Hey It's Ashikage here bringing you another chapter of Final Strike. Now I have decided to post a flashback chapter devoted to Akana so it would clear up any confusion you might have, but that chapter devoted to Akana's past will not come until later on. As far as I'm concerned I won't come to it until I get to a certain part in the story.
Now for the Disclaimer
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Naruto or anything in this chapter. Naruto belongs to its rightful owner.
Final Strike
Chapter Two
Everything going on in the room screeched to a halt. Nothing was said, nobody moved. You could hear a pen drop it was so quiet. Akana's teammates and the others of the Rookie 9 looked at her with fear in their eyes. The eyes of everybody in the room were on them and Akana didn't like it. It was much too quiet for her tastes. Why did her mother have to come and ruin it for her? It was so humiliating when her mother stepped in. Kyuubi didn't seem bothered by it as she stood up, padded over to her, and licked her faceplate and upon doing so Akana's faceplate opened up. Then something faded into view. Gasps came from the room's occupants.
Atop Akana's head was a pair of green furred fox ears and behind her were nine 20ft long green furred fox tails. They were limp at her feet. "Much better." Said her mom. "Mom. Why did you do that?" She asked her mother irritably. The fox that was her mother smirked and said, "Because I can, you silly kit." Kyuubi lifted her frontal paw and put it on top of her head. "Mom, stop it you're scaring everyone." Kyuubi looked over her shoulder. Then she shrugged. "Hell if I care. They can be scared if they want to." "Why are you here?" Just before her mother could answer a loud puff of smoke appeared in front of them followed by a loud crack.
"Alright you little brats shut up and do what I tell you to." Said a man with a bandana on his head. The bandana had a metal plate on the front and it had the leaf symbol worn by Konoha ninja. The man had a scar running across his nose and wore a standard Jonin outfit under a black trench coat. Behind him were many other Jonin. He acted like he didn't care at all about what was going on. Everyone looked on at him with fear. He chuckled in his mind. That was one of the perks for being in the Torture and Interrogation branch of Konoha. "My name's Morino Ibiki and I'll be your first exam proctor." He looked over his examinees and noticed a particular bundle of genin standing several meters away from him on the left side of the room.
He noticed a giant green furred fox with nine tails and blood red eyes. 'Heh, looks like Akana's mother wants to join the party. Heh good.' Thought the man from T&I. The Kyuubi wasn't all that bad like some people believed. She was actually nice and kind to everyone she had visited, some more than others, but when she was mad, 'Minato ended up in the hospital for a month after that.' He shuttered. He did not like what had happened to his good friend.
"Welcome to the first exam of the Chuunin Exams. As you know this year they are being held here, in Konoha." He looked at everyone around the room and noticed he had their undivided attention. "This first exam is a written exam and instead of your current seating arrangements you'll be separated." He took a plate from one of his pockets on his flak jacket. "You see this plate. You'll each receive one. Each one has a different number on it. Each number will go with a certain seat in this room. You'll take a plate and go to that very seat you are assigned to. From their I will give you the instructions and rules for the exam. Come and get a plate so you can go to your new seat." The Jonin right behind him held up a basket with tiles on it. Each team walked up and took a plate and went to their seats.
Once everyone was in their correct seat Ibiki took a piece of chalk from the tray and began writing on the board. Once he was done writing he placed the chalk back into the tray let everyone look up at the board. "The test has a subtraction system. If you miss a question, a second question, or even a third you will three points subtracted from the initial ten points which will bring you at seven total points, but." He grinned. "That is mainly for the individual. This is a team test which means each team will have thirty points and each team will compete to see if they hold the highest number of points from the initial thirty points issued to each team." He looked over them another time before he said, "Finally the third rule, anyone caught by me or any of the examiners doing sneaky activities will be subtracted two points for each offense committed."
Akana, who was at seat 37, narrowed her eyes. 'There's a hidden meaning to this test.' Kyuubi who was now laying nest to her daughter agreed. 'I see it too kit.' Akana continued to listen to Ibiki. "You need to realize that the pathetic ones caught committing the deed will be destroying themselves and not their teammates. You're all genin trying to achieve the status of Chuunin and as such, be proud Ninjas." With that last part the exams had been passed out and everyone had started their test. The pencils tapped against the paper as people wrote down their answers. Akana looked around and noticed something odd. Then realization set in. 'I see. So they want us to cheat.' She smirked. It so happens that Ibiki managed to catch that smirk. 'She's already figured out the meaning.' His shock turned to approval. 'Good job in solving my little riddle Akana Uzumaki.'
