Survivor: Konoha
By: Gomamon

The Premise:

Sixteen castaways, all from different anime series, will embark on the adventure of a lifetime. For the next thirty nine days, they will have to survive the wilderness as well as each other. Who can outwit, outplay, outlast? Who will be the Sole Survivor?

The Cast:

Jiraiya Tribe : Asuka (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Bulma (Dragonball Z), Faye (Cowboy Bebop), Guy (Naruto), Harley (Pokemon), Holland (Eureka Seven), Kari (Digimon), Keitaro (Love Hina)

Tsunade Tribe : Kurz (Full Metal Panic!), Mai (Yu-gi-oh), Meryl (Trigun), Mina (Sailor Moon), Orihime (Bleach), Roy (Fullmetal Alchemist), Shannon (Scrapped Princess), Zolo (One Piece)

- - -

Episode One: Ingénue

- - -

PROLOGUE

Meryl Stryfe took a deep breath before she opened her eyes.

The pleasant sight of a healthy green meadow eased her initial nervousness, if only by a little. Here she stood in the middle of an unknown forest, miles away from the nearest civilization. This was Konoha, home to many predatory animals and deadly wildlife that she could not yet see. Despite doing the necessary mental preparation beforehand, the idea of living in such a primitive environment for the next thirty nine days still overwhelmed her. Taking the inevitable danger, starvation, and discomfort into account, she felt as if she will never be ready to play this game.

At least the scenery is nice. Meryl thought to herself with a faint smile.

The petite woman stood next to fifteen others – her competitors for the one million dollar prize. Meryl studied their faces carefully until her eyes laid upon a young bespectacled man. Sensing that she was nervous, he flashed an empathetic grin at her. For some reason, this gesture comforted Meryl tremendously, almost as if he had placed an imaginary hand on her shoulder. At the very least, she was glad another player felt just as apprehensive as her.

Once the game of Survivor began, the sixteen castaways will be pitted against each other in a war of deception, betrayal, and chaos. Many dreams will be crushed. Many promises will be broken. Meryl did not look forward to these cruel aspects of the competition, yet she knew she had to conquer her fears in order to win a million dollars.

Worst case scenario, she would have to get a little ruthless.

But for now, Meryl Stryfe enjoyed her final moment of peace before the game officially began.

- - -

Standing on top of the grassy hill was Iruka Umino, the host of Survivor: Konoha. Not much was known about this youthful looking man, other than the fact that he was a schoolteacher during his everyday life. His gentle face was distinguished by a long horizontal scar above his nose. Iruka smiled cheerfully at the castaways as he jogged towards the group. In an astonishing demonstration of speed, he arrived at his destination seconds later.

"Sorry, it's the ninja blood in me." Iruka laughed, attempting to explain his agile entrance to a group of awestruck players.

His remark induced a hearty chuckled from another man in the crowd. Iruka recognized this person as a fellow native ninja from Konoha. His name was Might Guy, or more affectionately known as Guy-sensei to his students. Strong and knowledgeable, this man with the hometown advantage was the odds-on favourite to win the entire competition.

"Welcome to Konoha, home to the most legendary ninjas around the world!" Iruka chirped in a cheery voice, "You're standing on the outskirts of the village in one of its many nameless forests. Your adventure of a lifetime will take place here." The host paused as he narrowed his eyes at the castaways. "Let me remind you that Survivor is a challenging game meant to push you beyond your limits. The wilderness is full of unforgiving surprises. If you aren't careful, be prepared to face some dire consequences."

His last remark made several players worried, including Meryl, who already felt like a fish out of water. What was she doing here? Why was she putting herself through this horrible experience?

"Without further ado, let's divide the sixteen of you into two separate tribes." Iruka relaxed his facial features, allowing a more comfortable smile to appear. "The first tribe is called Jiraiya, named after the famous sannin of Konoha. The members of this tribe will always be represented by the colour orange. When I call out your name, please step forward to receive your official Survivor buff."

The first name called out was Asuka. A skinny teenage girl of German descent marched forward. With fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes, there was something intense about Asuka Langley Soryu's appearance that made her stand out in any crowd. As a child prodigy and an EVA pilot at the age of fourteen, she felt proud of the many accomplishments in her life – and she was certainly not afraid to flaunt them.

"It was only fitting that my name was called out first, as all victorious names were. And you know I've this game in the bag, right? Let's face it, does Asuka Langley Soryu sound like a losing name to you? Hmph, I didn't think so!" Asuka paused in the middle of her video confessional. She shot the camera a confident smirk, perhaps daring it to refute her claims.

The first player of Survivor: Konoha was confident to the point of her arrogance, and even her arrogance was on the borderline of sheer delusion. Nonetheless, Asuka had already proven that she would be a prominent player in this competition. One simply could not ignore her. "The momentum is already set. I'm not going to lose to anybody. This game…is mine."

Next was Bulma Briefs, a mother of two beautiful teenage children. Dressed stylishly from head to toe, the self-employed inventor and entrepreneur did not look a day over fifty. Despite her youthful appearance, Bulma was actually the oldest castaway in the game, a fact that bothered her more than it should have. The spunky middle-aged woman sauntered towards Iruka, carrying a stride that appeared oddly intimidating. After receiving a buff, she joined Asuka on the bright orange mat. The two women exchanged icy glares with each other, behaving as if they were vicious predators examining over their prey.

The third woman to join Jiriaya was Faye Valentine, a gorgeous bombshell with a smoking body that made many heads turn for a second look. The Singaporean beauty ignored their lecherous glances for now. Any woman blessed with the gene pool such as Faye was used to having men gawk at her like an exotic animal. Right now, she was more concerned about the layout of her tribe, which was shaping more and more like an exclusively female tribe. A group of women together was just troublesome, Faye concluded, although she didn't enjoy the company of men much either.

Jiraiya received its first male member in the form of a colourful character named Might Guy. His bowl-shaped haircut, accompanied by his unflattering green jumpsuit, already earned him several snickers from the other castaways. Had he not looked so tall and muscular, most people would have dismissed the boisterous Konoha ninja as an ugly joke. Nonetheless, he maintained a jovial attitude as he jogged towards Iruka and received a buff. Guy was never somebody who let other people's notions of him bring his spirits down.

"Dynamic entry to Survivor!" Guy exclaimed enthusiastically, pumping his fist high into the air. It was such an odd and out-of-the-blue remark that most players burst into simultaneous laughter. Almost everybody was laughing, except for the three women in his tribe. None of them looked particularly enthused to share a tribe with such a vibrant character. Asuka was already rolling her eyes.

As if Guy was not flamboyant enough, Harley was about to turn the theatrical dial to the maximum level. Ordinary people just walked, but he designed his entrance like it was an extraordinary spectacle. Roll out the red carpet, bring out the flash cameras, because here comes the star! Nobody could take their eyes off the Pokemon Coordinator, who thrust his hips and twisted his legs in every step. His extravagant mannerisms left an impression on all of the castaways, both favourable and judgmental. Regardless of differing responses, Harley appeared to enjoy the attention. After receiving a buff, he paraded his way to the Jiraiya mat, mumbling a singsong tune under his breath.

The next player could be described as a beanpole due to his tall and lanky structure, although Holland Novak would not appreciate the impertinent comparison. After all, he had been a renowned athlete, a military icon, and a respected leader during his prime. Yet, his balding hair and dopey blue eyes were subtle indicators that youth was slowly escaping him. Holland still carried hints of authority on his stern and rugged face though, while most castaways viewed him with either fear or respect, just as he had wanted.

Kari Kamiya was the seventh person to join the Jiraiya tribe. The moment she stepped forward, several players already dismissed her as a serious contender. They didn't expect a girl who looked so innocent and fragile would survive in such a cutthroat game. Kari was determined to prove these assumptions wrong, even if she happened to be the youngest player in Survivor: Konoha. Despite her age, she experienced her share of adventure and hazards in the Digital World that would make most others' lives pale in comparison.

"Hey, you're just dividing us alphabetically!" Kari exclaimed to the host.

"I guess you figured out the pattern, huh?" Iruka laughed as he handed the DigiDestined a bright orange buff.

"I'm the youngest castaway out here, so I come into this game with a lot of handicaps." Kari smiled faintly at the cameras. She didn't have a soft-spoken voice per se, but there was something very gentle and pleasant about her speaking pattern. "My worst fear is to be judged on the spot. I don't want my tribe to think I'm an easy scapegoat just because I'm the physically weakest person. If they do think that, my days are numbered."

Her expression grew sterner. It had crossed her mind many times that she would most likely be the first person voted off. In fact, most of her friends and family doubted she'll last more than a week. Even Kari didn't have a lot of confidence in herself, although it didn't hurt to try. This was her number one goal in this game. She was just going to try her best, no matter how far that mindset will take her. "For my strategy, I'm going to stay under the radar for a while. Don't get noticed, don't get involved, and don't give them any reason to vote me out."

Last but not least, Keitaro was the final member to step forward. He was an ordinary looking man who stumbled out of the crowd, wearing an awkward smile on his bespectacled face. In his everyday life, the twenty-year-old student worked as the manager of an all-girls dormitory. After receiving a buff, Keitaro joined the rest of his tribe on the orange mat, thus completing the Jiraiya tribe.

As Asuka scanned over her tribe members with a pair of critical eyes, she felt thoroughly unimpressed with her tribe members. The last two additions were the worst in her opinion. Kari and Keitaro looked like two weaklings who will contribute little to the tribe's physical strength. And then, there were some weirdos and a couple of old farts as well. All in all, Jiraiya resembled a gathering of misfits rather than an actual competent tribe.

I'm the only normal person here. I'll have to carry this tribe by myself. Asuka thought, already feeling a heavy burden on her shoulders.

Jiraiya was looking more and more like the losing tribe. And it was definitely not a tribe that the great Asuka Soryu Langley thought she was destined to belong.

- - -

"Now, we'll assemble the Tsunade tribe, which is named after the fifth Hokage of the Konoha village." Iruka said, while holding up a dark green buff. It was identical to what Jiraiya received other than the obvious difference in colour. "These tribe members will always be represented by the colour green. Once again, when I call out your name, please step forward to receive your buff."

The first person to join Tsunade was Kurz Weber. He was a dashing young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes. Since Survivor began, he had not taken his gaze off the women. Kurz couldn't help it – he just loved the female species. While every woman here was gorgeous in his opinion, it was the voluptuous Faye who captured his attention the most with her rockin' body. It wasn't clear whether the sensation he felt was attributed to love at first sight, or just sheer lust. Naturally, he was disappointed to be placed on a separate tribe from the beautiful bounty huntress. Nonetheless, he wore a light-hearted expression as he stepped forward and received his buff.

The next player was also a blonde, but this time she came in the form of a foxy female. Her skimpy outfit barely covered her body and left nothing to the imagination. Then again, Mai Valentine had never been a very subtle dresser. She cast a playful wink at Iruka as she sashayed towards him, attracting even more unnecessary attention onto herself. The host looked rather flustered, obviously uncomfortable with the flirtatious woman's advances. For some reason, this widened the triumphant smile on Mai's face, almost as if she had won a silent battle.

Feeling slightly less confident was Meryl Stryfe, who tried her best to look calm and collected in front of the other players. The petite insurance agent held her head high, kept her back straight, and maintained a womanly poise that few others could accomplish. She broke into a tiny nervous smile as she walked up to Iruka, because she knew the game would begin the instant she received a buff. Some of the friendly faces she saw right now might belong to the vilest people she would ever meet. Meryl only hoped that she will be prepared no matter what obstacles Survivor threw at her.

One look at Mina Aino and many people noticed that her radiant smile was beaming with positive energy. The teenager looked by far the most cheerful out of all the players, and several stern expressions loosened just by the presence of such a lively girl. However, a careful observer might recognize a flicker of mischief twinkling in her big baby blue eyes. It wasn't a malicious look, but rather it was an insightful reminder that Mina may not be as innocent as she appeared.

"I like to have fun, but I'm not your stereotypical dumb blonde." Mina winked playfully at the camera. She was on the volleyball team in high school, and would go on to become one of those sorority sisters in college. "I'm a pretty easygoing gal, so I won't have problems getting along with people on my tribe. And as clichéd as this sounds, I'm so excited to start this adventure of a lifetime! I want to make so many new friends, I want to join all the alliances possible, and I want to win the million dollars with a big smile on my face!"

After this confessional, Mina Aino, at the edge of seventeen, felt more than ready to tackle Survivor: Konoha.

The final woman to join Tsunade was Orihime Inoue, a perky redhead distinguished by her very well-endowed bosom. As she walked towards the host, some men gazed lustfully to examine her distinct physique, although several women looked on with envy as well. Orihime appeared quite oblivious to the castaways' fascination with her body. She flashed Iruka a courteous smile as she received her buff. Afterwards, she joined Meryl and the three blondes on the dark green mat.

With the latest addition, Kurz Weber suddenly found himself grinning from ear to ear at his immense luck. He was currently sandwiched in between four women, and they were absolutely gorgeous in their various sizes and forms. It took every fibre of his body to refrain from making a pass at them, even though the thought crossed his mind numerous times. The loss of Faye seemed trivial in comparison to the position he stood right now.

If Kurz could live the rest of his life with just these four beautiful women, then he would die a very, very happy man.

Kurz, however, was about to face some stiff competition in another ladies man, known as Roy Mustang. Even with an athletic body and a remarkably handsome face, Roy would have passed as another pretty boy except for one prominent feature: he was wearing an eye patch. It was worn in substitution of his left eye, which he lost during a fateful incident in his military duties. Many castaways were fascinated by his appearance, and Roy kind of enjoyed having a mystery surrounding his identity – especially if it helped with the ladies. Most women couldn't resist him with or without the eye patch anyway, considering his well-respected nickname of "The Flame Alchemist" in the military. He believed this title, which came along with power and prestige, was an attractive accessory for any man.

