However Kid was having a problem still with the Alchemy master. He started using the death cannon continuously but it started to take its toll on him. Another barrage of ice spike broke from the ground and scratched up his suit and another splash of red liquid which eats away at flesh. Another dose of the black needles which are meant to kill anything in fact every tree it even scratches withers away quickly. A splash of orange and yellow resulting in a fiery lightning bolt. Kid has tried to get in close but the sword is dangerous and can be combined with the poisons and other. Kid however finally sees and opening and takes it he runs forward jumping over the red wall that burst from the ground and punching the guy in the gut. He then grabs the guy's wrist when he swings downward and shoots the elbow and twists it the raises his left foot and brings it down but the guy popped a new vial of brown and orange. It forms a solid whip and swings towards Kid, who has just enough time to jump away but the guy follows with the blade with a black color to it and Kid sees his life flash leading to this point. He grunts but suddenly the guy stops and both landed. Kid looks hard and sees that under his skin something is wriggling and squirming around in him and behind him appears Shino with his hand extended.

"Those insects have infested your body and you are practically a hive now. With a flex of my wrist you will be eaten from the inside out." He lowers his head and flexes his wrist upward and the guy bursts and thousands of insects swarm out of him, some flying, others crawling.

After a minute there was nothing left but his clothing, packs, gourd and scimitar. And Kid was curious on how Shino was alive after being frozen then melting. "How did you survive I saw you burning as you melted!" Shino didn't even glance but responded "I feigned death, the person you saw was an insect clone." He then turned in the direction the others went "let's go." He took off running and Kid followed when suddenly Shino looked shocked "Okay, in a little while we will run across someone who has Crona and Kiba on the ropes, my insects tell me at least. You help them and I will return to the main group and help from there." Kid nodded and they forged on ahead while Crona continued to distract Mistress. However he started to feel exhausted and weak. He rolled forward and slashed upward breaking her defense with her twin katanas however she leaned back as Crona thrust and flipped back using her feet to grab Ragnarok and threw it into a tree giving it a boost of momentum with her backflip. She then rushed forward the moment her feet touched the ground again and Crona then raised his hand and said "Bloody Needle!" and the black droplets extended and pierced her but she became water and dripped into it showing no resistance when she was caught off guard with the smash of energy she was struck with from the rejuvenated Kiba. "Die witch!" he drew a kunai and stabbed down but she sank into the earth again. She appeared behind Crona who realized it and whispered "Bloody Needle." And she was struck by many that extended from his back. She was stuck and in pain. If she moved she would certainly die. When six bursts of soul energy impacted her in the back she slumped over. The bloody needles receded back into Crona's body and he turned to see Kid "hello Crona good job with taking care of her, where's the other one with the dog." Crona said "thanks for saving me, follow me." They rushed over to where Kiba was and saw him tending to Akamaru.

When Crona arrived Kiba turned to him and grabbed him by his shirt and he had a look of fury on his face "I want to kill you right now, I want to gut you and feast on your heart, you're the reason he might die." He growled but Kid smacked his hand "is there really time for this? If your friend is dying then help him. Don't take out your frustration on Crona." Crona however felt responsible in the first place and placed a hand on Kid's shoulder "it is my fault, she almost burnt me alive but he jumped in to knock me out of the way, but she stabbed him with a sword." Kiba tried to stay angry but couldn't he then sat down on the tree branch and calmed himself and tried to explain his frustration. "This happened before, I had to save him. For a few weeks it was touch and go and I was worried I was going to lose him. He pulled through but I never wanted to be responsible for something like that again. That's why I didn't want him to help you I realized that both of us would be exposed if we tried that. The whole fang over fang technique is impossible to break from the front but from the side we're exposed. I don't know why he took such a liking to you to risk his life like that but he did."

Kid grunted in anger but Crona said "don't, please Kid let it go." Kid then breathed in deeply, "both of you are in bad shape and I'm not much better we would probably get ourselves killed if we went back into the fray." With that he sat down and Liz and Pattie turned into their human forms and stretched from being in such an uncomfortable position. "So how long you planning to stay here and rest Kid?" Asked Liz curiously.

While they rested and recuperated the group was deep in the chambers when and they came across a trio of doors. And stein was the first to respond to this puzzle "it's obvious that we need to split up into teams since we don't know where they are." Kakashi said in response "okay but who should be teamed up?" Stein turned to face him "one from each group would suffice, for example I believe you and Maka would make a good team. I could stay with the blonde since I'm sure he and Black Star would end up killing each other." Black Star scowled "you think I would die to that blonde haired loser?" Naruto then made a face of rage and turned and shouted "what did you call me!?" They then clashed but Stein pointed Spirit and on the curve of Black Star's neck "if you don't stop picking fights I will have to kill you. This is no time to fool around. Remember what happened last time you tested me?" Suddenly Black Star remembered what happened on the exam when he tried to steal the answers.

He conceded defeat and realized who his partner was and turned to see Neji already next to him. Stein then lit a cigarette and pointed to the door in the middle. "That's where Naruto and I will go. You guys decide where you're going. Students we don't know who or what we are going to fight. Not all of us may make it back, regardless good luck. Come on" he approached the door carefully and pushed the door and gradually it opened with a loud screech. Naruto was trying to look into the inky blackness but couldn't see much of anything. They walked into the room and was swallowed up by the darkness.