Sharing the Pain
Chapter 7 - Forest of darkness
Hey everyone, It's been quite awhile. Since school started up I haven't had much time to work on anything on the site. Currently I'm working on Crystal Snow for a few hours every week. Right now I'm at around 2000 words (so around 1/4 of the way done of a standard chapter). I will attempt to focus on writing more often (My semester is ending soon so I can write more often). The poll has also ended for the next up coming story. I will announce the winner on each new chapter for each story I have up right now.
Thus, the next story I will be writing is... Plucked from the Sky
The people who passed the first exam followed the hyper active women, Anko. She brought them to a large forest that is surrounded by a metal gate out in the middle of a of nowhere. In the center of the forest there is a large tower.
Anko stops and starts to explain what's going to happen during this part of the exam "This is not child's play, this is a life and death situation and just pointing out the fact that almost all of you will die, just so you know." Anko said with a cheerful grin. Everyone was taken back at how happy she was saying all of this, Naruto was going to say something but Meiyo covered his mouth and whispered
"Just shut up and listen." Anko continued on
"This point of this exam is to get to the center tower with." Anko pulls out two scrolls, one of the scrolls is white and the other one is black "A heaven and Earth scroll. Each team will start with a single scroll and I don't think opening these is a good Idea, because it will mean an instant failure." Everyone looks shocked. Anko just gave another one of her little evil smiles, she then announced "Oh also you need to sign this paper, it waves liability of your deaths." Everyone from the team took a paper and signed it, they then went to give the slips to a proctor inside a tent, they give the team a heaven scroll.
"So who should take it?" Meiyo asked, Naruto piped in
"I could..." Sakura cut im off
"I think Sasuke should."
"No, Meiyo, you hold onto it you have the best plans and the stronger jutsu." Sasuke said plainly, Meiyo sighed and put the the scroll into his equipment bag then they went to the gate they were assigned to.
I know Sasuke was lying back there, I don't have stronger jutsu than him, so why did he want me to carry the scroll? Maybe he thinks that it will get in his way if he is carrying it... whatever I need to focus now. Meiyo then started to talk about a plan on what to do when they enter but he didn't get very far until the gatekeeper opened the gate and the team was forced into the darkness of the trees. The gennin ran for 10 minutes before Meiyo told everyone to stop. "Look we can't keep moving until we have a solid plan of action." Sakura sighed in agreement.
"Okay let's look for a place to hide and plan." Sasuke added
"No way if we don't hurry then all the scrolls will be gone." Naruto protested,
"Yea and we get to someone that has a scroll and we all do our own thing, all that will happen is us dying." Meiyo said coldly. Naruto just looked at his teammate with a fear, Meiyo then sighed and added "I just want us to be safe Naruto, it's nothing against you." Naruto just smiled
"Yea I know, anyway I need to go pee so I'll be back."
"Wait, Naruto." Sasuke said,
"What?" Naruto annoyingly said,
"We need a way to know each one of us, is us. A phrase, The question will be, When does a ninja strike? And the reply will be, A ninja strikes in the dead of night without making a noise and without any sight and when the strike is over the ninja disappears into the night, never being seen that is when a ninja strikes." Everyone is looking at Sasuke like he is nuts, Meiyo said
"Makes sense." then Naruto went to pee. Everyone was just sitting around when Naruto came back, everyone turned but Sasuke stood up and drew a kunai. Sakura protested
"Sasuke what are you doing? That's Naruto.", Sasuke coldly replied
"Is it? When does a ninja strike?" Naruto looked confused for a second and then smiled
"Oh, A ninja strikes in the dead of night without making a noise and without any sight and when the strike is over the ninja disappears into the night, never being seen that is when a ninja strikes." Meiyo then quickly stood up and drew a kunai, Sakura had a confused looked and asked
"What are you two doing?"
"Think about it Sakura, you know Naruto as well as we do and Naruto in no way could remember that phrase." Sakura face smiled then the information hit her and she jumped up and pulled a kunai. Naruto smiled and said in a cold voice
"Impressive that you were able to able to figure it out so easily."