Long before Iruka called out the next name, Shannon Casull was already walking towards the host. The twenty-years-old swordsman would have been the most handsome person in Tsunade if he didn't look so gloomy all the time. His unenthusiastic expression alternated between indifference and mild boredom at times. He looked like a very serious guy, which contrasted with the bubbly and lively attitudes of his fellow tribe members.

Let's just get this over with. Shannon remarked dully to himself. He grabbed a buff without making any eye contact.

At last, Tsunade was complete with the final addition of Roronoa Zolo, who marched towards the host in impatient strides. He was not somebody who enjoyed waiting, nor did he think his name deserved to be called out last. Just by looking at his unpleasant scowl and his muscular (yet intimidating) physique, it seemed natural to assume that Zolo won't be an approachable type of guy. And if the castaways were smart, they would not make this guy their enemy.

"We have our two tribes, Jiraiya and Tsunade, eight members each." Iruka clapped his hands together conclusively. "Both tribes will be living in separate but identical camps. Jiraiya, your camp is located at the east. Tsunade, yours is in the west. To guide you through the forest, here are your maps and compasses." The host handed said items to Asuka and Kurz respectively. "There's one more thing I'd like to address before I send you guys away."

A mischievous smile crossed Iruka's face. He clapped his hands again. "Hidden in each campsite is an immunity idol. I can't reveal its exact location, but I can tell you that it'll add an interesting dynamic to the game. Whoever finds it may use the idol at tribal council, right after the votes have been read. The votes for said person will be dismissed, and whoever has the next highest number of votes will be sent home instead. In other words, it's a free get-out-of-jail card. It may be used at any tribal council up until the final four."

Mumbles of excitement broke out amongst the crowd, but Iruka shushed them so that he could continue with his instructions.

"Anyway, you'll find the necessary equipments when you arrive at your campsites. Just don't expect us to be generous." Iruka's smile darkened. "And one piece of advice – you better trek through the forest quickly before the sun sets. Who knows what lurks in the forest when night strikes?"

Iruka gave the sixteen players a casual shrug.

"That's it. I have nothing else for you. Good luck."

The castaways remained motionless for a while. They still expected the host to elaborate on his vague instructions. However, all Iruka offered was a friendly smile and nothing more. True to the game's motto, they would receive minimal assistance from the Survivor production team. If the castaways wanted to survive in this game, they would have to rely solely on themselves.

"All of us just stood there, staring at each other with no idea what to do next. We thought Iruka would give us more assistance, or at least a little nudge in the right direction. But that's it, no help at all." Meryl laughed, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she recalled what had happened. "And at that moment, I was like…oh crap, what have I gotten myself into? I'm not cut out for this game. To be honest, I'd be surprised if I'm not voted out first."

She continued shaking her head, but she eventually looked up at the camera with an anxious smile. "But you know what? I'm a resourceful woman. I can find a way to survive out here. And if one way doesn't work out, I'll just try another. So yeah, I'm ready for Survivor. A little nervous, but I'm ready. Bring it on."

- - -

DAY 1

According to Asuka Soryu Langley, the Survivor gods must have hated her. Why else would they put her in Jiraiya, otherwise known as the pitiful excuse of a tribe?

As far as the moody teenager was concerned, she was stuck in what felt like the worst tribe ever in Survivor history. She hated the name, she hated the colour, and most of all she hated her tribe members. Asuka didn't even know these people yet, but she already decided that everything and everybody in this tribe were worthy of her contempt. While Tsunade had the stronger, smarter, and infinitely more attractive people, Jiraiya consisted of the leftovers that nobody wanted. They were the old and the useless. Team freaks and geeks. The bad, the worse, and the ugliest.

Why couldn't she be part of the other tribe? Why did life have to be so unfair?

Asuka made these dismissive assumptions about her tribe based on shallow first impressions and physical appearances. She grew frustrated when the old woman Bulma first joined the tribe, cringed when the ugly abomination Guy joined afterwards, and almost cried when the obvious cannon fodder Keitaro rounded out the freak show. This did not resemble a successful tribe in any shape or form. This was not a tribe destined for victories or successes. This was not her tribe.

Given her apparent contempt for Jiraiya, it was no surprise that Asuka made her first enemy five minutes into the game.

This development came as no surprise to anybody acquainted with the fiery teenager. She had a short temper, a sharp tongue, and an irritable personality all rolled up in one mean little package. In other words, it was already difficult enough to get along with Asuka under normal circumstances, but her flaws were magnified tenfold in the game of Survivor. The producers knowingly cast her as a train wreck character, somebody who will crash and burn as soon as the game began. And much to their delight, Asuka did not disappoint. She lived up to their expectations by getting into a heated argument early in the first morning, probably before the cameras began rolling.

It all started when fellow tribe member Bulma accidentally dropped the compass on the ground.

"Oh shit." Bulma winced a little. She quickly picked up the compass and examined the cracked glass. The inventor then looked at her tribe members with a sheepish smile. "I think it's broken. Sorry guys."

For the most part, the Jiraiya tribe was quick to forget and forgive her mistake. Sure, they were a little annoyed with what just happened, but it was the first day and everybody wanted to play the diplomatic game. Of course they were going to pretend it wasn't a big deal, even though Bulma just broke a very crucial item. Nobody was going to get angry. Nobody was going to yell at her. Nobody was going to snap and make a bad first impression. These people had enough social skills, or at least enough common sense, to understand the way they should behave in a group of strangers.

Unfortunately, nobody passed the memo to the socially inept Asuka.

"Who let the old lady hold the compass in the first place?" Asuka muttered sarcastically. It was meant to be a quiet snide remark, but she was far from discreet when she said it. Of course Bulma heard what her comment. Everybody in the tribe heard it.

"Hey, we all make mistakes sometimes, alright?" Bulma shot the teenager an annoyed glance. Old lady? Who was she calling old?

"No. Not all of us." Asuka smirked a little.

The remark was underhanded, but still harmless to a certain degree. A regular person – a happy, forgiving individual – could have laughed it off and not pursue the matter any further. Of course, Bulma did anything but that. She couldn't just pretend that she didn't hear what Asuka said behind her back, or worse, said directly to her face. She couldn't just turn the other cheek. She couldn't just keep her mouth close and not retort back.

Because like Asuka, the volatile Bulma Briefs was another train wreck waiting to happen. The Survivor producers purposely put the two most dynamic personalities on the same tribe and waited for the fireworks to crackle from there. Of course, they got what they wanted as soon as the game started.

"It was just an accident!" Bulma snapped.

"Now, it turned into an excuse." Asuka rolled her eyes.

"You're the only one who's making a big deal out of it." Bulma shot her a dirty look.

"Of course it's a big deal! How are we going to find our camp!?" Asuka exclaimed, clearly annoyed. "What were you doing with the compass in the first place!? You have no idea where we're going!"

"I was trying to help with the directions!" Bulma raised her voice at the teenager.

This exchange continued for quite a while. The two women just bickered back and forth between each other, talking a lot of smack, but neither made a whole lot of sense. As their voices raised and the insults grew more frequent, the other six tribe members looked on with concern. Well, some of them were amused with the seemingly pointless argument, but there were a few others who got a little fed up with the two harpies. Holland, in particular, was quickly losing his patience with both Asuka and Bulma. He thought their energy could be diverted to a more worthwhile cause.

"Okay, time out." Holland sighed as he stepped in between the two women. They both looked up at him, somewhat frustrated. "This argument is getting us nowhere."

"She started it." Asuka immediately pointed her finger at the inventor.

"You started it, you devil girl!" Bulma hissed back.

"For crying out loud, will you two give it a rest already!?" Holland's authoritative voice silenced the two women immediately. A few people standing behind him snickered. "It's way too early for this shit. If you guys want to argue with each other, do it at a place where we can't hear your voices." He paused for a brief moment before adding, rather exasperatedly, "Please. Not right now. I didn't have my morning coffee. I'm not in the mood right now."

Asuka's lips pouted. Bulma frowned. Neither woman looked very content at the moment, but they were willing to compromise. Looking back, they were arguing over essentially nothing. May be Holland was right. May be they can settle their differences later. Besides, they weren't doing themselves any favours to the rest of the tribe. Any further arguments will only put a larger target on their backs.

"I swear, some people are trying to lose Survivor as quickly as possible. Asuka and Bulma seem to be in a race to see who can be the first person voted out of the tribe. They aren't playing smart at all. It's like they aren't even playing a game." Holland deadpanned. "Honestly, if I wanted to hear a woman nag, I would've stayed home and listen to my wife bitch at me for leaving home to live in some strange forest. And at least with Talho, we have great make-up sex afterwards, so the arguing is worth it!"

He broke into an uncharacteristic grin. It was usually difficult to provoke any positive emotion from the Gekko State leader, but talking about his wife was one subject that always made him smile.

"These women? They're torment to our ears twenty-four-seven! How can Jiraiya accomplish anything if we just bicker all the time?" A wry smile crossed his face. "Man, these people need to pull their shit together, or our whole tribe will go down in flames."

"Here's what we need to do. Give me the compass." Holland instructed. Bulma was more than happy to pass the item to the grey-haired man. He examined it for a few moments and nodded his head. "Just as I thought. The glass may be cracked, but the thing still works." He shot Asuka and Bulma a glance. "We can still use the compass. Crisis averted."

Asuka and Bulma stared at each other, looking dumbfounded. Their other tribe members just smiled.

"Whatever you say, leader!" Guy exclaimed.

"It sounds like a plan!" Keitaro nodded his head a few times excitedly, eager to please.

"Works for me." Faye shrugged her shoulders.

"Yep. You're the boss." Kari chimed in.

"Holland, you're so sexy when you're being smart!" Harley added with a jovial grin.

One by one, every tribe member followed suit with their words of consent. These people were just happy that the bickering had ceased, and they could have some relative peace early in the morning. Holland certainly seemed like a capable man who knew what he was doing. The whole tribe trusted him to make all the decisions around camp.

"Let's be more careful next time." Holland glanced at his tribe members.

They all nodded their heads obediently.

Just like that, a new leader had emerged in the group.

Following closely behind him were five others, all of whom felt content to obey his commands for now.

Then, there were Asuka and Bulma, who – after putting their petty conflict aside – realized they were the outsiders in the newly united Jiraiya tribe.

And on the first day of Survivor: Konoha, a definite pecking order was already set in stone.

- - -

Jiraiya was off to a prosperous start under the effective and efficient leadership of one Holland Novak. Once he was in possession of the tribe's map and compass, he led the group to their destination without getting lost even once. The hike would have seemed confusing and complicated to most ordinary people, but Holland's keen sense of direction was unrivalled by no other. A few of his tribe members joked that all he did was point his finger in the right direction, and he located their campsite right away.

"I thought the beginning would be a lot more difficult, but Holland did a splendid job!" Guy gushed to a nearby camera. By all means, the Konoha ninja should have been the one to lead the tribe through his homeland, but he willingly gave up the leadership role to a far more worthy candidate. Besides, as the physically strongest person here, Guy knew he could contribute in a different manner. "And it wasn't like he was bossy or anything. He consoled us at times, and he made sure nobody got left behind. Leadership just comes naturally for Holland. To be honest, I'm pretty awestruck by him. He possesses the springtime of youth!"

Guy was not the only person to sing praises about the self-appointed leader. Within the first hour of the game, almost everybody had fallen under the spell of Holland in one way or another. It was difficult to dislike somebody who knew exactly what he was doing. When Jiraiya arrived at their campsite, Holland didn't waste any time delegating the important tasks among his tribe members.

You two, find the water hole!

Faye and Harley mock saluted their leader and departed right away.

You and you and you, work on the fire!

Asuka, Bulma, and Kari rummaged through their camp supplies and found a box of matches.

The rest of us, let's put up a shelter before the sun goes down!

And the remaining three men did exactly that.

Some people were born natural leaders. Holland Novak was one of them. At the age of thirty, he was the second oldest castaway in the game, and arguably the most mature person out of everybody. A wise and serious man, the way he conducted himself often commanded respect from others. Whenever he spoke, people listened. Whenever he led, people followed. And whenever he commanded, people obeyed. In the first few hours of Survivor: Konoha, Holland was already established as the much admired captain of Jiraiya. Nobody else had any objections with this arrangement.

Except Asuka.

Once again, the moody teenager managed to create another conflict – with the same person, nonetheless.

It all started because of the fire. Or more specifically, it started because Jiraiya did not have one yet. By all means, they should have started a fire already. After all, they were given a box of matches – a luxury that few other tribes in Survivor ever received. In addition, they assigned two of their brightest tribe members to the task at hand. Bulma, the self-employed inventor, wanted to worm back into her tribe's good graces after a disastrous start, so she volunteered to work on the fire by herself. "Give me thirty minute, tops." Bulma had boasted. She invented far more complicated devices and machines back at home. Building this fire should have been a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, Asuka volunteered as well. The feisty teenage prodigy also thought that she could redeem herself by building the fire. Let's not take into account that she had no experience outdoors whatsoever, but Asuka assumed her natural intelligence will take over and get the task done. At least she was intelligent enough to understand that if Bulma started this fire, then Asuka would be the one clear and definite target in the tribe. And by then, she might as well sign her death warrant at the next tribal council.

"I'm not letting you take credit for this." Asuka said tersely. She withheld the box of matches from her mortal enemy. "Don't fight me. I'm going to start the fire."

"This is so stupid! You don't even know how to make fire!" Bulma exclaimed in frustration.

"Like you do?" Asuka snarled.

"Yes, I do! I practised before coming here!" Bulma might be a city girl, but she made the necessary preparations so that she wouldn't be totally helpless in the wilderness. "Now, give up the matches, you devil girl. Don't be a child. You're just hurting the whole tribe."

Asuka shook her head. She refused to surrender ownership of the matches that weren't even hers to begin with. She was defensive. She was angry. She was confused. But she was definitely not stupid, because she couldn't let Bulma get off the hook this easily. Asuka was already thinking ahead about the next tribal council. If she was going down, then she made sure she had company.