Meanwhile Akana was working her brain on ways that she could cheat on the test without them noticing. 'Kit, use your tails.' Her mother suggested. Seeing what she meant Akana used her tails to spread around the room while still having them secluded and having them curl onto some of the people's legs without their notice. Then a light aura spread down her tails and sucked the required information from the other genin. It just so happened that one of the genin she sucked information from had a bijuu in him. The Ichibi if she remembered correctly. She took a little more information than she wanted to from the red headed kid as it brought images of his childhood to her mind.
She snapped out of her little phase and retracted her tails into their original position before anyone would notice but Gaara as she had found out from entering his mind had already noticed as his eye were wide. His sister and brother noticed this as well and followed his eyes to a retracting tail of green fur that led all the way towards a certain armored girl. 'We'll need to watch out for her.' Temari silently thought to herself.
Meanwhile after Akana had put down her pencil signaling that she had finished her test and turned it over. She leaned back in her seat and watched the clock on the wall tick away. Halfway into the test someone had already been caught cheating and was sent out of the exam room. Twenty minutes later Ibiki looked over the genin and noticed that the majority had already finished their tests. He checked the clock and noticed it was time to give the final question. "Alright, now for the final question." He now had their undivided attention. "Before we get to it however I'd like to go over the added rules for the tenth question." Kankuro who had gone to the bathroom early before the tenth question walked in. "Perfect timing. So… was your doll playing beneficial?" Kankuro's heart skipped a beat. 'So these Konoha Jonin aren't stupid after all. He saw right through Karasu.' Ibiki chuckled as he saw the look on the Suna genin's face. "Just sit down." He said.
Kankuro did as he was told and walked past Temari and made a subtle movement with his hand which Temari took her hand and quickly took whatever Kankuro was holding in his hand. Ibiki looked over the chuunin hopefuls yet again and finally said, "These rules are the Rules of Desperation." He saw the nervous looks on some of the genin's faces and took that as a sign. Everyone soon had questioning looks on their faces as they heard what Ibiki was saying. "First, for the 10th question, you must decide whether you will answer it or not."
"Choose? So what happens if we don't answer the question at all?" She shouted. Ibiki kept up a stern face and said, "If you choose to not answer the 10th question at all, your points will be deducted to zero and you will fail. This goes for your teammates." He saw the nervous looks on their faces had turned into looks of worry. Akana thought otherwise. 'He's using reverse psychology on us. He's trying to convince us to think if it's worth the risk or not.' She narrowed her eyes and smirked, 'I see what you're playing at.' Ibiki had just looked over Akana and managed to notice the look on her face. His eyes narrowed. 'So she saw through it already.' Nevertheless he continued on. "There's another rule to the question." Everyone's head was towards Ibiki. "If you choose to take the final question…"He paused letting the suspense build up. "And answer it incorrectly…that person will lose the right to take the chuunin selection exam again!"
"What kind of rule is that?" Kiba shouted with his dog barking loudly in agreement. Other shouts of disagreement came after the dog boy. Ibiki held up his hand to silence them. Once everyone was quiet had continued on. "You guys were unlucky because this year it's my rules." He grinned. "But I'm giving you a way out." He received many questioning looks. 'The final part before he gives us the question, to seal everyone's fate.' Akana thought grinning. "Those that aren't confident enough to take the question can choose not to take it… and come back next year." Akana looked around. She saw some determined looks, some shocked ones, and even some fearful ones on the genin's faces. 'They doubt themselves already.' "Now let us begin the 10th question." He paused. "Those that do not wish to take the question, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed leave." Several teams left not even bothering to take the chance. It was brought down to 26 teams before Akana stood up and put her foot on the table making it crack and made it look like it want to fall. The wood splattered as she had her tails twirling viscously around her and her purple eyes glow even brighter. She looked like a total demon but with light green energy similar to chakra come out of her body.
"Nobody, not even you, will make me fail this question. I choose to take the question to move forward." She used her foot to split the table in two. The two chunks of table glowed with a bright green, were lifted up, and were thrown out the window. Her test had fallen to the ground forgotten. Ibiki looked around and saw the determined looks on the other team's faces. He had seen the previous display made by the girl and was bit a fearful of what she could if she was mad. 'She had a temper like her mother.' He thought fearfully. '26 teams, that's seventy-eight people, more than last year's batch.' He thought looking over them.