"Look just tell us where Naruto is and just get going." Meiyo said dully. The fake Naruto turns and to Meiyo
"I'd rather not actually, guess you'll just have to beat the answers out of me." Then the fake Naruto poofed in white smoke and standing in his place is a Kunoichi from the Village Hidden in the Grass, Sasuke then ran right at the ninja throwing shuriken. The ninja easily dodged the shuriken as Sasuke closed the distance and when to punch but was dodged, Sasuke then backed off but didn't move. This confused the Kunoichi was just watching Sasuke but was suddenly got tackled into the ground and stabbed in the back by Meiyo. The kunoichi then popped in white smoke and appeared behind Meiyo, "I have to admit, you almost had be there, almost." Meiyo went to turn and saw the ninja just before getting hit right into a tree, Sakura then ran to see if Meiyo was alright, Meiyo slowly stood up and wiped some blood from his mouth
Now you've pissed me off Meiyo thought as he took off to help Sasuke, leaving Sakura alone. Sasuke and Meiyo start to battle the kunoichi but could not land any hits. "Sasuke, I can't hit her, can you?" Meiyo asked, Sasuke replied
"No, I think we need to step it up."
"Agreed." Meiyo said with confidence. Both boys stopped in their tracks and closed their eyes. Sharingan! Both the boys eyes turn red and get the black teardrops.
Amazing I knew that there was one Uchiha but not another one, this just got so much better thought the kunoichi licked her lips as the Uchihas ran at her. Meiyo ran with kunai in both hands, he starts to swing at but the kunoichi dodges all the swings but gets kicked into a tree by Sasuke, then he jumps and ties the ninja to the tree with ninja wire, Sasuke then jumps right next to Meiyo they do the same exact handsigns Duel fire style Meteor fire jutsu. The two fireballs merge and slam into the tethered ninja, the kunoichi was burnt but her face started to come off but what the two Uchihas saw was a face behind that face. They just stared in fear Who or what are we fighting? Meiyo thought, the thing started to talk
"My name is Orochimaru, and I've come for you Uchiha." The Uchihas looked at each other and Sasuke asked
"Wait me or him?" Sasuke then pointed at Meiyo, Orochimaru then smiled
"Oh? There is two of you? When did this happen, I'm over joyed." Meiyo and Sasuke kept watch as Orochimaru body merged into the tree he was tied to, Meiyo and Sasuke then went back to back and were looking around for him. All of a sudden the two were punched from their blind spot Meiyo hit a tree and then used his chakra to stand at the spot of impact, Sasuke landed on a branch of a nearby tree, Orochimaru neck started to stretch and start going at Sasuke's position. As Sasuke was standing up Orochimaru bit him on his neck and then Sasuke fell unconscious,
"Sasuke!" Meiyo yelled and bolted to get Orochimaru away from Sasuke "Get away from from HIM YOU FREAK!" Meiyo then starts to swing his kunai at Orochimaru who could barely dodge his attacks, I have to protect Sasuke no matter what Meiyo looks directly at Orochimaru. Orochimaru eyes opened wider when he saw Meiyo's eyes, The deep red eyes now had two black teardrops now, Orochimaru then backed off from Meiyo
This boy will be impossible to give the curse to, shame at least I got the other Uchiha boy, guess I should just kill him. Orochimaru thought as he looked at Sasuke, he then made a handsign and hit his hand on the ground, a giant cloud of smoke appeared and then suddenly a huge snake came from the smoke and went to attack Meiyo. Meiyo jumps tree to tree dodging the snake as it tried to eat him,
I can't keep dodging forever, I need to do something and fast, Meiyo landed on a tree and made handsigns Fire style fireball jutsu Meiyo hits the snake directly with the fireball but the snake keep on pushing through the fire, Meiyo went to defend himself No! I can't dodge!Meiyo thought and closed his eyes, then a large chakra source suddenly appeared, Meiyo opened his eyes and saw Naruto who slammed the snake into the branch of the tree with just two kunai, What the? Naruto? No, this is not Naruto the chakra it's evil... JUST LIKE THE BRIDGE! Meiyo looked into Naruto's eyes, they are red but different that sharingan, way different, and his pupils they are like a cat, what is Naruto? Meiyo thought and looked to Sasuke, "Don't worry, I'll look after Sasuke." Meiyo told Naruto, Meiyo then went to check on Sasuke, Sakura then appeared to.
"What happened to Sasuke?" Sakura asked with fear in her voice, "That ninja bit him on his neck, and well here we are. Let's take a look at the wound." Meiyo said. They look at Sasuke's neck and see three teardrops in a circle just above the bite site.
