said explosion?"

"Well...I've haven't gotten that far yet" Tai timidly said as he scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile

"You haven't gotten--wow, amazing Tai. Maybe Tomoe beat you up a little too much"

"It's a stupid idea...but maybe stupid is what we need now" Suzu remarked

Tai and Rei turned to her in shock, for neither of them expected Suzu to condone such a rash, hasty plan. The latter was about to question her mental state when the young lady pointed towards a particular object in the room

The sturdy desk that seemed unbreakable...

"What do you think?" she questioned

"It's insane but...that might work" 

"The desk? Granted, it could take Rei's fist, but an explosion...I don't know. I was hoping for something more..."

"It was your crazy plan Tai, so if we die, I'm gonna kill you"

"It's my fault now?! What I proposed was just a suggestion, not a plan! And that last comment doesn't even make sense?!"

Tai quickly became remorseful for sharing his hasty thoughts with the team. Dreading what's to come in trepidation as he watched Suzu move the desk while Rei adjusted the pressure valve on the oxygen tank

Suzu flipped the four-legged desk over, placed it in a corner, with the table top acting as a makeshift shield, facing the oxygen tank...which stood on the opposite end of the room

"The prep's been taken care of, all we need to do is heat the cylinders on it. Which shouldn't be a problem thanks to the chakra-reacting material within these walls. Maybe this really is what we were supposed to do after all"

"Let's start flowing our chakra. Hey Tai, you might wanna get behind the table with us, instead of trembling there like an idiot" Rei casually advised

"W-Whoa whoa whoa! I-I'm coming...! Don't do it yet!" Tai ran to other end, jumping behind cover of the table

After sticking his head out from the corner, he glanced at the tank one last time before speaking again

"Guys...are we sure this is the only option? I mean, what if the table doesn't hold or, the explosion deprives us of air?"

"We'll be out of air if we let this water rise, and we're running out of time. We didn't come all this way to fail, and since ninjutsu isn't really an option, this is the only method I can think of" assured Suzu

"No point in chickening out over something like this, we'll survive" {I mean, I definitely will but...}

"Haaaa...I have a feeling my whole life is gonna be filled with crap like this. Alright, I'm in" Tai reluctantly agreed

The trio, after coming to a decision, placed their hands on the wall, flowing chakra on its surface...the strange materials began to react. Growing warmer and warmer, the heat spread across the room, eventually reaching the spot the tank leaned on

The pressure inside of it had already reached it's peak due to Rei's adjustments on the pressure valve, all that remained was waiting for the high-pressurized tank to get hot enough

Only then would it finally...

{I can hear it...!} "Huddle up! And keep your heads down!" Rei warned

"Okay!"

"Ancestors...protect me!"

BOOOOM!

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