"I call her the 'devil girl' because I believe Asuka is the reincarnation of Satan. I see no difference between the two. She must be born in the deepest stage of hell." Bulma went on an angry and bitter tirade about her mortal enemy in her confessional. She never intended to make any enemies in the game, especially not on the first day. "That petulant child is doing everything to spite me. I think she knows the damage is already done, and she's already an enormous target to everyone, so she's dragging me down with her. She is my sworn enemy!"

The middle-aged inventor wanted to scream out loud. The worst part was that she couldn't vent her frustrations to anybody else in her tribe. It was the second day, and her tribe members already had a bad impression of both women. She couldn't alienate herself even more by nagging and complaining even more about Asuka. So, venting to the camera was the next best consolation. "You know, I was going to come in here and do the usual Survivor thing. I was going to make alliances, get along with everyone, and then win the million dollars. Now that strategy is thrown out the window, and it's all because of one stupid girl who has a bone to pick with me." She wore a frustrated smile on her face as she shook her head. "This sucks! This isn't how my game is supposed to go…"

"I can't believe they're fighting over something so pointless."

That snide remark came from none other than Faye Valentine. She was observing the tribe's progress (or lack thereof) from a safe distance. If Holland was here, he would have broken up this silly argument in a matter of seconds. However, the self-appointed leader was too busy constructing the shelter at the moment. And so, while he was collecting materials and resources in the forest, Faye watched these two terrible women immerse in yet another verbal confrontation. Their arguments were amusing at first, but now they became downright annoying. They must have no idea how grating their voices sounded when they bicker.

As far as Faye was concerned, it didn't really matter who started the fire. Regardless, Asuka and Bulma were destined to be the first two people voted out of Jiraiya. They pretty much sealed their own fates on the first day.

"I know, right? So much drama!" Harley laughed, turning his head towards the bounty huntress. He, too, was watching the argument from a safe distance. "Should we do something to stop them?"

"Nah. Let's just watch them make idiots out of themselves." Faye grinned cheekily.

"I like the way you think." Harley was also grinning.

They were a pair made in heaven. Faye and Harley gravitated towards each other from the moment they first met. They weren't too sure how it happened, but the chemistry was obviously there. She was pretty fabulous, and he was plenty of fabulous as well. They shared the same sense of humour, almost the same interests, and definitely the same tastes in men. Once the two of them discovered so many similarities in each other, they had been inseparable ever since. In fact, Faye and Harley had become friends almost as quickly as Asuka and Bulma had become enemies.

"So, how are you holding up so far?" Faye asked, casting a sideway glance at her new buddy.

"I'm cold, I'm hungry, and I'm tired of listening to those two bitches argue over a box of matches. But other than that, I'm feeling fantastic!" Harley feigned a fake smile. But in all seriousness, the Pokemon Coordinator was amazed that he hadn't fallen apart just yet. He hated to be a walking stereotype, but he wasn't the most athletic person in the world. He didn't like roughing it outdoors, and he pretty much hated every aspect of Survivor other than the million dollars. He was another one of those people who feared that he will get voted off right away. Harley, however, counted his blessings that he was on the same tribe as Asuka and Bulma, because those were two tribal councils he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

"It's only going to get worse, you know." Faye smirked a little.

"It already feels like the worst." Harley buried his face into his hands. He laughed, shakily. "I miss my bed, I miss my clothes, I miss my television, I miss my refrigerator, I miss my cell phone, I miss sushi, I miss sex. I can't believe I signed up for this stupid game. What am I even doing here? I have no survival skills whatsoever. And I don't care if I'm rambling on and on, because I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown. Oh wait, I'm already having one!"

When he stopped talking, Faye and Harley exchanged glances with each other. For a brief moment, neither of them knew what to say.

"Dude, it's only the first day." Faye deadpanned. She put an arm over his shoulder. "Get a grip."

"God, I'm so glad I met you." Harley laughed again.

- - -

Keitaro Urashima felt a little embarrassed to pee in the forest. He had been holding in his bladder for a few hours now, but it was only a matter of time before he had to come face-to-face with his personal predicament. Holland, bless him, had given Keitaro some swift and efficient advice – "Just find some spot, let it all flow out, and then pull up your zipper once you're done." But it was easier said than done, especially when they were surrounded by so many people and cameras. In the end, the shy college student trekked deep into the forest until he was sure he was completely secluded. He then urinated in a bush, let out a huge sigh of relief, and made his way back to camp.

But then, he got lost.

He did not know how long he wandered aimlessly in the forest, but the sun was setting and Keitaro was beginning to panic. Now he understood why the Survivor producers warned everyone not to venture too deep into the forest, or at least not without the company of another person. Keitaro obviously did not pay any attention to the advice. He thought these things could happen to everybody else but him. Looking back, that had been a foolish presumption. The clumsy college student had been one of the unluckiest people alive. Of course the worst things happened to him. Of course they did. After all, he was Keitaro Uriashima, the barrier of extremely bad luck.

And now, he was alone in the forest with no idea where to go next. Holland might have been an excellent navigator, but Keitaro lacked any sense of direction whatsoever. He got lost finding the bathroom on his university campus, let alone a forest in the middle of nowhere. Every single tree looked identical in his opinion. He had no idea whether or not he was making progress. If only he had a compass and map with him. Better yet, if only he had the common sense to pee in a familiar location, this would have never happened to him.

He tripped and cut his knee on a branch. Of course he did. He was the unluckiest guy alive. Bad luck didn't just follow him. It plagued his every waking moment, from his academic career to his romantic life. He thought he was unsuccessful on all accounts.

As Keitaro pulled himself from the ground, he noticed that he had tripped over a shrub full of berries. Curiously, he leaned forward to examine these foreign looking fruits. He had never seen this type of fruit before, which looked like an odd mix between an oversized cherry and a deformed strawberry. Whatever it was, Keitaro thought it looked extremely edible. He was hungry, and he did not know how much longer he will be lost in the forest. So, he picked off a few berries and stuffed them in his pocket. These will do for now to satisfy his appetite.

The Survivor production team also warned the players not everything in the forest was edible. Apparently, Keitaro didn't pay any attention that lesson either.

By the time Keitaro finally found his campsite (to an oblivious tribe that had not even noticed his absence), his pocket was almost empty. It had been a long, tiring journey. Eating the berries helped soothe Keitaro's nerves while he was lost. Plus, the berries were pretty juicy, which kept him hydrated along the way. Happy about his discovery, Keitaro decided to share his remaining berries to his tribe members.

"But they're poisonous." Guy stated in a matter-of-fact voice. He took one look at the berries in Keitaro's hand and immediately identified them as one of the deadliest fruits in Konoha. "The stuff isn't fatal, but it can give you a massive stomach ache for days." He carefully opened one of the berries to demonstrate his point. "See here? These seeds are poisonous, and they spread out until the entire fruit is contaminated. One little nibble, and you're done for!"

"I vaguely remember these berries during the prep talk." Holland nodded his head in agreement.

"Wait, you didn't actually eat any of these berries, right?" Guy asked, raising an eyebrow. When no response came the college student, he dropped his jaw in shock. "Oh no."

"Oh no!" Kari echoed, displaying some genuine concern for her tribe member.

"Oh no…" Holland sighed, shaking his head as he pondered over what consequences this action will bring to the team.

"Oh no indeed." Faye said, with a look of amusement on her face. It seemed like that was the only response Jiraiya had at the moment.

Keitaro dropped his head in shame. He ate the berries. More than one too. Of course he did. He was the unluckiest guy alive. These unfortunate events can only happen to him. The worst things always happened to him. Soon, his stomach growled thunderously as the effects of poison kicked in. He felt a sudden urge to use the restroom again. But this time, Keitaro needed to do a number two.

"I'm an idiot. I ate some poisonous berries in the forest and I'm not feeling too well right now. Yeah, I know. I'm an idiot." Keitaro's voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. He was red in the face too, although it was unclear if he was just embarrassed or if he was hurting that much. "This is a lesson to everyone out there. Don't put anything you can't trust in your mouth. I learned it the hard way." He smiled faintly at the camera. "I doubt anyone will be as stupid as me. I wouldn't wish this kind of pain on my worst enemy…"

But if Keitaro knew what was about to happen in Tsunade, he might somehow enjoy the irony.

- - -

Despite Asuka's high expectations of them, the Tsunade tribe struggled right from the start. Within the first few minutes of their hike, they got lost. Even with a functional compass in their possession, they couldn't distinguish between east and west. And for the past few hours or so, the eight of them had been walking around the forest in circles. Kurz Weber, the unlucky man who volunteered to read the map, felt increasingly doubtful about his capabilities. Meanwhile, Roy and Shannon also struggled to get an accurate reading from their compass, so they shouldered part of the blame as well. This isn't a good start. Kurz thought to himself. From his experience as a sergeant, he knew if his navigation skills had been this poor in the battlefield, he'd be slaughtered by the enemy.

"You guys, we're officially lost." Kurz turned to his tribe members with a sigh.

"Next you'll be telling us the sky is officially blue." Roy deadpanned.

"Good one. I like that dry sense of humour." Kurz smiled weakly at the one-eyed colonel. He sighed again. "Why…why…why does every single tree in this forest look the same?"

After a third sigh, Kurz studied the map once more. The Konoha landscape was quite rocky, with many of the forests located on small hills and gentle slopes that surrounded the area. This unique geography led to many interesting wildlife and breathtaking scenery, but it also made navigating a troublesome chore. Since the map only contained a basic overview of the forest, pinpointing their exact location was a nearly impossible task. On many occasions, Kurz felt an urge to crumple the piece of paper and toss it aside, just like a piece of garbage he thought it was.

When Kurz Weber got frustrated, he didn't yell at people or make snide remarks like some may have done. He considered himself a pretty positive, happy-go-lucky person, so he tried to look on the bright side of things. Instead of getting angry, he diverted his attention elsewhere. And by 'elsewhere', what Kurz really meant was the ladies. It was always about the ladies with him, first and foremost.

"Are any of you girls tired yet? Do you want to take a break?" Kurz asked, turning around to address the four women.

"Nope, I'm feeling just peachy!" Mina giggled.

"I think we'll find our camp soon." Orihime added with an optimistic nod.

"We got some strong girls on our tribe, huh?" Kurz laughed. He gave the two teenage girls a playful wink. "Don't you worry, ladies! I'll make it my personal mission to guide you out of this forest, safe and sound!"

"Keep your eyes on the map, Weber. Not the girls." Shannon muttered in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kurz groaned. His gaze reluctantly returned to the map once again. He was, however, distracted by another woman moments later. Mai Valentine seemed to have taken an interest in the handsome blonde pilot. She leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder.

"This might be a stupid question, but do you have a girlfriend?" Mai asked.

"Nah, I'm an eligible bachelor right here!" Kurz patted himself proudly on his chest. He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "Why? Are you interested in starting a little something-something with me?" He broke into a cheesy grin. "Hey baby, I'm like a convenience store, open for service twenty-four-seven."

A few of the girls burst out into giggles.

"Just wondering. I thought I could smell the most desperation reeking from you." Mai said jokingly.

"Oooh, burn!" Mina laughed.

"Kurz made a lot of passes to the women today and it's only the first day. He's a little immature for my tastes, but I suppose it's just harmless flirting." Mai, who was a natural flirt herself, had already thoroughly analyzed the four men in her tribe. Kurz was the one who intrigued her in particular. "Still, it's very obvious that he thinks more with his pants than with that little brain in his head. That's perfectly fine with me though, because those types of men are the easiest to manipulate."

She smiled sheepishly at the camera, behaving as if she was a guilty child who had just said something naughty. "I can't wait until I get my hands on Kurz Weber. He'll be left a shell of a man when I'm through with him."

Meet Mai Valentine, twenty four years old; likes candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach, cologne on a man's neck, and money in his wallet. By a strange coincidence, her Survivor application was eerily similar to her online dating profile. Hence, she came into this game with only two objectives: either she was going to win the million dollars, or she was going to hook up with the man who does.

Kurz might have been able to charm most of the females in his tribe, but there was one woman who did not appear impressed with his antics. In fact, Meryl Stryfe had been in an irritable mood since the start of the hike. She cannot believe they had not arrived at their campsite yet, after so many hours of trekking through the forest. In her mind, the sun was setting soon, and they didn't have fire, nor water, nor shelter. Tsunade didn't have any of the three key necessities. And quite frankly, Meryl was afraid that they might die out here on the first day.

"Take it eee-easy, Meryl! Just relax! This isn't a sprint. Survival is a thirty nine day marathon…" Kurz had told her with a casual smile, hoping to reassure the petite woman's fears.

"But we're lost in the middle of nowhere! How can I stay calm!?" Meryl had exclaimed, struck with panic.

"With that attitude, you're going to have a panic attack any minute now." Kurz joked.

Meryl shot him a contemptuous glare. She didn't find his remark very amusing. For the few hours she knew him, she didn't think anything out of Kurz's mouth was intelligent or reassuring. He had such a laid-back and free-spirited personality, which drastically clashed with her far more practical outlook towards life. Plus, he was a bit of a pervert, and she had caught him several times looking at the women in all the wrong ways. In short, he was the type of guy Meryl normally despised.

Here was the problem. Everybody else in the Tsunade tribe liked Kurz Weber. Or at least they weren't annoyed by his behaviour just yet. The same could not be said about Meryl, who already got on a few people's nerves. They called her 'bossypants' behind her back. They even went out of their ways to avoid contact with her if possible. Unfortunately, Meryl did not catch the hint. And unaware of how she was coming across to her tribe members, the petite insurance agent was about to dig her grave even deeper.

"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction? I'm pretty sure west is this way." Meryl said, gesturing her hand towards her right. "Just look at where the sun is."

"I know how to use a compass." Shannon quipped.