"What is that?" Sakura asked with tears in her eyes,
"Don't know but I feel like it's not good." Meiyo said flatly, suddenly out of nowhere they heard Naruto yell, both turn to look and see an unconscious Naruto falling, Meiyo jumps and catches him but landed oddly on a branch and broke his right leg. Meiyo fell down crying out in pain but looked to see if Naruto is safe, Good he is safe, but my leg, it hurts a lot I may have broken it and if I did this is gonna really suck Meiyo thought as he tried to stand up but yelled out when he put pressure on his yea... that sucked... Meiyo fought through the pain and picked up Naruto and slowly made his way to the ground. Sakura carried Sasuke and meet up with him on the ground,
"Meiyo, are you okay?" Sakura asked while shifting Sasuke's weight,
"I broke my leg, Sakura, we need to get up a camp and rest and fix our injuries." Sakura looked worried but nodded and they slowly made their way through the forest looking for a good position to hold up at. Sakura then pointed a large hollow tree wide enough to fix every if needed,
"That's a great position Sakura, good job." Meiyo said though uffs of pain, they set up a camp and put wet cloth on Sasuke and Naruto's foreheads, "Hey, Sakura do you know how to set up some traps?" Meiyo asked dully
"I could do something why?" Sakura asked curiously,
"Because our team is in a very weakened state, two of us are down, and I'm hurt, that leaves one full ready person to fight three and none of could handle that situation." Sakura looks down
"Okay, I see your point, I'll see what I can do, and while I do try getting some rest, okay?" Meiyo smiles
"Yes mom." Sakura just smiled and left and Meiyo fell asleep sitting inside the tree.
Meiyo opened his eyes and saw three sound ninja and Sakura and Rock Lee, Meiyo saw Rock Lee block the sound ninja's attack but still dropped, I have to protect her Meiyo then stood up but stumbled from his leg, "Don't you dare touch her." Meiyo said as he came out of the hollow with his sharingan in full effect but not letting the enemy see,
"Oh are you suppose to be her boyfriend?" said the female sound ninja, Meiyo replied calmly
"No, actually I'm just something called your death." The ninja who attacked Lee then added
"Oh and how do you expect to even stop us, you have nothing we haven't seen before." Meiyo then disappears and stands behind the ninja
"Oh, I think I may have something." Meyio said coldly, The sound ninja turned around swinging his arm but went right though Meiyo, the ninja then was then surrounded by six clones of Meiyo, "Interesting, you have the sharingan." the ninja announced, the other sound ninja suddenly went into defensive position, the ninja continued
"But you don't have any signs of the curse mark, how is that possible? Meiyo just smiled
"Oh so you work for Orochimaru well then guess I have to kill you for hurting Sasuke.",
"Sasuke? He's the Uchiha but then you have sharingan that means your Uchiha to, but there was only one survivor, how then?" Meiyo just smiled and replied
"Simple really, because there's not one Uchiha but two, Sasuke Uchiha and me, Meiyo Uchiha, and I WILL kill you for hurting my clan brother." Meiyo's clones then started to attack the ninja, the ninja when to dodge the attacks and then went to swing at the clones and went through them all, the clones all smile but then disappear, Great this leg is screwing with my jutsu Meiyo though as the ninja turns to the real Meiyo and started to run at Meiyo. Suddenly he stops in his tracks and looks past Meiyo, Meiyo suddenly feels dark chakra and turns around to see Sasuke the left side of his body is some odd black marks, Everyone just looked at Sasuke, before anything else happened Meiyo dropped to his knees the sound ninja noticed this and attacked Meiyo, Meiyo couldn't move to protect himself and waited for the pain from the attack but it never happened, he looked up and saw Sasuke who blocked the attack,
"Sasuke be careful, this chakra it feels evil." Sasuke then looked at Meiyo and replied with a cold dead tone
"Meiyo, don't worry, I've never been better." Meiyo just looked at Sasuke with fear before going unconscious.
