Team Kakashi sped through the Forest of Death toward their destination at the center of the forest. They bounded from branch to branch, no one speaking; all focused on their goal.
As the tower came into view on the dark horizon, the girl looked across to the two boys, her green eyes shining.
"There it is," she said urgently, "We have to hurry, the sun is already rising."
"As long as we keep up the pace, we'll be fine," the dark haired boy replied coolly.
"We're gonna make it. We're gonna be Chunin," the blond boy on the far left whispered to himself.
At the tower, the teams that had already arrived lay strewn about, recovering from their two day long survival test, glancing around suspiciously at the other teams. The proctor stood on the scaffolding next to the fifth Hokage. He looked up from his watch.
"I'll give it five more minutes; then you can make your speech."
"Thank you, Choji," Tsunade replied stately. She looked as young as ever; the transformation jutsu hid her age, but her increased frailty had become more apparent. This frailty had led her to choose a sixth Hokage only a month before. Of course, she was still more powerful than all but a handful of ninja in the world, however, like Sarutobi before her, she had deemed it best to retire some of her duties to the younger generation and relax in her old age.
"Choji! Another team has arrived!" called a ninja from the front entrance.
"Just in time!" Choji Akimichi called back jovially, "There are only a few minutes left! Which one is it?"
"It's Kakashi's squadron!"
On the ground floor, several groups of Genin looked around curiously, but in one team, all three members simultaneously paled.
"Ah! I am glad to see Kakashi's squad has succeeded!" their sensei enthusiastically rejoiced, "Did you ever see them during your time in the forest?"
"No Lee-sensei!" a boy with shockingly red hair and what appeared to be a giant sized spool of similarly colored ribbon attached to his back replied instantaneously. The other two members of the team grew paler.
The doors at the front opened automatically, and team Kakashi stumbled in with Kakashi Hatake himself walking calmly at the front, reading one of his erotic novels. The Genin in his squad were less calm than exhausted, and they struggled to place one foot in front of the other as they dragged themselves into the room.
"Kakashi-sensei!" a woman's voice piped from their left.
Kakashi turned slowly.
"Sakura. Your team survived, I see. Good job."
Sakura's green eyes glinted playfully. "Don't act so surprised," she replied precociously, "If I remember correctly, your first ever team made it through on their first try too."
Over the years, Sakura had become somewhat of a celebrity, renowned for her beauty and strength as a ninja. She was one of the trio known as the Next Sannin, and her medical jutsu had progressed as fast as her combat technique: she had even developed several jutsu used for treating head injuries that had become standards for fast treatment on the battlefield. Despite all her success, no one was surprised when she requested a team of Genin. She had always admired Kakashi and the other squad leaders for the impact they had on her generation of ninjas and wished to help the next generation in the same way.
Similarly, Kakashi's legend had only grown only grown as well. Konoha's Copy Ninja was more well-known than Konoha's White Fang ever had been, and some rumors claimed that Kakashi had copied all the jutsu from all of the hidden villages. However, despite his continued success, Kakashi felt his age more than anyone else. He enjoyed reading more than he enjoyed any mission and he had even begun to write some erotica of his own.
"Attention!" Chouji the proctor yelled, "Genin come forward!"
He and the Fifth descended from the catwalk and stood in front of the door leading to the battle arena.
The Genin came forth, lined up within their squads. Some looked barely able to stand, while some appeared as if they had not received a single scratch from the branches in the forest. Two grass Genin were even unconscious and being dragged forward by their partner.
Tsunade stepped up.
"Congratulations," she said graciously, "You've made it through the so-called Forest of Death… all twenty one of you."
She looked along the line of Genin forcefully, "As I am sure you know, it has become a tradition, if the number of Genin who pass the second test exceeds 14, to have a preliminary round. This round consists of consists of sudden death battles in which each of you will fight a randomly assigned opponent, effectively cutting your number in half. These battles test your ability to focus and endure under extreme exhaustion. It also adds a random element, based on how your time in the forest went. Which is a good thing," she added, in response to the incredulous outbursts from some of the students, "because you certainly won't be able to control every factor in a mission."