Meryl shrugged her shoulders, but she didn't seemed convinced that she was wrong. She knew men too well and how keen they were to protect their bruised egos. The feisty insurance agent was growing frustrated with her tribe's lack of progress. All responsibility fell on the three macho men, who insisted on leading their tribe at the beginning, yet they proved to be surprisingly inept. In her opinion, navigating in this forest should be very straightforward. They had a map, a compass, and just five kilometres to go. How difficult could it be? The futility of the men's efforts seemed so pathetic and laughable that Meryl just wanted to lash out at their incompetence. Give them a piece of her mind, so to speak.

"Let the women try. We can't do any worse than this." Meryl suggested. She turned towards the other females for their support. They, along with Zolo, had been traveling quietly at the back of the pack while the there men led them to nowhere. This felt like time for a change.

"She's right, you know. We've been walking around in circles for a while now." Mai added.

"Do we even know where we are?" Mina asked, scratching her head.

"What is this? A rebellion!? On the first day?" Kurz chuckled.

"It's not a rebellion. We're just speaking our minds." Meryl replied in a rather snippy manner. She found the blonde's light-hearted comment offensive for some reason. He spoke in a tone that almost implied he didn't treat her seriously. It was the sort of attitude that really infuriated the insurance agent.

"Can you read a map?" Roy asked.

"Of course I do! It's a map, how difficult can it be?" Meryl made a face. Can she read a map? What kind of question was that? She almost felt like her intelligence was insulted. The guys must have perceived her as a numbskull or something. "Even if I don't know, I can always learn!"

"Less talking, more progress please." Shannon noted dully. The quiet swordsman continued to march forward despite Meryl's protests. Feeling too exhausted to prolong a pointless argument in the middle of nowhere, the rest of the tribe just followed his lead anyway, much to Meryl's chagrin.

Unfortunately, Meryl just did not know when to let go of a losing battle.

"Hey, hold on for a minute!" Meryl exclaimed, clearly annoyed with her tribe members. "I just suggested something! Don't ignore me like that!"

Several people groaned in the background. For the most part, Tsunade was an easygoing tribe that got along with each other rather effortlessly. After all, these people were in good spirits even after getting lost in the forest for hours. They were still joking and laughing like friendly acquaintances. But Meryl, who was a little more anxious, a little more neurotic, and a little more high-strung than her fellow tribe members, stood out like a sore thumb. She already showed a bossy side during the hike, but she became even more annoying with each passing minute. It was a wonder that nobody snapped at her yet, although a few of them felt tempted.

"We're lost, we're exhausted, and the last thing we need is Meryl complaining about what we already know." Shannon spoke dully in his confessional. "She needs to watch her mouth before she speaks. It's cliché, but it's a motto that can go a long way in this game."

"Meryl, we just want to arrive at camp in relative peace. It's cold, we're tired, and everyone is managing the best as we could." Kurz sighed. Even he could not maintain that jolly, carefree attitude all the time. "You're right, the sun is setting soon, and we don't have a lot of daylight left. So, let's not argue about this, okay?"

"I just want to help!" Meryl insisted.

"Well, you aren't helping right now with all that lip." Zolo snapped back immediately.

"May be you guys don't know how to read a map," said Meryl.

"Or may be you don't know how to shut up, woman." Zolo muttered under his breath. A few other men heard this comment and snickered. Meryl, however, could only distinguish several words in his speech. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the tanned pirate, yet she said nothing more.

"Heyyyyy guys! Look what I found!"

Everyone turned their attention towards a chipper voice at the back of the pack. It belonged to Mina, who sensed a forthcoming conflict among her tribe members, and thus tried to divert everyone's attention towards a berry shrub she found in the forest. When Mina first caught notice of it, she thought she had struck a potential goldmine.

"Food!" Mina exclaimed happily. For a tribe that had not eaten anything in the past couple of hours, this was indeed an exciting discovery.

Unfortunately, not everybody in her tribe shared the same enthusiasm.

"They look dodgy." Shannon muttered as he examined one of the berries with his hand.

"Aww, you're no fun." Mina pouted, looking a bit crestfallen. She turned to her other tribe members for their support. "C'mon, you guys! Survivor is all about taking risks and embarking on new adventures! It's just a few berries! What's the worst that could happen!?"

"We could all be dead by the next morning." Shannon deadpanned. A few people laughed, somewhat nervously.

Without the support of her tribe members, Mina would have given up on her discovery had she not found an unlikely ally in the group. Meryl, who was irked that she got ignored once again, raised a noticeable objection all of a sudden. Several men groaned in unison. They already grew sick of listening to that bossy, high-pitched voice. What now, Meryl? What now?

"You know, I'm really tired of you guys bossing us around. It's one thing if you actually produced some results, but as far as I can see, you've accomplished nothing for the tribe. All of your intuitions so far have been wrong." Meryl just could not hold back her feelings any longer. "If Mina wants us to eat the berries, then who are you to stop her?"

"Okay, you eat it then. You die first." Shannon said humourlessly.

"May be I will eat it. Just to show that you guys know absolutely nothing about this place." Meryl spat back.

And in the heat of the moment, she did exactly that. Meryl picked off one of the berries and shoved it into her mouth. The other players watched with awe as she slowly chewed the fruit into pieces. Her smile grew more and more confident as she chewed. When she swallowed it whole, a few players sighed in relief. Mina, in particular, had the most delighted reaction. She followed Meryl's example and also ate a berry, just like she had wanted from the beginning.

"See, nothing happened. We're still in one piece." Meryl looked up at her tribe members with a grin.

"And the taste is actually pretty good!" Mina added enthusiastically, "It's sweet, but not too sweet. Oh my goodness, it's like the best thing I've eaten since I got here. It's the only thing I've eaten, but still." She giggled a little. "You guys have to give it a try!"

"You're going to regret that." Shannon warned. "They could be poisonous for all you know. I can't believe you'd put your life in danger like that."

But nobody paid any attention to the grumpy swordsman. With approval from Meryl and Mina, most of the players felt their living testimonies were enough evidence that the berries were edible. One by one, they disregarded Shannon's earlier warning and grabbed a handful of berries from the shrub. Only Shannon himself refused to participate. He was too stubborn to admit that he could possibly be wrong about these foreign berries.

"It tastes a little like mango and a little like papaya!" Orihime squealed in delight. "And it has some watermelon and coconut flair in it too!"

"Oh, it's scrumptious! Great find, Mina!" Meryl added.

"In honour of the girl who made the discovery, I propose we name these berries…Minaberries!" Kurz laughed.

"Minaberries…" Mina repeated the word to herself before a huge grin emerged from her face. "I like it!"

While their tribe members feasted on the new discovery, Shannon grumpily turned away. If anything happened to these knuckleheads, he would be more than willing to tell them: "I told you so." But until that actually happened, he was forced to admit defeat. He reluctantly surrendered his compass over to Meryl, who took one look at the device and guided the group in a completely different direction.

"We have been going the wrong way." Meryl snapped her fingers. She shot a quick glare at the men before she gazed down at the compass again. "Follow me."

"I can think of at least one story where people who ate the forbidden fruit were punished. It might be a bit presumptuous of me to compare Tsunade to Eden, because I know we aren't living in a paradise. Mina doesn't realize that though, but I refuse to be the Adam to her Eve." Shannon muttered to the camera. "I'm more disappointed in my tribe members for taking the advice of a seventeen-years-old city girl who can barely find her feet around here. What were they thinking?"

He spoke in such a deadpan manner that it almost sounded humorous, even though it was obvious that Shannon was being absolutely serious with his words. He ended his confessional by shaking his head, almost as if he had given up on his tribe. "They're fools, all of them. All fools."

- - -

It took another hour before Tsunade finally arrived at their campsite, stumbling upon it by dumb luck. Contrary to popular belief, Meryl had not been leading them in the right direction, although she will take full credit for this feat anyway. Their camp was located in a small grassy clearing, secluded discreetly in the forest and also secluded from most dangerous predators. They knew they found the right place due to the presence of a dark green Tsunade flag. This was the location where they will live for the next thirty nine days or so. This was home. More importantly, this was their home.

Mina Aino couldn't stop herself from smiling. She had no real reason to feel so pleased, but she was just a naturally happy person. The blonde teenager felt so excited to settle at the new campsite. For her, it marked the beginning of a very precious adventure, and she couldn't wait to get started! All the good friends she will make, all the breathtaking sights she will witness, all the thrills and joy she will experience. The actual game seemed even more fun than how it came across on the show. Mina not only looked forward to every gritty aspect of Survivor, she fully embraced it with all her heart.

"I really like it here!" Mina exclaimed cheerfully.

"Me too!" Orihime giggled.

"I thought we'd be living in trenches and fighting a swarm of insects as we speak, so this place is way better than what I expected. It's quite a nice camp." Mina smiled, nodding her head a few times. "What a relaxing atmosphere. I can get used to it here!"

"Hey now, don't get too comfortable. You may not stay here for long." Roy remarked, to which the blonde responded by punching him playfully in his arm.

"It's true though." Mina lowered her voice to almost a whisper. In a tribe with four strong athletic men (a fact that she noticed right away), she naturally felt like one of the weaker and more vulnerable tribe members. "I'm a little scared. I don't want to be the first to go. I really don't."

"As long as the bossypants is in our tribe, no one is going anywhere in tribal council." Zolo grumbled.

Without mentioning any names or pointing any fingers, everybody in proximity had already identified said person. Meryl may have led her tribe to the campsite through sheer luck, but she had not won herself any favours in the social aspects of the game. Nothing had changed from the hike. It just confirmed everybody's suspicions that she was a bossy son of a bitch. So, when Meryl asked for another person to accompany her to find the water hole, nobody volunteered. In the end, Mai reluctantly tagged along, but only because she felt sorry for the poor woman. The other six tribe members just shook their heads and sighed. Poor Mai. She took one for the team.

"You're coming on too strong. Not a lot of people like you right now. First impressions, you're either too annoying or too bossy. May be both." Mai warned.

What started as an innocent trip to the water hole turned into a startling reality check for Meryl. During their girly talk, Mai had informed the petite insurance agent about how she was coming across to the tribe. And Meryl, poor Meryl, was shocked that she was already on the chopping block due to her aggressive personality. She had no idea!

"Just tone it down a bit." Mai wasn't too good at giving out advice, so she kept her warning short and sweet. "Don't be so mouthy, you know?"

"I'm entitled to my opinion." Meryl's expression stiffened. She looked somewhat hurt.

"Look, I'm only telling you this because I'm sorta fond of you. I like your attitude, but it's rubbing everyone else the wrong way." Mai shrugged her shoulders. Since they were around the same age, and both women had an assertive streak, the blonde thought she could relate to Meryl on a certain level. "I don't want to see you walk right into your doom."

"Thanks, I guess." Meryl winced a little. She didn't know how to respond. How should she respond after discovering everybody else hated her guts? "I'll be more careful from now on."

"Hey, chin up! Us strong sisters got to stick together!" Mai grinned. The petite woman smiled back, albeit apprehensively, but it was a smile nonetheless.

Meryl Stryfe somehow made herself into the public enemy on Day 1. Thanks to a helpful warning, she had two days to recover from a bad first impression, perhaps more if Tsunade won the first immunity challenge. Worst case scenario, she might find herself on the chopping block at the next tribal council. But there was still time. There was still an opportunity for a comeback. Meryl remained optimistic even if the odds were against her at the moment.

Little did she know that in a few hours, as soon as the poison of the Minaberries took effect, her Survivor journey will be shot straight to hell.

- - -

DAY 2

Holland Novak started the campfire early this morning, thus further cementing his position as the leader and all-around hero in the Jiraiya tribe.

"Yesterday, I assigned Asuka and Bulma to start the fire, but they ended up bickering so much that nothing got accomplished. Surprise, surprise." Holland shot a deadpanned expression at a nearby camera. "Since fire is crucial to our survival, I took matters into my own hands and worked on it myself today. It took me around five minutes to get a flame going." He sighed and shook his head. "That was such a simple task, yet my tribe members still failed miserably. It just goes to show you that, sometimes, you can't rely on anyone but your own damn self."

He was in a grumpy mood, partly because he was not a morning person, and partly because that was just his natural personality. Holland was a very humourless man who perhaps took life a little too seriously. His wife had told him that he needed to relax more often. He tried, he really did, but it was difficult when surrounded by overwhelming incompetence. Perhaps he was being too harsh on his tribe members, but Holland soon discovered that almost none of these people knew how to survive in the wilderness. How they survived life in general was a big mystery for him.

Even a simple task such as boiling the water led to much debate among his tribe members. Holland, who let his guard down for a moment, had foolishly stepped away from camp to retrieve more firewood. He thought he could trust his tribe members to boil the water and maybe cook some breakfast this morning. He thought he could trust them not to screw up without any adult supervision. Instead, when he returned, he was surprised to see there was water was spilled all over the ground, the fire was extinguished, and several tribe members were bickering around the once-existing campfire. Holland immediately smacked his forehead at the terrible sight. He didn't even want to know what could have possibly caused this disaster.

"It's her fault." Asuka wasted no time pinpointing the blame at her archenemy. "Bulma knocked over the pot of water."

"No I didn't, you devil girl! You don't have any proof that I did it!" Bulma argued.

As the two women resumed their usual squabbling, Holland ignored them in search for an actual answer. Eventually, a sheepish looking Keitaro confessed to the crime. He just wanted to help boil the water, but he was clumsy enough to trip and kick over the pot of water, thus extinguishing the flame. It was an unlikely scenario for anybody else, but for Keitaro, the master of misfortune, this was just in the realm of possibility.

"I've more bad news." Keitaro informed the leader, "The matches were kinda nearby, so I kinda got them all wet and soggy. I don't know if we can use them anymore. Sorry."

Holland didn't know how to reply back. He expected nothing more from the idiot who poisoned himself on the first day and put out the campfire on the second. Keitaro was a streak of bad luck waiting to happen. Knowing his record, that kid will probably stumble upon his own self-destruction pretty soon.

"I'm really sorry! Tell me if there's anything I can do to make up for my mistakes…" Keitaro apologized again.

"Just go. Just get out of my face for a while, okay?" Holland muttered coldly. The college student caught the cue and disappeared from proximity right away.

