A/N: This is the sequel to The Real Chunin Exam: Dokuja Chronicles. Read that story first and then continue on to this one! That way you know the entire ordeal so far and won't need to ask any questions. Well, here we are, finally at the point where nobody knows what's coming next, and it's probably killing you. I won't hold off any longer. Here's the beginning of Chronicle 4!

"Help me!" Markue-Rae, Hanging from a rope by her wrists called out, struggling to get free.

"Markue-Rae!" Dokuja responded, unsure on what to do. Orochimaru had her captive, and a Sound ninja was under his orders, a sword at her throat. "Let her go already! Are you telling me you would kill your own daughter to get to me? Are you insane?!"

"You've always been the kind of brat that would fall for his beloved comrade's. And if there's only one, no matter whom it may be, if it would gnaw at you nothing else matters. There is only one way you can save her now." Orochimaru gave a small chuckle, dying for some payback from his earlier treachery against him. By looking in his demonic eyes, Dokuja knew he would have to fight and kill Orochimaru in order to save her, so he gripped his blade as they each charged at each other. They both gave an array of punches and kicks, blocking or dodging every one thrown from there opponents, until Orochimaru lashed out his unrealistically long tongue and ringed his neck tightly, also squeezing as he choked him, pulling a kunai out. Dokuja attempted to separate the tongue from his throat, but it was no use. He was out of chakra and stamina. Markue-Rae could barely watch from the distance. "Today is your demise. Any last words? Oh, I forgot, you're a little tied up at the moment. Then I guess it doesn't matter. Say hello to Sarutobi for me, would you? After all, you're going to see him soon, boy!" He raised the kunai, pulling it back and ready to end it. "Die, brat!" He slit Dokuja's throat, blood gushing everywhere as the gory corpse fell to the ground. As Dokuja's strength faded away, the last thing he heard and saw was Orochimaru shouting at him. "Wake up, Dokuja!" He seemed to say.

Dokuja awoke in a hospital bed, sitting up quickly and breathing heavily, terrified by his nightmare just a moment ago. He saw he wasn't wearing his mask, finding it at the table to his right. He slipped it on quickly. A medic ninja came through the door, noticing Dokuja was finally up and well. "You're finally awake." He said, coming in. "It took a few days of constant treatment, but the poison that was in your bloodstream was eradicated and your injuries were tended to. You took quite a beating, falling like that and fighting Orochimaru himself. That's something you should've left to the ANBU. They could've done a better job then you did. Orochimaru might've been killed a few days ago if it weren't for your rash action." Those words seeped deep under Dokuja's skin, as he remembered every single gruesome detail of his last brawl. Especially his failure to keep Markue-Rae away from Orochimaru a second time. He tensed up, gripping the side of his bed, flipping around and out the opposite side and threw it as hard as he could out the window while shouting in hate and regret.

"Why?!!?" He screamed, as the bed crashed through the wall and shattered the nearby window, spiraling sideways as it tumbled down to the dirt, landing in a wreck next to Sakura and Ino's feet, narrowly hitting them as well. They looked up, noticing Dokuja falling to his knees in tears under his mask.

"What's his ordeal?" Ino said, staring up at the obviously disturbed Dokuja a few stories up. "You have any clue? After all, he is your teammate."

"I don't know, but I think I should talk to him. He might listen to me and Naruto, after he's calm enough." Sakura looked up as well, replying to Ino. Was it something to do with Orochimaru's presence here a few days ago?

"Please, Dokuja! Try to calm down. We already have enough damage in the village without this behavior!" The medic attempted to stop his rage, but it didn't seem to go over too well.

"Shut up!" Dokuja yelled, giving the medic a kick to the jaw, sending him through the door he came through. "You have nowhere to talk! You have no idea on what I had to go through!"

"However," an unfamiliar voice said. "We do." The two elders of the village came through the opened door. One was an old woman, the other an old man, hence the name. "Kakashi told us everything about your earlier incidents with Orochimaru and your past in the Cloud Village."

That stalker! He must have listened in when I told Naruto and Sakura. He really knows how to piss me off. Dokuja thought, cursing Kakashi for his intrusion.

"We also know about your recent bout with Orochimaru just a few days ago, thanks to some witnesses of it all."

"Witnesses? Who are you speaking of?" Dokuja had no idea on what they were talking about at all.

"Enter!" The elder shouted, as three ANBU swooped in on there knees, landing in front of her. It was the three men from before that were outside the barrier.

"Oh, what do you know, you guys again!"

"Pleased to see you for a second time." One of the ANBU said.

"You were quite a fighter back there with Orochimaru. The display of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu was beyond belief. Being able to do so much in one conflict is not an easy task even for us." A second ANBU stated.

"Nah, Orochimaru just went easy on me." Dokuja rubbed the back of his neck.

"The term 'going easy' isn't in his dictionary. There's no question he went full force on you. Either way, you possess a lot of potential. Orochimaru is now seeing you as a threat to his goal of destroying this village." The second ANBU continued.

"Therefore, Orochimaru is now in your bingo book and yours alone, being the only one man that can have a chance of killing him one on one." The woman elder said. "It is your secondary objective as a shinobi here. If you fail, this village will soon fall to it's knees before him."

"That seems prudent, but you got it."