"Remember…" Tsunade said lowly, "these fights are anything-goes. If you managed to carry it through the forest, you deserve to use it. And while we have an entire staff of medic-nins on hand, this is still an extremely dangerous process. If you feel that you are unable to compete, raise your hand now and you will given be adequate medical treatment escorted from the forest."
The Fifth looked seriously through the droves of Genin, looking for a volunteer. She didn't see any volunteers.
"Are you all sure you… Are those two unconscious?" she asked, pointing to the boy and girl propped up on either side of a green haired grass Genin.
"N-no!" he stammered, reddening.
"Okay… we're gonna need a medic team."
The grass-nin immediately became desperate.
"No! I mean… they'll wake up! They'll be fine, it's what they would want!" he blurted out.
The medic team, clad in white, entered the room with two stretchers, but the green haired teenager stood defiantly in front of them.
"No! They'll wake up!" he stated strongly.
He wore dark green fatigues that clung close to his body and the standard ninja mail along his legs and arms. Some strands of his bright green hair hung over his grass village forehead protector which rested several inches over his hazel eyes. A conical, grass woven hat was strapped to his back over a sheathed katana which hung diagonally from his right shoulder to his left hip.
The medic team stood uncertainly before him for a moment.
"Kusamaru!" a stern voice projected, "Stand down!"
Kusamaru spun to face the speaker, a grass Jonin whose green hair and olive skin greatly resembled that of the Genin.
"But… yes, sir!" said Kusamaru, striking a position of attention.
The medics continued on their way, stepping around the rigidly standing Kusamaru, and placed the other two members of the grass team on stretchers before hurrying away. Kusamaru remained rigid until his sensei turned away, at which point he fell back into line with the other Genin, looking defeated.
"Wow…" whispered a black haired girl in Rock Lee's squad to her sensei, "he carried his two friends through the forest. He must be really strong."
"As I would expect you to do as well, young Kumo," Lee replied, kneeling down and facing his student, "That is the very essence of true friendship."
Kumo's grey, pupil-less eyes flitted timidly to the other two members of her team, then to the floor. The two boys on her team were laughing raucously and ignoring the disturbance. Kumo looked discouraged.
"Of course," she said quietly, "I would do the same for my… friends."
Her sensei beamed.
"Okay!" Tsunade blurted unceremoniously, "If there are no volunteers please proceed into the next room and climb onto the catwalks on either side."
The Genin filed through the door uncomfortably, followed by their senseis and the other exam staffers. The teenagers quickly gathered around their respective instructors and followed them into the catwalks.
Chouji Akimichi and Tsunade remained on the floor. While Tsunade took her place at the base of the statue at the far end of the room, Chouji stepped forward.
"Settle down everyone… As you have been told, this is an anything-goes process, however you are absolutely forbidden to kill: these matches aim for submission or yielding only."
He let this statement sink in, then continued, "There are a total of nineteen combatants: an odd number; which means that one of you will be given a buy and will automatically pass on to the third exam. This lucky ninja will be the only one left at the end who hasn't fought."
The red haired boy in Lee's squad whispered to the other boy in his team, a muscular teenager dressed in sky blue fatigues, "I wouldn't call not fighting lucky."
"Now," Chouji continued, "please look to the screen where the first two combatants will be chosen."
He motioned to a large blue screen above the serene statue where names began flashing briefly on either side of the letters 'VS'.
"I saw my name!" piped a blond girl in the stands frantically, "Oh! I saw my name again, Ino-sensei!"
"Calm down, Seyumi…" Ino Yamanaka sighed. She brushed her long blond hair out of her eyes and reclined against the banister. Being a teacher wasn't nearly as fun as she thought it would be, but Sakura was doing it and 'friends' have to stick together, don't they?
Every Genin (except Kusamaru who had collapsed against the wall in exhaustion) and every Jonin (except Ino and Kakashi who were just bored) stared raptly at the screen. The names stopped suddenly, causing some Genin to jump in surprise.
Zanku Tsuchi vs Iidoni
"You're up," Kankuro said to his student.
"I know," Iidoni replied.
"You're against a sound-nin."
"I know."
Iidoni looked up and locked eyes with her sensei. They smirked simultaneously.
"Easy," he said.
"Easy," she agreed.