He wished he was in a better mood. He may have needed Keitaro as a vote down the line. But right now, Holland was feeling increasingly frustrated with his tribe's situation. They were a mess, a complete helpless mess. Although they managed to construct a shelter yesterday, that was pretty much the only successful thing they accomplished thus far. Otherwise, they had no food, no drinking water, no flame, no strength, no hope. Holland may have been a good leader, but he wasn't a miracle worker. His whole tribe seemed to be working against him. These city slickers had zero survival skills. What was he supposed to do?

Asuka and Bulma contributed nothing to camp other than their meaningless bickering. Keitaro continued to screw up despite his best intentions. Harley and Faye were slackers who only cared about themselves. Kari was the youngest and also the physically weakest. Even Guy, who was supposed to be so strong and knowledgeable, had stayed suspiciously under the radar so far. It became clear to Holland that Jiraiya was a tribe full of outcasts, but they were outcasts for a good reason.

Jiraiya was a tribe destined for failure. That was their inevitable fate in this game.

- - -

The tribe dynamics in Jiraiya remained status quo on the second morning. Asuka was still widely considered as the most annoying, while Bulma made a close runner-up (much to her chagrin). They were still the two most obvious targets if the tribe had to attend tribal council in the near future. However, Harley recently discovered a third person to add in the growing list of annoying tribe members, and she was a rather unconventional candidate.

"Isn't it great to wake up to such a beautiful day!?"

That chipper voice belonged to none other than the youngest member in the tribe. She was sweet, positive, likable, thirteen-years-old Kari Kamiya. Everybody loved her like a little sister. That was everybody except for Harley, who was already fed up with the young girl's incessant optimism and overly sweet demeanour.

"I'm just so excited to be here! I actually made it through my first day of Survivor…alive!" Kari continued enthusiastically, unaware that Harley was using every fibre of his body to not roll his eyes at her. "I feel like I've accomplished so much already! Like, I didn't know what to expect at first, but living out here isn't so bad. I'm starting to enjoy the camp life."

"Oh, you go, sweetie! We're totally on the same boat! I'm so proud of us!" Harley squealed in delight.

"You know what? I think the two of us are really going to get along!" Kari giggled.

"Oh yeah, like, totally!" Harley nodded his head, a little too eagerly.

Harley may have feigned a smile here and then, but deep down he could not tolerate another minute with this impossibly frustrating little twerp. He regretted ever accompanying her on this treemail trip. At first, he thought it was a smart idea to stay away from camp, sensing Holland's increasing agitation this morning. Instead, he discovered that hanging around Kari Kamiya felt worse than torture. She was driving him absolutely nuts.

The two of them had nothing in common. She was so positive, so friendly, so sweet and sugary nice that it came across as incredibly annoying. Harley, on the other hand, did not believe in the whole 'nice' thing. He was proud to admit that he was a mean-spirited person, even though he can put on a false façade every now and then. He didn't think it made him a bad person per se. It only meant that Harley wasn't drawn to somebody as vanilla as Kari, who was too sweet as pie for his liking. Oh, how he longed for Faye's companionship at the moment! The sarcastic bounty huntress was a much better conversationalist than this boring little girl!

"I wonder what immunity challenge we'll have today." Kari rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "I think we'll do well no matter what it is. We've so many big, strong guys in our tribe! It's awesome! Jiraiya rocks!" She grinned as she patted Harley on the shoulder. "And I'm sure you'll be a big help in the challenge too, Harley!"

"Golly, I sure do hope so!" Harley's smile stiffened somewhat. He didn't know how much longer he can keep up this unbearable nice-guy act. It was killing his dark, dead soul on the inside.

"Let's try our best and win the first immunity. It will really boost our tribe morale!" Kari nodded her head.

"That's the spirit!" Harley exclaimed.

"Did you hear what Kari said to me back then? She called me fat. Yeah, you heard me right. Every time she talks about me, she always uses the word 'big'. It's always big, fat, chunky Harley to the rescue! And I'm not being too sensitive, but she's doing it intentionally. I know she is. I can tell." Harley hissed in his video confessional. He, who was normally proud of his slim and slender physique, had put on a few additional pounds in preparation for Survivor. At first, he thought the flabbiness in his body wasn't that noticeable, but Kari brought out all of the insecurities within Harley. And when his inner demons were released, things can get ugly.

Like a true drama queen, the flamboyant Pokemon Coordinator was an animated talker, who waved his hands left and right as he spoke. "As far as I'm concerned, the only fat thing around here is that big pain in the ass called Kari! She said one of the most underhanded things I've ever heard a human being say. Nobody can insult my figure and get away with it. Nobody! That girl better watch herself, because I now know Kari Kamiya can be a bit of a bitch."

Harley returned to camp fifteen minutes later, and those fifteen minutes that he never wanted to experience again. Not only was he bored out of his mind, but he also felt deeply offended by a remark that may or may not have been intentional. Nonetheless, he already made up his mind about Kari Kamiya as a person and a tribe member. He was done bonding with her, he was so over her. In his opinion, she may have passed Asuka and Bulma on the annoying meter, by a long shot.

"How was your chat with the ray of sunshine?" Faye teased her friend. The Pokemon Coordinator immediately pouted and buried his head into her shoulder.

"Kill me now." Harley muttered.

- - -

Nobody in Tsunade got a wink of sleep last night. Their stomachs were growling, their voices were howling, and their bodies were suffering. Shannon Casull was the only person who remained unaffected by the poisonous Minaberries, but there was no way he could go to sleep when everyone else made such a ruckus throughout the night. If he wanted to act like a prick, this would be the right time to laugh at his agonizing tribe members for not following his advice. But Shannon, as grumpy as he may be sometimes, was not the type to laugh at other people's misfortunes. As the only healthy person in the tribe, he ended up doing a lot of the chores around camp. He was the one who started the fire. He was the one who collected firewood. He was the one who made trips to the water hole. He was basically one person tackling the entire tribe's workload.

"Thanks, Shannon. You're the best." Orihime mumbled feebly as the hardworking swordsman refilled her water canteen for the umpteenth time.

"Don't talk. Just rest." Shannon told her.

The poison affected each tribe member in varying degrees. Some people, particularly those with strong immune systems, were on their ways to a speedy recovery. Their bodies should return to their normal conditions by the next morning or so. Others, however, were not as fortunate. Poor Orihime Inoue, who had never been the strongest of girls, was struggling the most out of everyone. She was the only person to vomit throughout the night, not to mention that she looked ghastly pale this morning. For some odd reason, her body responded the worst to the Minaberries. It wasn't her fault per se. It was just the luck of the draw.

"I feel really bad that Shannon is the only one doing work for all of us. We should be out there, helping him…" Orihime said remorsefully.

"He better not overwork himself." Zolo added, "We need him to kick ass in the challenge today."

To make matters worse, as if they weren't suffering enough already, Tsunade discovered that they had an immunity challenge this evening. Everybody knew right away they were in no condition to compete, not even in a purely mental competition. So, it was up to Shannon to rescue the tribe once again. But he was just one person, compared to the eight strong, healthy people on the other tribe. Tsunade's chances of winning seemed slim to almost impossible. Most people already resigned to the fact that they will be going to the first tribal council.

Mina Aino was one of the sceptics. She was normally an optimistic person, but even she could not turn a blind eye to reality. As the person who introduced the Minaberries to the group, she shouldered all responsibility for her tribe's suffering. It wasn't entirely her fault that the tribe got person, but she felt guilty all the same. If it wasn't for her discovery, nobody would have been poisoned. If it wasn't for Mina, everybody would have been enjoying their second day of Survivor.

She felt guilty. So guilty that she almost asked her tribe members to vote her out. Almost. Mina may be ill, but she didn't become sick to the point of stupidity. Once she got over her initial guilt, she realized how foolish it would be if she sacrificed herself for the tribe. She just loved Survivor too much to quit voluntarily like that.

But Mina was worried. Very worried. She gave her tribe members the perfect reason to vote her out at the first tribal council. Sure, Orihime may be as weak as a wet blanket. Sure, Meryl may have annoyed everyone with her personality. The facts, however, clearly stated that Mina was the girl who poisoned her tribe on the first day. If one was to judge the severity of their crimes, she would be convicted of the guiltiest charge.

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Mina couldn't scrub this word from her conscience no matter how hard she tried.

And before she knew it, Mina found herself crying out of guilt.

"It's not your fault!" Orihime immediately consoled her. She gave the blonde teenager an affectionate hug. "Don't blame yourself! It's not over yet! Who knows? May be the other tribe poisoned themselves too!"

"I'm so sorry, everyone…" Mina tried to wipe her tears away.

"There, there…" Orihime stroked her friend's back.

Mai didn't have anything nice to say, so she kept her mouth shut and looked elsewhere. She had no sympathy for the girl who poisoned the entire tribe. In fact, she held Mina accountable for Tsunade's forthcoming loss in the immunity challenge. By all means, the blonde teenager should be voted off at the first tribal council. Instead, it was most likely Orihime who will be sent home tomorrow night.

And now she's crying crocodile tears to make people feel sorry for her. Mai glanced at the weeping teenager with a certain degree of contempt. While poor Orihime is doing all she can to make her feel better. Mai turned her head away, angrily. Orihime should be the one crying about her fate, not Mina.

"I never thought this would happen!" Mina continued sobbing. Her emotions seemed genuine enough. "If only I knew…"

Cry me a river. Mai rolled her eyes.

"Nobody could have known, so it's not your fault. Don't feel bad about it." Orihime smiled faintly.

"Besides, there's no point of crying over spilt milk. What's done is done." Zolo folded his arms across his chest. "Let's focus on what really matters. If we're lucky, may be we'll win the immunity challenge today."

"Yeah, there's still immunity…" Mina sobbed.

She glanced at the swordsman for any signs of reassurance. Yesterday, Zolo effortlessly declared to everyone that Meryl will be voted off at the first tribal council. Today, however, he did not make such bold claims. He was not certain who will be going home tomorrow. May be Orihime. May be Meryl. May be Mina. May be nobody. In fact, it could very well be him in the unlikeliest of cases. The only person definitely safe was Shannon, the healthy one in the group. Everybody else was at risk of going home.

Mina just hoped it wasn't her.

"Don't worry. We aren't going to tribal council. I'll make sure we win the challenge no matter what." Zolo said, carrying a cocky little smirk on his rugged face. "I don't lose challenges. I'm not a loser."

"Good. Neither am I." Mina smiled, while wiping her eyes.

"That's the fightin' spirit, eh?" Zolo grinned back.

"You two are so…" Mai, who remained silent throughout the conversation, was not as optimistic about Tsunade's chances. She found herself unable to finish her sentence on a positive note, so she just let out a small sigh instead. "Let's hope for the best then."

"Yeah, we can do this. I know we can, I know we can." Orihime chanted, almost as if she was a cheerleader. She pumped her fist weakly in the air. "Gooooo Tsunade!"

"Nothing has gone right for this tribe. We got lost for hours on the first day. And now, more than half the tribe is as sick as a ship of Navy dogs. At this rate, the entire tribe will decimate by tomorrow. It's over. It's all over." Zolo shook his head and scowled at the camera. "We aren't in the condition to compete against Jiraiya. Come on, some of our girls can't even walk straight! How the hell can we win today?"

Despite his reassuring words to his tribe members, it was clear that Zolo did not have much confidence about the immunity challenge. Still, if he couldn't believe in his tribe, then who else would? "But I won't give up on Tsunade. We might be a bunch of dumbasses, but I'm going to try my damn hardest to win the challenge. We're hurting too much already. Losing immunity is the last thing this tribe needs."

- - -

Evenings in Konoha were nothing short of spectacular. The cloudless sky contained an orangey-red glow, which was accompanied by the fading sunset that hanged prominently in the background. Even though Iruka had seen this sunset numerous times, absorbing the breathtaking view never failed to awe him. But for the sixteen castaways, they were not gathered here to enjoy the scenery. It was time for their first immunity challenge, where the tribe that emerges victoriously will earn themselves three extra days in the game. The losing tribe will face tribal council and vote out one of their own.

Mina looked anxious as she arrived at the first challenge. If there was any chance she could redeem herself to her tribe, this was the most opportunistic time. No matter how exhausted she might be, the teenager promised herself that she'll devote all her energy into the challenge and win.

"Good evening, players. Welcome to your first immunity challenge." Iruka greeted both tribes with a smile. "The rules are simple. Winners stay in the game three more days, while losers attend tribal council tomorrow night."

These dreaded words alone made several players shiver in fear.

"You'll be playing for this coveted immunity idol." Iruka said, holding up what seemed to be an irrelevant block of wood. On a closer examination, the item was actually an artistic sculpture with the faces of the five Konoha Hokages carved onto the surface.

"What extraordinarily hip artwork! We have to win it! Konoha spirit!" Guy exclaimed. His tribe members just shook their head and laughed. They were almost accustomed to his emotional outbursts by now. Might Guy, as they knew, was a very eccentric man who made the oddest remarks at time. In fact, it was part of his charm.

"Anyway…" Iruka averted his gaze from the excitable ninja. "Today's challenge is divided into three parts. First, four members from each tribe will ride inside a wagon, while the other four players will push this wagon and navigate it through the forest." The host paused for a moment to point out the orange and green wagons parked behind him. "There'll be various markers on the trees to guide you in the right direction."

Kurz groaned a little. The prospect of navigating in a forest once again did not excite him at all.

"You'll continue moving until you arrive at the puzzle stations. Once there, three tribe members will leave the wagon and complete a separate puzzle. Each station consists of an identical sliding puzzle on a six-by-six grid. Your objective is to form a very familiar picture." Iruka smiled vaguely at the other players. "A word of warning – you may not help or give advice to each other while you complete these puzzles."

This made Asuka and Bulma smile spontaneously. As two of the most intelligent people in the game, they had no doubts they could finish their puzzles in the nick of time. Provided that Jiraiya gain an early lead in the first portion of the challenge, this challenge could very well be a cakewalk.