"Also, we found this not to far from where you fell a few days ago. One of those Sound ninja must've dropped it while they were fleeing. It looks as if they did it purposely. We figured it may be important." The third ANBU said, lightly tossing a book into Dokuja's arms. He took a quick look at it, realizing what it was. He opened it as a note fell out from one of the pages. It read as follows:

Dokuja,

If you are reading this, it means you survived a conflict with my father recently and I have left for a second time. I've given you my diary as something to help you keep some sort of memory of me over this period of time. I know you must hate me right now, but I left for a reason besides being able to be with my father again and to seek more power. The reason I left I will tell you at a later date.

Until we meet again,

Markue-Rae

P.S: Take care of yourself…

Dokuja was glad to see this, but also upset of his recent failure. "Thank you, I'm much obliged that you went to the trouble of returning this to me. But I have a feeling that this isn't the only reason that you have come here, is it?"

"Jiraya, another of the legendary Sannin as Orochimaru, is on a search for a woman that has been nominated the title of the Fifth Hokage. We want you to assist him on this mission."

"Sure, but mind if I ask why exactly? I don't see how I would be at much help on a search like this."

"We've also received word that Orochimaru is also on a hunt for the same woman, seeking to heal his arms with her healing powers. If he does find her, you will need to drive him away at all costs to protect her and the village from its destruction."

"I see, I better get packing then. Where will this man meet me?"

"At the east gate of the village. You have half an hour before they ship out."

"I better get going then." Dokuja leaped out of the hole he made with the hospital bed towards his home.

"Well, it looks like you just missed him." Ino said, watching Dokuja sprint away. "If you want to talk to him, you might want to get moving."

"Actually, I think you should see him." Sakura replied. She thought it best for Ino to know about Dokuja's unpleasant past.

"Me? You want me to talk to him? Well, maybe it would be best if he seen someone new for a change. What's his address?"

"He lives in that new house by the eastern gate of the village."

"I'm on my way!" Ino darted off towards Dokuja's home.

~*~*~

About a minute later, Dokuja finished packing up as he heard a knock on the door. He went downstairs and opened the door as he noticed Ino standing on the porch. "Hi," she said, with a small smile. "I came to check on you. After what happened back at the hospital, you know, almost hitting Sakura and me in the head with a bed after tossing it through a wall, I thought you might need someone to talk to."

"Oh, sorry about that. I wasn't in the best mood back there. Those medic ninja really get to me lately. I've also noticed that you and I haven't been properly introduced. I'm Dokuja, and you must be, if I'm correct, Ino, right?"

"That's me! You probably know be back at the preliminaries."

"I sure do, after getting into a tie with Sakura, you'd be known around the village quite well. You're a good fighter, when you think about it. Would you like to come in, maybe have a cup of tea?"

"Sure, if you're not in a rush."

"I have a little while before I have to go on my mission." Stepping to the side, Dokuja let Ino inside, as she sat on the couch. Dokuja sat in a nearby chair.

"So, are you OK? After what happened earlier, Sakura's been kind of worried about you. She suggested that I talked to you, to see if you were okay. And what's with all of this stuff I've been hearing about you fighting some guy named Orochimaru?"

"It's a long story." Dokuja then told her about his past with the Cloud village, how he came to be here, and about his recent conflict with Orochimaru. Ino was shocked, and could barely keep her tears back over the fear and pain Dokuja must've went through.

And I thought Sasuke's life was bad. Take a look at him. He lost his whole clan, and now his only real friend. Exiling himself in the Forest of Death for six straight months, and coming out to see his worst nightmare for a second time. No wonder he was so flipped out earlier. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but did you have any…you know… 'Feelings' for Markue-Rae?" Ino cautiously asked him, afraid of more bad memories returning to him.

"Take a wild guess." Dokuja replied, literally giving it away through his sarcasm. He took a look at the clock, noticing he had to leave soon. "Holy smokes look at the time. I better get going. I'll almost be late as is. But if you have any more questions, or just want to talk, just drop by."

"I'll make sure to do that. See you later!" Ino walked in the opposite direction as Dokuja did, heading home. Man, he really had it hard, and yet is still here today. I'm surprised he didn't commit suicide already. Maybe it's because of Markue-Rae that he's driven on. Maybe she's the reason he's trying to kill Orochimaru somehow… I guess I'll just have to ask him later. Ino though, looking back as Dokuja disappeared over the horizon.

Dokuja arrived at the gate in a few minutes, noticing a man with a needle like hairdo leaning against a wall. Naruto was also there. "Hey Dokuja! Where you heading?" He asked, running up to him.

"I'm supposed to meet a man named Jiraya here before we set out on a search for someone." Dokuja replied.

"Oh, you're the one that's coming with us? This is going to be so great!" Naruto turned around. "Hey Pervy Sage, we can go, he's here!"

Jiraya glanced at Dokuja, unsure on what to think of him. I've heard that this kid was able to drive Orochimaru out of the village before he could do much to it. But judging by the look of him, he doesn't have what it takes to survive an attack by Orochimaru, let alone drive him out. It must've been a rumor that spread through the village. Jiraya stood up straight, ready to leave. "So you're the kid I've been hearing about. You're name's Dokuja, right?"

"That must mean your Jiraya."

"I take it the elders filled you in on the details of this mission, so let's not waste any time and head out now. You can fill me in on any details I need to know while were moving." Jiraya walked away as Dokuja and Naruto followed, as there mission began.