"Well in that case, all of you pass the first exam." Akana just smirked and sat back down in her chair. 'Don't you think that was a bit much?' Kyuubi told her. Akana looked at her, 'Nah they'll be fine.' Kyuubi just shook her head, 'Even though you're my own flesh and blood I still don't get you sometimes.' Akana smiled. 'I'm just too unpredictable mom.' Akana thought smiling even more. Kyuubi just shook her head as she lay there next to Akana.
Suddenly the window behind a chuunin crashed to bits as something flew through it. Four kunai spread out and hit several spots, right in front of Ibiki who muttered, "Not this one." A woman appeared suddenly in front of the banner she had set up. "I'm Mitarashi Anko, the second examiner for the second exam." Anko was one strange woman. She wore a tan trench coat with a fishnet shirt underneath, a tan skirt, shin guards, and blue shinobi sandals.
Anko noticed something strange with the teams. She smirked. "Ibiki…" She said looking at him. "Don't tell me you're getting soft. There are twenty-six teams here." Ibiki just chuckled as he stepped out from behind the banner. "Well you could tell that to the kid with big giant green fox lying next to her." He gestured in Akana's direction. Anko looked over to see Akana leaning back in her chair and as he had said there was also a giant green fox lying next to her. The fox had nine tails and so did Akana but she had fox ears perched atop her head. She smiled, 'Like mother, like daughter.' She thought looking at the two.
"Heh, well then. By the time we get through with the second exam they'll be cut by half." She said confidently. Ibiki just laughed. 'Just like Anko to speak confidently about her abilities.' He thought to himself. "Now then will everyone follow me to Training Ground 44?" She was about to jump out the window when Ibiki interrupted her. "Anko…" She looked at him. "Hm." "You have the worst possible timing at everything." She just smiled and gave him a mock salute. "That's me after all." And then she jumped out the window. "Well mother…" Akana said getting up. "Shall we follow her?" She asked. "I thought you'd never ask." Akana smirked and climbed onto her mother's back. While she did this though she was watched by the rest of the ninja in the room. "Let's go. Woohoo!" She screamed as Kyuubi jumped out the window following after Anko.
They landed on top of a building and leapt towards another building and disappeared out of sight. Meanwhile the entire room was dumbfounded that such a large animal could have such speed. Then the genin realized something. "We don't know where Training Ground 44 is." Ibiki groaned and yelled, "Anko!" Sometimes he hated Anko for things like this.
Meanwhile Akana and her mother had finally caught up with Anko and were now traveling right beside her. Anko looked towards Akana. "I see you got yourself some new armor." Akana just looked back and smirked. "It's a gift from a friend." Was all she said. Realizing she wasn't going to get anymore from her Anko changed the subject. "So how have you and your mom been?" "We've been better. I just don't like it when she blurts out that I'm her daughter in front of the whole entirety of genin in the exam room." Kyuubi just chuckled and said, "I thought you were proud to be my daughter." Akana went red in the face, "Mom!" she yelled and Kyuubi just laughed. "Like mother, like daughter, huh." Anko said to the two. "It appears that way." Kyuubi replied. Akana had an irritated look on her face. "Will you two just stop!" She yelled at them. "No." they said and Akana fumed while they just laughed. She closed her faceplate in embarrassment.
"We're almost there." Anko said suddenly and pointed in the direction they were going. On the horizon Akana could see the massive Training Ground 44. "That's training ground 44?" she asked. "Yep, also known as the forest of death." "That's reassuring." Akana said sarcastically. Anko just laughed while Kyuubi just focused specifically on why it was called that.
A few more minutes of jumping and they were there in front of the colossal forest of death. Massive trees dwarfed their forms and a large and lumbersome fence with barbed wire and the occasional shock of something trying to escape. Next to the first gate was a booth that Akana had to guess was where they will get the things to go into the second portion of the exam. They stayed their leaning against the booth talking to each other and waiting for the other genin to arrive to the large forest.
Twenty minutes later and the other genin arrived. "You better get back with your team kid." Anko said as she was about to give instructions. Akana nodded and rushed over to her teammates. Anko looked over the batch of this year's chuunin hopefuls. She was slightly intrigued by this year's batch as she saw the reformation of the Ino Shika Cho Trio. "Welcome to the Training Ground 44." She started. "Also known as the forest of death." Sasuke wondered why it was called such a thing and he got his answer via a large gigantic snake slithering along one of the even more massive trees. It frightened him slightly but he didn't show any fear in the very least.
"This is where you'll be taking the second portion of your exam." She continued. "This place gives me the creeps." Muttered Sakura. She was slightly taken by fear especially when she saw that giant snake slithering along. 'That was very big snake too.' She thought frightfully. "Bah, you'll know why it's called that when you step inside." She watched their faces contort with fear. It made her excited in seeing them go wide eyed with fear. It brought her joy.