"Once all three puzzles are finished correctly, the final tribe member will run towards a fire pit straight ahead. You'll know where it is once you're there." Iruka continued, "That person will grab a torch and light it. This flame will signify your tribe's victory. The first tribe to achieve this flame will win the first immunity challenge."

Without any further ado, Jiraiya and Tsunade assembled themselves behind their respective wagons. Iruka raised his arm in the air as a starting signal. This was for immunity. Survivors ready? Yada, yada, yada. Go!

Tsunade departed with an early start. They quickly decided that the women will ride inside the wagon, while the men will push from the outside. The women were also on alert of any markers on the trees, and notified the men if they missed any of the turns. This combination of strategy and teamwork garnered immediate results. Tsunade, quite surprisingly, gained a huge lead over the other tribe.

Jiraiya struggled with their initial decision far longer than it was necessary. They did not have a consensus on who should ride inside the wagon, and thus, complete the puzzles. Asuka and Bulma were obvious candidates, but the third spot was up in the air. Everyone appointed Keitaro for the position, but he refused it vehemently. He'd much rather do the physical aspects of this challenge instead. Yet, his tribe members insisted that his university education meant he was a natural candidate to solve puzzles, however flawed this logic might be. Besides, Keitaro was still feeling a little under the weather from the poisonous berries he ate yesterday, and his tribe didn't trust him to do manual labour. Eventually, Keitaro conformed to his tribe's wishes, albeit with much reluctance. And it was decided that Faye and the other three men will push the wagon instead.

"We wasted too much time already! Let's goooo!" Holland barked out his orders.

Despite a prolonged delay, Jiraiya was quick to make up lost time. In fact, they were travelling at an astonishing speed in this challenge, all because of Might Guy, the certified challenge machine. It was he who single-handedly manoeuvred the wagon at such a rapid pace. Harley, Faye, and Holland soon discovered that they were helping if they stayed out of his way. Thus, Guy ended up pushing the wagon all by himself, and he was still moving faster than the four men on the other tribe. His other tribe members chased after their wagon, watching in awe as the ninja storm through the forest with effortless ease. It didn't take long before the Jiraiya wagon breezed past Tsunade and obtained the new lead.

It was at this moment everybody discovered that Might Guy, no matter how silly his outbursts may be at times, was a true force to be reckoned with in the game.

"He is a beast!" Harley gasped.

"What superhuman strength…" Faye muttered, equally astonished.

On paper, this challenge was not supposed to be so unevenly matched. The likes of the four strong Tsunade men should be equal, if not exceed, the physical prowess that Guy possessed. However, their recent illness became a huge detriment to Tsunade's speed in the challenge. Despite their best efforts, the men were still feeling a bit woozy from the lack of sleep last night. Shannon, the only healthy tribe member, lacked the necessary manpower to make up for his tribe member's shortcomings. And thus, Tsunade was thrown further and further behind.

"I see the puzzle stations straight ahead!" Kari shouted excitedly.

Guy pulled the wagon over to the designated area. The three players responsible for the puzzles – Asuka, Bulma, and Keitaro – hopped off the vehicle and ran towards a separate puzzle station. As advertised, they were to solve a six-by-six sliding puzzle that will create a familiar picture once completed.

"Piece of cake. I can do this in my sleep." Bulma grinned as soon as she arrived at her station. She already knew the puzzle was supposed to be the picture of a Survivor logo. The inventor looked over at Asuka, who also came to the same conclusion. Despite their differences earlier in the day, both women trusted each other's capabilities and knew they could finish their puzzles in no time.

Keitaro, on the other hand, had no idea what he was doing. He stared at his puzzle for a few moments, looking completely dumbfounded. He had hoped the answer would be spelled out to him somehow, but he was stumped. As a last resort, he decided to slide random pieces here and there. He relied on sheer luck than actual logic to solve the puzzle.

In less than a minute, Bulma already completed her sliding puzzle. Seconds later, Asuka did the same. Iruka scanned over both puzzles and confirmed that they were correct. Jiraiya was now one puzzle away from finishing this challenge. And their opposition was still nowhere in sight.

"Why aren't you done yet, four eyes?" Asuka shouted impatiently. She thought Keitaro would have been on the same wavelength as she and Bulma. "The puzzle is so simple!"

"Shut up! You're distracting him!" Bulma scolded.

"Well, it's not my fault that he's an idiot." Asuka let out one of her infamous snide remarks. She glared at the distressed college student. "Listen, Keitaro. If you blow this challenge for us, I'm going to kick your ass! I'll kick it so hard that you won't even have an ass when I'm through!"

"But I'm not a genius like you two…" Keitaro whimpered.

"Oh my god, don't reply back! Just keep working!" Asuka shouted angrily.

"Take your time, Keitaro." Kari chimed in. She can sense the anxiety in his voice, so she offered him some soothing advice. "Don't rush it, and you'll be fine."

Minutes passed by, but Keitaro was still nowhere close to finishing the puzzle. The urgency dawned upon him and the rest of his tribe when Holland emerged from the forest, announcing that the Tsunade wagon was arriving. The other tribe had managed to catch up, despite Jiraiya's immerse lead in the first place. Amazed that the challenge wasn't over yet, Mai, Meryl, and Mina dashed towards their puzzle stations right away.

"What's going on, Keitaro!? Why aren't you finished yet?" Holland asked from the sidelines.

"You're such an idiot! Hurry up!" Asuka screamed from the top of her lungs.

"I can't do it, you guys…" Keitaro sounded like he wanted to cry.

And it was at this moment everybody discovered that Keitaro Urashima, despite his prestigious university education, was kind of stupid.

Keitaro tried his best to block out their voices. It didn't help that his tribe members were far from supportive of him. They had waited far too long, and they were fed up with waiting any longer. The massive lead Jiraiya accumulated at the beginning was all but gone now. What could have been a landslide victory was slowly transforming into the most humiliating upset in Survivor history. If Jiraiya lost the lead and lost this challenge, there was just one person to blame.

And the thought of his tribe member afterwards made Keitaro feel a little queasy. (Or may be it was the Minaberries kicking in.)

"HURRRRRY UPPPPPPPP!"

Asuka was angry right now. Not just angry, she was downright furious. As one of the largest targets on the chopping block, she was terrified of losing this immunity challenge. It was almost certain that she would be going home at tribal council, and she didn't want to be the first person voted off because of this idiot. This…this idiot who couldn't complete a simple sliding puzzle to save his life. It frustrated Asuka immensely that her life in Survivor was slowly slipping away…

"HURRRRRY UPPPPPPPP!"

Asuka wasn't the only one shouting. Bulma was screaming as well. She, too, was worried about her chances at the next vote. And it didn't seem fair that she had to attend tribal council because some fool couldn't do a puzzle. Everything in Survivor had been going wrong for Bulma so far. Being on the chopping block because of some brat, losing the first immunity challenge because of some idiot; this wasn't how her game was supposed to go at all!

Tears were welling up in Keitaro's eyes as he slid the puzzle pieces left, right, up, and down. This was the reason why he didn't want to volunteer in the first place, but he somehow ended up in the position anyway. Of course it happened. The worst things always happened to him. He must be the unluckiest person in the world. Worst of all, he could already picture what was going to happen afterwards – he will lose this challenge for his tribe, and he will be the first person voted off because of it. He will be forever known as the guy who couldn't do a sliding puzzle in the Survivor history books. That would go nicely with the rest of his crappy luck in this game.

Nothing could save Keitaro now. Nothing could save him from his inevitable fate unless he solved this impossible puzzle…

And by some extreme bizarre miracle, he did.

Keitaro couldn't believe his eyes at first, but the picture of a bright orange Survivor logo appeared right in front of him. Dumbfounded, he stared at the puzzle for a few seconds, but it looked as real as it will ever be. The gods of fortune must have smiled upon him at exactly the right moment, because he stumbled upon a solution just when he needed it the most.

Iruka gave him the nod of approval. Keitaro almost wanted to burst into tears of joy. Even he had the capacity to be lucky sometimes.

Right on cue, Kari jumped out of the wagon and ran towards the fire pit straight ahead. It was some distance away, but the victory seemed conclusive. Jiraiya already began cheering as they watched Kari grab a torch and dip it in the fire. She then pulled the torch out and raised it high in the air, with its blazing flame signifying the Jiraiya tribe's victory.

"Jiraiya wins immunity!" Iruka announced.

The elated tribe ran towards Kari, wrapping her in a celebratory embrace. The petite DigiDestiend was overwhelmed at first, but joined in the festivities with an enthusiastic laugh. Guy separated himself from the group long enough to retrieve the immunity idol. He planted a big wet kiss on the wooden sculpture, a gesture that the other tribe members would later regret. But for now, Jiraiya did not have a care in the world. They won and needn't worry about tribal council.

Life was good and they knew it.

Mina collapsed onto her knees, feeling immensely crushed by the defeat. The only thing worse than losing was coming so close to victory, only to have it snatched away in the final stretch. It became a neck-to-neck race in the end, but Tsunade couldn't pull through when they needed it the most. And no matter how near to victory they were, nothing could change the tragic outcome that Tsunade lost. Now, somebody would go home tomorrow night – somebody that could very likely be Mina, who marked herself as a target when she fed her tribe those poisonous berries.

It hurt her head just thinking about the upcoming vote. She wished it would disappear altogether. The effects of no sleep and a massive stomach ache accumulated to a point where Mina could not think straight anymore. She just wanted to go sleep and think no more.

Her mind was blank. Only one word remained in her head, crystal and clear, that summarized all of her thoughts so far:

Help.

- - -

DAY 3

"You're hurt!"

Orihime exclaimed this when she noticed that Shannon's right hand was bleeding. At first, she was a little freaked out by the trail of blood on the ground, but she soon realized that it was dripping from the swordsman's hand every time he moved. The actual scene wasn't as terrifying as it sounded, but Orihime had never been a big fan of blood. Ever since her older brother died in a car accident, she despised the sight of blood anywhere she saw it.

"Oh my god, you're hurt!" Orihime gasped, grabbing the swordsman's hand.

"Oh really?" Shannon glanced down and noticed a tiny cut on the back of his right hand. Hmm, where did that come from? He did not notice this injury until Orihime pointed it out. The wound must still be fresh since it was bleeding, albeit very little blood was coming out.

"What do you mean 'oh really'? Your hand is bleeding!" Orihime frowned.

"Aww, did Shannon get a boo-boo?" Kurz asked.

By now, a few tribe members had gathered around Shannon due to all the commotion made earlier. The quiet swordsman did not look pleased being the centre of unnecessary attention, as indicated by the rosy colour in his cheeks. Normally an inexpressive person, he turned his head away to conceal his embarrassment.

"It's not a big deal. I get cuts all the time." Shannon muttered.

"Nonsense. You don't want that cut to get infected, not under these conditions anyway." Roy added in his two cents. "I remember seeing a first-aid kit somewhere around here..."

"I'll get it!" Orihime volunteered immediately.

She returned with the first-aid kit soon after. Orihime rummaged through the various medical supplies until she found what she wanted – a pink bandage. Shannon squirmed when he saw the item and tried to pull away, but Orihime refused to let go of his hand. She gently applied the bandage over his cut. She then patted his right hand a few times to make sure it was properly sealed.

"There, it's done. Now you don't have to act like such a tough guy," said Orihime.

"It wasn't necessary." Shannon grunted.

"Dude, she just fixed up your broken hand! The least you could do is thank the nice girl!" Kurz scolded him with a playful smack on the back. "If the lovely Orihime nursed me with such affection and tenderness, I would be jumping with joy!" Orihime giggled a little. That Kurz Weber could be so silly sometimes. "You ought to be more grateful, ya punk!"

Shannon shot the blonde pilot an annoyed glare. Kurz remembered receiving a similar look from Meryl not so long ago, but he paid no attention to either of them.

"It's kind of my fault. I shouldn't have butted my head in." Orihime smiled as she closed the first-aid kit. "Anyway, my job here is done. Shannon isn't bleeding anymore, so case closed!"

"Thanks." Shannon muttered quietly.

"You're welcome!" Orihime was just about to get up and leave when a sudden thought prompted her to stop. She looked up at the tall swordsman with an odd smile. "Hey, can I ask you a question? Why is your name Shannon? That's a strange name for a guy."

"In Gaelic, the name Shannon means wisdom. That's where it came from," said Shannon.

"Ohhh, that's cool. My name means seamstress in Japanese." Orihime paused for a moment, looking flustered. She had no idea why she mentioned this trivial fact. The redhead laughed it off with a shrug. "Just in case you want to know."

"And I'm Kurz!" The grinning pilot kneeled in between Shannon and Orihime, placing an intrusive hand on both their shoulders. "Handsome in German!"

"That's bullshit." Roy laughed.

"It's only the third day, but a lot of personalities are starting to emerge now." Roy said, flashing a vague smile to the camera. "Kurz is the joker. Orihime is the sweetheart. Shannon is the grump. Meryl is the bossy woman. I'm getting a glimpse of what each of my tribe member is all about. May be these opinions will change over time, or may be not. We'll see."

When asked what role he played in the tribe, Roy could only laugh. He teased the camera with an amused grin, or perhaps it was an air of self-confidence that he was trying to project. It was difficult to interpret the meaning behind his words, but it was even more difficult to interpret Roy Mustang as a person. "My role in the tribe is highly dependent on the people around me. I can adjust my personality accordingly to my surroundings. In simpler terms, I can wear a lot of different hats at once. I am what my tribe members want me to be." He laughed again. "But I'm kind of a complex guy. You can't summarize me with just one word."

On the third day of Survivor: Konoha, the living conditions in Tsunade were slowly improving. A lot of the players were recovering from their illness. Orihime still looked under the weather, but she maintained such an upbeat attitude throughout these past few days that most people refused to acknowledge her status. If they can forget the fact that Orihime was sick, then they wouldn't have to remind themselves that they have to vote her out tonight.

