Chapter 6
Iruka, Naruto, and the class of thirty Academy Students walked apprehensively through the monstrous gate in the fence surrounding the forest, leaving Team Konohamaru outside. Konohamaru and the others went over the instructions they received; Konohamaru could hear Iruka's voice in his head, his sort of condescending drawl. They were to walk around the gate and guard it from the outside. Iruka told them that it was a relatively small arena, but Konohamaru was unhappy with this menial task.
"Konohamaru. We have to do what Iruka says, were lucky he even let us help out today." This was Moegi, Konohamaru understood her point and the answered her.
"Yeah, I guess so." Then he thought for a moment. "Okay! Then we're going to be the best guards ever!" Moegi chuckled and smiled at Konohamaru. He led his team away from the gate after it locked shut.
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Iruka, Naruto, and his students walked through the forest. The students looked around, as did Naruto, except he was smiling. "I remember this place..." He thought. "It also reminds me of the Forest of Death." Images flashed through Naruto's mind, and he disregarded them.
"In the past..." He mumbled to himself. Naruto looked up to see that Iruka had stopped and was getting ready for the first part of the exam. Naruto remembered that each student would have to prove that they could perform a large number of skills ninja needed in the field. Naruto listened for his cue to start from Iruka.
"Now then, I would like for you to break up into teams for this exercise. You may pick your own teams for now." Naruto watched the hustle and bustle as each students tried to get with a team as soon as possible. There were exactly thirty students in the class so in total there were ten teams. When everyone had a team Iruka spoke again.
"Great! Okay Naruto, I've hidden ten items around this entire training area. You take five groups and I will take five."
"Great, Lets go kids!" Naruto started to walk away when Iruka stopped him, there was more to the task.
"Naruto, there is more to it... Its a race, who ever finds their items first gets to go home when they find it, everyone else has to keep searching." Iruka explained while each student listened intently.
"The entire training ground is cut in half at about this point, your teams can't go past it or else they may find another team's item. You may also engage other teams to try and prevent them from finding their item. But note that Naruto and I will be watching very closely to break up any fights that get out of hand." Iruka finished and then smiled Naruto.
"Okay then. Did you hear that all of you?" Asked Naruto as he led his five teams away.
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Back outside at roughly the same time, Konohamaru and his team were following the fence. They had gone about halfway around. If they looked straight into the fence, into the forest, they would be facing the inside of the gate, all the way on the other side. Konohamaru was slacking off as usual; his eyes were on the ground, while his scarf trailed behind him. Suddenly, Udon spoke firmly to his team.
"Look, up there." Moegi and Konohamaru stopped and looked up. Udon was pointing up, near the top of the fence.
"What is it Udon?" Asked Moegi quietly.
"A hole, there is a hole in the fence." Udon spoke again quickly, as if time was of the utmost essence.
"Oh, I see it, what does it mean?" Konohamaru asked his bespectacled teammate.
"I think someone or something broke into the training grounds." Udon said after thinking for a moment.
"Why would they do that?" Asked Konohamaru; Moegi nodded to Udon as if she was also asking the same question.
"Don't know." Udon said curtly.
Konohamaru smiled and his scarf started to pick up and sway in a nonexistent wind. "Lets go find out!"