She pulled out a stack of paper from her pocket. "Since this is a test, I have something to pass out." She started handing each one a paper. "These are agreement forms. There will be a lot of deaths in this exam." She said this like an overjoyed child hyped up on candy. "And if you don't sign these forms, it will be my responsibility." She chuckled that at the last bit. Sakura finally decided that this woman was officially crazy.
"I'm going to explain the second exam now. Then you can sign the these forms afterward. And then each will check in with booth behind me." She said gesturing to the booth behind her. Several minutes passed as Anko looked over the fearful faces. 'This makes me giddy with excitement.' She thought happily. Each genin that she looked over had a look of fear on their faces. "Simply put, you will attempt the ultimate survival…" Many of the genin around Akana began to mutter the word. "Man this sucks." Muttered Shikamaru. "First, I'll explain the arena…" She pulled out a scroll and let it roll down. "In which the exam will take place. Around practice arena NO.44 are 44 locked gates." She showed them the gates surrounding the arena. "At the center is the tower with a river and forest meeting up with it. From the gates to the tower, it's about 10km."
The genin including Akana listened intently. "During the survival, you will be asked to complete a specific task. You'll use your weapons and jutsu to compete…" She reach into her pocket making some of the genin tense up. "In a no rules…" She started pulling out whatever was in her pocket. "Scroll battle." She said snatching two scrolls marked "Heaven" and "Earth". Several genin muttered the word.
"You will fight over these two scrolls while inside the forest." She held them in front of the genin. "There are 78 people, meaning 26 teams. Half, 13, will get the "Heaven" scroll…" She paused to see if she had their attention, which she did. "And the other half will get the "Earth" scroll." She put them together and raised them up. "To pass this portion of the exam you'll need both the "Heaven" and "Earth" scrolls and must make it to the tower…" She paused and looked around. She smiled and prepared to the tell them the last bit. "Within 120hrs, five days." And she got the reaction she had wanted in the first place. God she loved messing with them. God she loved messing with anybody she had to interrogate.
"Five days. What'll we do about food." Anko smirked. "You're on your own in here. Plus there's tons of edible foods such as berries that you can forage. You just got to watch out for anything big, mean, and scary." She that last part in an effort to scare them. Choji fell over making her sweat drop. 'Didn't expect him to take it so seriously.' She continued on. "Thirteen teams passing is not likely, as the days go on the distance to the goal will become greater, and the time it takes to get a bit of rest will become shorter, what with enemies crawling around the entire arena you won't even get much sleep at all." She smirked as she scanned over their faces.
Akana just crossed her arms. She knew this test will be hard. "So not only will some fail by losing a scroll, but some will die from the harshness of the course itself." The wind blew around the leaves as Anko had said that. Some of the bushes shook and the leaves in the trees vibrated a bit. "There are some things you'll need to know about being disqualified." She held up her hand and raised a finger. "First, those who don't make it to the tower, with both scrolls, within those five days will be disqualified." She held up a second finger. "Second, those who lose a teammate or those who have a teammate killed, will be disqualified." She paused while putting her hand to her side. "As a rule, there is no quitting in the middle of this exam during the duration of five days. And as a final note, you must not look inside your scrolls, those that do…" She giggled, "Will be left with a little a surprise." She said answering any questions any of them may have had as to why they shouldn't open their scrolls.
"Now with that settled, you will exchange your three forms for your scroll. Then you choose a gate to get ready for the start of the exam." She was about to walk away but let them in on something, "A final word of advice, just don't die."
Cliffhanger….again. I'm evil when I do that aren't I. I know I am.
As for the Random Guest Review:
Guest: UH... how did she made out all that missions if she changed a night ago?
Me: I knew someone would ask. As you know, she's the Kyuubi's daughter. She was trained at a very young age with the help of Kyuubi and joined *****Spoiler Alert***** Anbu at age three. That's All I'm going to say for now as I have plans for a flashback chapter on Akana's past.
Now as for Legionary Prime:
Legionary Prime: Interesting. I knew this concept had a lot of potential when I first saw it in your other story.
Me: Thank you Prime.
That's it for now. This has been fun guys, writing this story and all. I know some of yall await that chapter that explains why Akana is what she is. Well as I said before there is going to be a flashback chapter for this. Writing each chapter for this story is really fun and I await yall's helpful reviews. This is Ashikage signing off.