Everybody loved Orihime Inoue. What a sweet girl – so friendly, so compassionate, so endearing. She was, as Roy had described her, the tribe's sweetheart. But she was also the sickest and the weakest person in the tribe, which made her a very easy target at tribal council.

"It's not fair, but Survivor isn't meant to be fair." Meryl was the first to come in terms with whose name she will be writing down tonight. She was glad to vote for anyone as long as it wasn't her.

However, the other players were not as desperate, nor were they as willing to vote out Orihime. The men, in particular, saw no real reason why they should get rid of somebody they genuinely liked. Sure, she might be sick, but the circumstances were totally out of her control. And sure, she might be the weakest tribe member, but how much stronger were the other women anyway? Why didn't they vote out Mai? Or Meryl? Or Mina?

And that was around the time Mina Aino began to panic.

And when the blonde panicked, she had a tendency to lie.

And in just a few hours, she will tell an enormous fib that will change the entire course of this game.

- - -

In his years as a notorious ladies man, Roy had received many praises from his female companions for being an excellent masseur. His technique included just the right balance of strength and gentleness, being neither too rough nor too weak with his approach. However, the colonel had seldom been the recipient of a relaxing massage himself. Perhaps his expectations were set too high, but he had difficulty finding a satisfactory pair of hands, delicate yet forceful, capable of easing the tenseness in his shoulders. So far in his life, he had only met one woman who could accomplish this feat. And may be after today, he could increase this number to two.

"Just a little gentler, Riza…" Roy muttered unconsciously, forgetting his surroundings for a brief moment. He stopped himself as soon as he realized his mistake, but by then it was too late.

"Mina." The athletic blonde corrected him. She pouted a little. "My name is Mina."

"Ooh. Who's this Riza woman that slipped from your tongue? Is she one of your many conquests?" Kurz leant in closer towards the colonel and grinned.

"I'm sure Roy lost track of his long list of girlfriends." Mina teased, pinching him in the shoulders. "You dog."

"My mistake. I lost myself there for a second." Roy cleared his throat, brushing off the remarks like he didn't hear them. Nonetheless, he was quick to change the subject. "Mina, have anyone ever complimented you on your massages? You're just like a professional."

"Thank you, Roy. I aim to please." Mina laughed.

Since this morning, Mina had been on an explicit campaign to win favour at the upcoming tribal council. She wasn't a stupid girl. She knew that her head was on the chopping block due to her mistake on the first day. And as part of a mission to save herself, the blonde teenager was determined to correct her past wrongs. She began this process by offering her tribe members some massages to ease their back pains.

"I'm next! Do me next, Mina!" Kurz exclaimed with the same enthusiasm commonly found in a child. He had already stripped off his shirt before Mina could reply back.

"I promised Orihime I'll give her a massage first." Mina grinned, patting the pilot's head a few times before she moved towards the perky redhead. "You'll just have to wait in queue."

"Sorry!" Orihime giggled.

"Mina is a very clever girl and she's also quite the charmer. There has been talk around camp that she'll get voted out tonight, but I won't say her fate is written in stone yet." Kurz grinned at the camera. He always grinned when he was talking about the beautiful ladies in his tribe. "She's persuasive enough to sway the tribe in her favour. And whatever she's doing, it's working. As long as she plays her cards right, she's not going anywhere."

"Of course, I can give you guys these massages every morning if you want." Mina spoke in a tone that sounded almost too casual and airy. She shifted her baby blue eyes away from her tribe members. "Assuming that I don't get voted out tonight…"

Putting both hands on Orihime's shoulders, Mina began to massage the redhead in a gentle rhythm. She started by rubbing the shoulders in a slow circular motion, which accumulated in speed and strength as time went on. Just as Mina was about to progress to the next stage of her massage, she was interrupted by a sudden movement from Orihime, who reached over to grab the blonde's hand.

"Mina, please don't say that. I don't want you to go." Orihime mumbled.

"Well, I don't want to go either. Trust me…I would love nothing more than to be part of this tribe forever." Mina bit her lips and cast a dejected gaze at the ground. "But that's not up to me to decide. I…I don't have any control."

All of a sudden, a few tears began trickling down her cheeks. She was crying again.

"I don't wanna go yet. I want to enjoy the full Survivor experience." Mina muttered, sniffling in between her words. "I want to make the merge. I want to make the jury. I want to make the final two. But…but none of that is going to happen. I…I'm getting voted out first. I just know it!"

Kurz and Roy exchanged glances with each other, yet both men remained silent during her tearful speech. Orihime also had nothing to say, but did her best to console the blonde by stroking her head.

"I…I'm sorry, you guys." Mina tried wiping tears away with her fist, but she continued to weep anyway.

"You can't assume what happens in tribal council, Mina. That means you've lost before you even began," said Orihime.

Mina looked up at her tribe members and was comforted by the sight of Orihime's pleasant smile. However, she also noticed that Roy was staring at her with a stern, yet somewhat amused, expression. His interrogative gaze felt intimidating for some reason. He looked as if he could see right through her. Feeling uncomfortable, Mina turned away and avoided making eye contact with Roy altogether.

"There's still a lot of time before tribal council," said Orihime. She gave a long pause before adding, "Besides, there's still the hidden immunity idol, right?"

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that dainty little thing!" Kurz laughed.

"But that's like finding a needle in a haystack…" Mina sighed.

"You never know until you try." Orihime squeezed the blonde's hand and smiled at her. "If you find the idol, you're guaranteed to stay in this game for three more days."

Mina nodded her head in response. She seemed intrigued by the prospect of a hidden immunity idol, even though locating such an item felt almost impossible. Iruka had mentioned about this crucial item at the beginning of the game, noting that the keeper of the idol will be immune regardless how many votes he or she received at tribal council.

That was it. That was exactly the sort of break that Mina needed to rescue herself.

And now, all she had to do was find it.

"In classic fairy tale terms, I'm the damsel in distress. Tribal council is a few hours away and…and I'll be the one who goes." Mina sighed to the camera. The atmosphere in this confessional was much different than her jolly and upbeat attitude on the first day. "So here I am, sitting inside Rapunzel's tower, lying on Sleeping Beauty's bed, and just waiting for a hunky prince to rescue me in the last second. I'm just waiting and waiting until I realize that he's not going to arrive. There's no knight in shining armour. I'll have to do everything by myself."

She brushed a lock of blonde hair from her eyes. "I could pull a few heartstrings before the vote, but I doubt it'll make any difference. Orihime is right, the only guarantee of safety I have is that darn immunity idol. I know it's somewhere in this forest, so that's a start. Too bad it's such a gigantic area, so the chances of me finding it are…well, it doesn't matter. I'm going to search this forest high and low until I come out with that idol!"

"And when I find it, this whole game is going to change." Mina had a determined look in her eyes. "I'll no longer be the damsel in distress."

- - -

Mina Aino found the hidden immunity idol.

"Yep. Found it in those trees over there. Can't believe I actually found it! I must be the luckiest girl in the world! Ha!" Mina spoke in such an energetic voice that it seemed difficult not to believe her. Her attitude was a complete turnaround from the sulky girl who cried a few hours ago. Now, Mina was all smiles and not a single tear in sight. When Mina returned from her long hike in the forest today, she came back as a woman with newfound confidence, and perhaps something more.

Naturally, Mai did not believe a single word out of that girl's mouth. In fact, she almost laughed out loud when Mina made such a bold announcement to the tribe. Was she so desperate that she would make up an unbelievable lie to save herself?

"Can we see it?" Kurz asked the obvious question.

"I'm not allowed to show you the idol outside of tribal council." Mina replied without missing a beat.

That's a convenient excuse. Mai rolled her eyes. The instructions to the hidden immunity idol were so vague that nobody knew if that was true or not. Nonetheless, that tiny detail didn't change anything. Mai still didn't believe that girl's words for a second. At least have the decency to make a fake idol to go along with your lie, sheesh!

"Then, how can we believe you?" Kurz asked the next obvious question.

"Does this angelic face look like it belongs to a liar?" Mina grinned.

It was meant to be a cheeky remark, but neither Kurz nor Mai looked very impressed. The pair had been approached by Mina in a secluded part of the forest, where she made a startling revelation just an hour before tribal council.

"Hold on. Why are you telling us this? Wouldn't it be better if you surprise us at tribal council?" Kurz asked.

"Well, I have thought about it." Mina nodded her head, looking somewhat sheepish. "But now that I have the idol, I pretty much hold all of the power at tribal council. And so, I can use it to get a little bargaining my way. If you don't vote with me, then I'll vote against you tonight, and one of you is going home."

"So, you're threatening us?" Mai raised her eyebrows.

"I never knew you could be such a bitch." Kurz laughed nervously.

"I don't want you to make me out as a villain. I'm anything but that." Mina lost her composure for a moment. She sounded flustered as she tried to recollect her thoughts. "I…I'm just a girl who's trying to save herself."

She's not only a bad liar, but she's also incredibly stupid. Mai rolled her eyes again, smirking. She decided to entertain Mina for a while, so she played along with this charade.

"Let's say we do vote with you. Who will we be targeting?" Mai asked.

"Meryl." Mina replied.

"Why? She has done nothing to you." Mai snapped hastily.

"It's not that I don't like Meryl, but…" Mina shrugged her shoulders. She didn't have a genuine reason to target the petite woman, other than the fact that she caused some friction on the first day. "But she's a little too mouthy for her own good." She looked shiftily at the two blondes. "Look, if we vote for Meryl, we'll all stay here for three more days. I think it's a great plan." Mina said, nodding her head in reassurance. "Is everyone cool with that?"

"It's not like we have a choice. You're using the idol against us if we oppose." Mai replied with a dry smile.

"Oh well, I never liked the bossypants anyway." Kurz made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

Mina laughed, looking genuinely relieved for the first time today. She thought she was safe. She thought they believed in her story at last. Kurz also appeared relaxed, but the pilot always possessed a light-hearted personality that made him appealing to so many players. Mai, on the other hand, didn't look convinced at all. After all, she had every reason to believe that Mina was lying through her teeth.

So, Mai decided to turn the tables against the liar.

"Mina claims she has the hidden immunity idol. And if that's the case, she gave us a legitimate reason to vote her off!" Mai shook her head, displaying her pearly white teeth, and grinning like a vicious shark out for blood. "Besides, I've had enough of Mina already. She's giving out massages to everyone, she's sweet-talking the tribe to do what she wants, she…she's totally stepping onto my territory! Back off!"

Mai's grin widened in front of the cameras. "I happen to like Meryl, thank you very much. I think she's a tough chick and I respect the way she speaks her mind. If there's anything I can do about it, I'll make sure she's not the one who goes home tonight."

Kurz quickly spread the news to the rest of his tribe members. By the time Tsunade was ready to leave for tribal council, almost everybody had heard about the scandalous rumour. Everybody knew that Mina could potentially have the hidden immunity idol…all except for Meryl, of course, who still carried the ignorant belief that Orihime would be the first person voted off. Nobody bothered to inform the insurance agent that plans have changed – plans that may not include Meryl in the tribe after tonight's tribal council.

Literally just minutes before departing for tribal council, the four men of Tsunade arranged an impromptu meeting to discuss about the vote. Mai, who was more or less considered the fifth wheel, kept the other women occupied elsewhere at camp.

"Mina gave all of us the same speech." Roy announced to the group. "When each of us was alone, she approached that person with the same underhanded threat. Vote with Mina, or she'll vote against you. That must be her strategy going into tonight's tribal council."

"She gave me the same spiel." Shannon nodded his head.

"That girl got us good," added Zolo.

"Not good enough, I'm afraid." Roy corrected. He looked somewhat amused. "This should be obvious by now, but Mina is a sneak. I want her gone."

"I know Mina is shitting us, and I don't believe she has the idol for a second, but…" Zolo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But my gut is telling me that we should vote for Meryl anyway. Just because she talks too much."

"Meryl is more annoying." Shannon added.

None of the men had forgotten their horrible first impressions of Meryl from the start. It would be difficult to forget what a pain in the ass she was, bossing everyone around with her squeaky, high-pitched voice. However, the petite insurance agent had toned down her personality considerably over these past few days. She was quiet, even demure, and avoided verbal confrontations with her tribe members. However, some first impressions were difficult to overcome. As the first vote loomed in everyone's minds, Meryl did seem like a very convenient choice.

"Meryl is annoying, yes, but she's harmless. She doesn't have a clue what's going on tonight." Roy concluded with a clear and concise analysis. "Mina is more dangerous in the long run. We've all seen how persuasive she is. Who knows what else she can pull off in the future?"

That much was true, but…

"But what if Mina does have the hidden immunity idol?" Kurz asked. He raised the one possibility that nobody had considered seriously. This was evident as the other men turned towards him with knowing glances. "Oh, come on. Don't give me those looks. I know you guys were thinking that too. Somebody had to say it out loud!" The blonde pilot folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner. "So, what if she does have the idol? What then?"

"I guess we'll find out soon." Roy snapped his fingers conclusively. "Either Mina is the worst liar in the world, or we're in one hell of a shock tonight."

- - -

Meryl took a deep breath before she opened her eyes. Here she was, walking on top of a cliff that overlooked a majestic waterfall below. The surrounding area would have been completely dark had there not been a fire pit located at the centre. The tribal council set was quiet other than the shuffling footsteps, and, even at this altitude, the noise of the waterfall splashes in the background. Iruka was present, standing nearby the fire pit, with his shoulders straight and his hands behind his back. He carried a gentle expression that looked unsuitable in this solemn and gloomy atmosphere.

"Welcome to your first tribal council." Iruka gestured his hand towards the fire pit next to him. "Please light your torches in the fire. Fire represents life in Survivor. As long as there's a flame on your torch, you're still in the game."

The eight players did as they were told. Afterwards, they sat down across two wooden bleachers, positioned directly across from where Iruka stood.

After a few moments of shuffling back and forth, everybody was settled in their seats at last.

Tsuande's first tribal council session was about to begin.