Meiyo when woke up a few hours later
"What happened?" Meiyo said sleepily,
"You missed a lot." Naruto said in a tone that was more than annoyed,
"Yeah well at least I.." Meiyo sighed "Whatever it's not worth it, look first of all you can stop carrying me you orange target." Meiyo demanded, Naruto let Meiyo down
"Good now, Sakura where are we heading?" Meiyo asked,
"The tower, we have both scrolls while you were out." Meiyo just looked and asked
"Nice, so you guys made sure I still have the scroll from my bag?" The teammates looked at each other, Meiyo then put a hand in and quickly nodded to show that he had the scroll, the team let out a breath of relief and continued on their way to the tower. After about twenty minutes Meiyo and Sasuke stop, Sakura and Naruto just look at them, Naruto then asks
"Whats wrong?" The two Uchihas suddenly relax,
"It was just some ninja on the way to the tower, actually I think it was some ninja from the academy." Meiyo replied and shrugged "Anyway let's just get to the location." Then Meiyo noticed his leg didn't hurt, "Hey, Sakura did you fix my leg or something?" Meiyo asked curiously, "No, why?" Sakura asked, "Because my leg, it's not broken anymore." Meiyo replied with a shake in his voice,
"You okay Meiyo?" Sasuke added, Meiyo just nodded and said "Let's just go." What is going on here, there is some seriously weird stuff that is going on, well everything will be told with time. Meiyo thought as he made his way with the team
The team then made their way to the tower without any problems
"Let's get this door." Naruto said as he pulled the door open, the group slowly walked into the room prepared for traps, after they check the room they all relax after see that there are no traps, "So... what are we supposed to be doing here?" Naruto's asked while his voice echoed around the room,
"Not sure probably to do with you know, THE GIANT SIGN ON THE WALL!" Sakura screamed at Naruto, Meiyo and Sasuke both just sigh as Sakura went off on Naruto,
"So the scrolls must deal with the sign, maybe help decode it or something." Meiyo directed the question to Sasuke, he just shrugged and pulled out the earth scroll from his bag and Meiyo pulled the heaven scroll from his bag. They read the sign up on the wall If qualities of heaven acquire wisdom to take your mind higher, if earthly qualities are what you lack train your body and prepare to attack, when heaven and earth are open together the perilous path will become righteous forever this _ is the secret way to guide us from this place today. Meiyo read in his head and thought Okay... so keywords... heaven like the heaven scroll is with knowledge and earth like the earth scroll for physical and open together the path will be open... Meiyo looked at Sasuke and he shrugged then looked at Sakura and she just had a confused look, Meiyo didn't even bother with Naruto what if... the key thing isn't the all of it but just one or two words... no they wouldn't bother with it then... Sakura then broke the silence and said
"What if we open the scrolls together, maybe one will counteract the other and stop whatever prevented?"
"Sakura, no offense but that's..." Naruto was then cut off by Meiyo
"That's it, the keyphrase is open together." Meiyo then looks at Sasuke and they stand in the center of the room facing the sign, they get ready to pull the scrolls open but then Naruto grabs the scroll from Meiyo's hands and says
"I want to do it, plus if it is a trap then we will be in a better position." Meiyo just looked at Naruto Did Naruto just say something intelligent? Meiyo nodded and walked and stood next to Sakura. The two ninja then opened the scrolls and smoke started to come from the scrolls,
"NARUTO THROW THE SCROLL!" Sasuke the yelled as he chucked the scroll away, Naruto threw the scroll and then there was a large poof of smoke and a figure suddenly appeared in the smoke, Meiyo then ran to help Sasuke and Naruto fight if needed.
"Well well ready to defend everyone like always, right Meiyo?" Meiyo just smiled and put away his kunai when he saw the man who helped him when he was a child,
"Good to see you to Sensei." The team said at the same time, Iruka just smiled
"It's good to see that you guys made it through the forest."
"Yea not by much though." Sasuke pointed out dully, Iruka just laughed and with that Meiyo got bored and started to look over his equipment and other supplies while the other three kept talking with Iruka, Let's see I have: 20 shuriken, three kunai, and that's it... great... what happened to all my stuff? Did it fall out or something? Well lucky all the fighting is done so I can restock Meiyo thought as he refocus his attention to Iruka's conversation
"... Yea so if you guys are ready, you guys have to go to the next room." The team walks into a massive room that has the main floor which is flat and staircases near the entrance to a massive walkway that wraps around the whole room, at the other end of the room there is a giant statue of hands in the middle a handsign by this statute many officials and the Hokage are standing and the ninja who made it through the forest are gathering in rows before this group of aged and skilled ninja.
This is seriously not good at all, I don't have the supplies or chakra to do any major fighting, oh well.. might as well get ready for the battles to come.