Iruka first asked the group a general, open-ended question: "What went wrong? Why is Tsunade attending tribal council tonight?"

"To be honest, everything went wrong. We screwed up a lot in the past three days." Meryl would have laughed if the reality wasn't so sad…and so true. "We got lost, we got poisoned, and we got outmatched at the immunity challenge. We basically got defeated in every way imaginable." This time, she did laugh, but it was more of a pitiful laugh more than anything. "We're at the lowest of our lows, and we're just going to sink even lower."

"We got killed in the immunity challenge." Zolo agreed with a nod. He also had an angry scowl on his face, like always. "The worst part was that nobody screwed up or anythin'. We performed our best. There was nuffin' we could change. We got outmatched, through and thorough!"

"That big ninja guy…I can't remember his name, but he's scary. He's the driving force for the other tribe." Kurz added, shuddering. He could still recall how Might Guy breezed past the Tsunade wagon single-handedly, and without even breaking a sweat. It wasn't like anything he had seen before. Kurz wasn't even sure if it was human, for one thing. Guy could possibly be a monster.

"Meh. He's not as tough as he sounds." Zolo's smirked appeared across his rugged face. "Oh yeah, we can take him on. We'll be ready soon."

"We did manage managed to catch up near the end, kinda." Meryl also nodded her head. "But it was too little too late."

"I heard something about being poisoned. What's that all about?" Iruka asked.

"Mina would know." Meryl smirked.

"I fed my tribe some berries on the first day…" Mina began.

"We call them the Minaberries." Meryl interrupted. She thought it was appropriate to include this detail in the explanation, just to remind everyone once again whose fault it was.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me." Mina rolled her eyes. She never thought tribal council would get so catty. "Anyway, the berries were poisonous and everyone fell ill. And yeah, our tribe collapsed after that." She took a heavy sigh. "It was a mistake. A huge mistake, I admit. But it was a mistake that I never intended to make. I don't think my tribe should hold it against me."

Mina scanned around the tribal council set for any supporters. The only person who looked remotely sympathetic was Orihime, while everyone else seemed ambivalent on the matter. Well, except Meryl, who looked like she wanted to add a few more words just to kick Mina while she was down, but Iruka moved on to another player instead.

"Shannon, why did this happen?"

"I advised against it, but nobody listened." Shannon shrugged his shoulders. "They aren't children anymore. They should know better." He shrugged again. "I think of it as a lesson for everyone. We made a mistake, we learned from it, and we'll move on."

This led to Iruka's next remark: "You guys sound like you're defeated already. Is there any chance for a comeback, or am I just going to see you at every tribal council from now on?"

"I'm a firm believer of the motto that once you hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up," said Kurz.

"Well, you know, we're sick right now. So, we aren't performing to the best of our capabilities." Mai justified. A few players nodded their heads, agreeing with what she had said. "Just give us a few more days of rest, and we'll find our feet in these challenges. There're plenty of opportunities for a comeback. Just you wait."

"Survival isn't a sprint. It's a thirty-nine day marathon!" Kurz repeated his favourite saying.

Iruka then asked: "What can you improve on? What will you do differently next time?"

"We can try winning, for starters." Roy grinned.

A few players laughed. Perhaps that was the most redeemable characteristic about the Tsunade tribe. They may have hit rock bottom, but at least they knew how to laugh at themselves. They could have been miserable in these past three days, and they had every right to sulk and agonize over their numerous problems. Instead, they took the opposite approach and tried to enjoy their time here, both the good and the bad. Tsunade may be a losing tribe, but they weren't a hopeless tribe. Not yet, anyway.

"Once the group gets healthier, we need to improve our living conditions. Our campsite is a disaster right now." Shannon said, "We don't have shelter, we barely have water, and we don't have any protein in our meals. I'd like us to deal with these problems as soon as possible."

"Um, I just wanted to point out that Shannon has been working really hard over these past few days. He has worked his butt off around camp, and I don't think he gets enough recognition." Orihime smiled gratefully at the swordsman. "If it wasn't for Shannon, we may not have any food or water right now. So, I want to take this time to thank him."

"Yeah, we couldn't have pulled through these last few days without him." Mina nodded her head in agreement. A few others mumbled their agreements as well.

"Is it safe to say that Shannon won't be voted out tonight?" Iruka asked.

"We'd be a bunch of ungrateful jerkwads if we did." Zolo said sheepishly.

Shannon just shrugged his shoulders.

Finally, Iruka ended the tribal council session with one last question: "Does everyone know who they're voting for tonight?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I know who I'm voting for tonight." Orihime sadly nodded her head.

"I know who I am voting for tonight." Mina glanced at her other tribe members. "I just wish I knew how everyone else is voting tonight."

"Are you in the outs of your tribe, Mina? You don't seem very certain…" Iruka pointed out.

"I hope not." Mina crossed her fingers and smiled weakly. "I'm not ready to be voted off tonight. I want to stay here until the end and I want to enjoy my Survivor experience to the fullest extent." She glanced at her tribe members again. "Please, you guys. Not me tonight. That's all I'm asking for. Give me another chance."

"And on that note, let's get to the vote." Iruka clapped his hands together. "We should all know how it works. Mai, you're up first."

Each player must cross a flimsy rope bridge in order to arrive at the voting booth, which was located on a separate mountain. In spite of the altitude and the apparent shakiness, Mai was confident as she walked across the bridge, as long as she did not look down at the terrifying view below. Moments later, she made her arrival, safe and sound. Mai then walked up to the voting booth. On the table was a black ink marker and a piece of parchment. She wasted no time scribbling down Mina's name.

After she was finished writing, Mai displayed her vote to the camera.

"Mina, I'm voting for you because you pose a threat to my game. You talked us into eating those berries and you almost talked us into believing that you had the idol. It would have worked too if you weren't such a bad liar." Mai smirked. "I'm worried that if you stay, you can influence the men to keep you around even longer. That doesn't bode well with me, so you must go."

The blonde folded her vote in half and dropped it into the voting urn. Before she turned around, Mai made one last remark to the camera.

"And besides, you're a bit of a phony."

The next person to vote was Meryl, who was far more hesitant about the rope bridge. After receiving reassurance from Iruka that it was a stable piece of infrastructure, she slowly tiptoed her way to the voting booth. Meryl sighed in relief when she landed on the other side, although she took a very long time in order to arrive there.

Once the hard part was out of the way, Meryl grabbed the marker and quickly scribbled seven letters on the parchment. She held up her vote, revealing Orihime's name.

"Nothing against you. You're the weakest out of everyone. Uh, it's not really your fault that you're like this, but it's how the cookie crumbles. Tough luck."

Mina voted next, also struggling with the rope bridge at first. She managed to walk across it by keeping her eyes on the voting booth. Once she arrived, the blonde teenager wrote down Meryl's name on her piece of parchment.

"Sorry, Meryl. You came across as too lippy at the start, and you're branded with that image forever. I don't like using your personality against you, but I'm trying to preserve myself. Just remember, first impressions last forever."

Orihime cast her vote and returned. The four men followed, one by one, all voting identically against the same person. Some of the women didn't realize it yet, but the men's votes would become the deciding factor in who goes home tonight. It wasn't a formal alliance per say, but rather a spontaneous decision that they all agreed on under the limited circumstances. Or at least that was what Roy implied when he tried justifying the reason with his vote. He didn't put it in so many words, since he was the last person to vote for the night, and he was trying to keep his explanation brief.

"You didn't play your cards right." Roy said with a shrug.

He inserted his parchment in the voting urn, thus sealing one tribe member's fate forever. Roy didn't fret too much about his decision, because like everybody else, he was just glad it wasn't him.

- - -

Iruka quickly tallied the results and returned to the main area with the voting urn. He announced that once the votes were read, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately. He took a long dramatic pause before he actually pulled out the first parchment.

After another long pause, he turned over the vote.

"Orihime."

The perky redhead nodded her head, trying to maintain an optimistic attitude regardless.

Iruka pulled out the second vote.

"Mina."

Unlike Orihime, the teenager struggled to think positively as soon as she saw her name on a parchment. Despite her usual sunny disposition, Mina just wasn't feeling very confident about tonight's vote. But she didn't want her game to end yet. Not yet.

"Meryl."

For somebody who thought she was safe tonight, Meryl's confidence was shaken when the third vote was read. She knew she made a bad first impression, but she thought she could make up for her past wrongs over her good behaviour in these past two days. Apparently, some people found it difficult to forgive and forget. Wherever the origin of the vote came from, Meryl only hoped it would be the last time she saw her name tonight.

"Meryl." Iruka repeated the name a second time as he read out another vote. "That's two votes for Meryl, one vote for Mina, and one vote for Orihime."

Meryl shook her head in disbelief, surprised by the sight of her name again. One vote was fine, considering that it probably came from Mina. But two votes meant that she was in danger, even though this came as a total shock to her. The petite insurance agent scanned over everybody's faces, wondering if there had been some sort of conspiracy against her at the last minute. Most of her tribe members appeared unfazed, except for Mai, who looked a little irked by this vote.

The petite insurance agent closed her eyes when Iruka pulled out the fifth parchment. She expected the worst.

"Mina."

The blonde raised her head up in alarm. It was now her time to panic. Whatever comfort Mina felt when she saw Meryl's name appear twice had vanished by the sight of her own name again. For a moment, she thought she was rescued by her tribe members, who must have felt sympathetic to her last minute pitch, or pitied her precarious circumstances, or even feared her claim that she had the hidden immunity idol. That was not the case though, as witnessed by the reappearance of her name.

They gave her a false glimmer of hope and then they took it away from her again.

"Mina." Iruka said, "That's three votes for Mina, two votes for Meryl, and one vote for Orihime."

Mina leaned forward, trying to read the tiny messy handwriting on the parchment. She quickly deduced that it was written by a man. And that was when she knew it was over.

"Mina."

Her name was read out again, even though simple mathematics indicated that the outcome had already been settled. A few players appeared puzzled by an apparently useless action from Iruka, but there was method to his madness.

"The first person voted out of Survivor: Konoha…" Iruka declared, flipping over the final piece of parchment. "Mina."

A moment of lingering anxiety filled the tribal council area when Mina did not leave her seat, as most people did when such an announcement was made. Iruka then turned towards the teenager, with slight surprise, and asked the dreaded question on everybody's mind.

"Mina, do you have the hidden immunity idol?"

An extremely nervous Meryl studied the blonde's face for her reaction. If Mina did have the hidden immunity idol, she'd be immune from the outcome tonight. Suddenly, it became clear as to why Iruka had read out the extra vote, just to ensure that Mina had the majority of the votes, and Meryl had the second highest amount. In the occasion where Mina used the idol, Meryl would be voted out instead.

Ohhhhh crap. Meryl simply thought, reacting the only way she knew how.

"I don't." Mina shook her head sadly. "I don't have it."

Meryl felt her heart stopped beating for a second, but that was the last time she would feel surprised tonight. There was no hidden immunity idol, which meant the outcome was now official: Mina Aino was gone for good.

Mina stood up, grabbed her torch, and walked over to Iruka without looking once at her tribe. Her face was stoic, visibly devoid of any emotion or expression. She might have entered the game as a lively and innocent schoolgirl, but she exited as someone a little wiser about the harsh realities of human nature.

"Mina, the tribe has spoken." Iruka said, snuffing out the blonde's torch. "It's time for you to go."

She nodded her head in acceptance. Then, Mina silently walked past Iruka and followed a designated route to exit tribal council. The players watched her leave, the image of her body soon devoured by the darkness as she disappeared from Survivor forever.

"This is only the beginning. If you don't shape up, you'll be back here again three days later." Iruka smiled at the castaways. "It has been a long night. Go back to camp and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day."

Meryl walked behind everybody else during an uneventful hike back to the Tsunade campsite. While her tribe members were worried about navigating in the dark, she had other worrisome thoughts on her mind. The outcome of tonight's tribal council surprised her, since she thought Orihime would have been voted off instead of Mina. Furthermore, there was the puzzling matter of her two outstanding votes, which she did not expect to receive. She knew one came from Mina for whatever reasons, but who cast the second vote against her?

That was the one question Meryl would never solve for the remainder of her time in this game. After all, she would never have suspected Orihime – sweet, innocent, angelic Orihime – to be the actual criminal she was looking for. The bubbly redhead was informed that Mina would leave tonight by multiple people, but she voted against Meryl anyway. This was partly due to sympathy for poor ostracized Mina, but mostly because Orihime thought ahead and realized that if Mina did have the hidden immunity idol, then a second vote against Meryl would ensure the latter went home instead of her.

Even so, that problem was not what troubled Meryl the most. As she walked back to camp tonight, she noticed that three women had received votes, while all of the men left tribal council unscathed. A female exited the game, while the four males remained intact and now held the majority of the votes.

Suddenly, the big picture was becoming clearer, and the facts were emerging to the surface.

Meryl thought her worries would end tonight. But now, she realized they were just beginning.

- - -

Mina's Final Words

First impressions last forever. I tried my best to save myself, I really did. The odds were stacked against me since the beginning though, and there was so little I could do. I thought I'd last much longer in the game, but luck wasn't on my side. It's funny too, because if I didn't find those gosh darn Minaberries, I wouldn't have been voted off. Oh stupid Minaberries – I hate that name.

- - -

Next time on Survivor: Konoha –

Orihime discovers an unlikely friend in her tribe…
Orihime: You have a lot to learn about women, young grasshopper.
Shannon: Young grasshopper?
(Shannon looks confused. Orihime just giggles.)
Shannon: Hey, what are you trying to imply?

Mai makes a move on her man…
Mai: I love the smell of men in the morning.
(Mai cuddles next to a sleeping Kurz. She grins at the camera.)
Mai: It smells like…victory.

And somebody finds the hidden immunity idol…
Faye: Look at him. He's hiding something.
(Harley and Faye are spying on another player behind a tree. They whisper back and forth.)
Harley: Are you sure?
Faye: He has it.

All this and more on - Episode 2: Vixens Attack

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