Don't Fear The Reaper

~Chapter 6~

Lilac Eyed Fiend

I don't own Naruto.

Toshi P.O.V

"You have to decide whether or not to take the 10th question. If you leave now, you will be able to take the exams again next year. However, if you choose to take the 10th question and fail, you and your team will not be able to participate in the exams ever again." Toshi quirked an eyebrow, but his expression was hidden from view thanks to his forehead protector. It's the impossible question, you either fail or you fail...Toshi thought.

Kyoia P.O.V

C'mon Kyoia! Think! There has to be a loop hole somewhere. There is no way that Konoha would invite people from distant countries to an exam they had no chance in passing...it would be a waste of time and effort...Kyoia thought.

Kumiko P.O.V

They couldn't risk it! It would piss way to many people off anyhow...the real question...is...do you have the backbone to take chances! That's it, Kumiko! We need to show them we're willing to-

All P.O.V

Take chances! All three thought at once.

XxX

Kumiko slid her eyes around the room. Slowly people began putting their hands up, surrendering. Thankfully none of them were Kyoia or Toshi, who she was able to see clearly because of the lack of people. Without much of a hesitation the lilac eyed boy next to her raised his hand and then stood up and left, two others trailing behind him, all three completely silent.

This confused Kumiko. Why would he quit? She knew he was smart enough to understand the impossible question, so why did he put up his hand? She stared at the door even long after the lilac-eyed boy had left. She felt a hand on her shoulder and slowly tore her gaze away from the door slowly lifting them to meet Kyoia's strange bright green orbs.

"Yo! You zoned out again. Ready to go?" Kumiko furrowed her eyebrows.

"Did one of you...put up your hands?" Kyoia grinned carelessly and let out a loud crusty laugh. "We passed." Toshi stated a small smile forming on his lips, rare but true. That's one thing she had begun to like about Toshi. She liked how that, even though his expressions and emotions were rare, they were true. There was nothing fake about his emotions.

"When's the next exam then?" Kyoia smiled at the question. "Some freaky chick-" Toshi broke in. "That could possibly be Kyoia's long lost sister. Crazy woman...with a capital C."

"Thank you Toshi Nekonasai."

"You're very welcome Kyoia Satoshai." They each emphasized each other's names as they glared at each other.

"Guys? Some freaky chick?" Kumiko asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah right. Sorry. Anyways some freaky chick burst through the window superwoman style. She said we have to meet tomorrow at 6:00 am at some place called theeee" she searched for it with a confused look on her face "...forest of death, yeah, forest of death." Kumiko resisted the urge to sweatdrop. She said it so casually. Kumiko sighed at her teammates before standing up wearily.

"C'mon. I'm hungry and tired." She grumbled before walking out the door Kyoia and Toshi following close behind.

XxX

They had found their way to a ramen stand called 'Ichiraku's Ramen' which Kumiko had stumbled upon with Mitsu and Takeo a day earlier. It was a small stand, with only a few stools but the ramen smelled sooo good.

"Ooh! The spicy pork ramen looks good! I'll have that and make it as big as you got!" Kyoia ordered heartily, she reminded Kumiko of a drunk at a bar. Loudly ordering and showing of how much he could drink, or in Yo-chan's case, eat.

"I don't care, whatever you think is best. But make it smaller then the pig's." Toshi said, and the man nodded. Kyoia twitched and started trying to impale him with her chopsticks.

"I'll have the same as my female friend's. A small size please." She ordered politely before glancing over at her fighting teammates and giggling at the look on Toshi's face when Kyoia accidently shoved her chopstick up his nose. The ramen was placed in front of them and Kyoia glanced from it to the soiled chopstick before throwing it carelessly behind her.

They ate happily for the next 10 minutes or so, talking about their mission's, family, old teams and other shinobi things. Kyoia bragged about the accuracy of her bladed fan while Toshi told her it couldn't possibly be as accurate as his wonderful poisoned katana. Kumiko mainly stayed out of their playful banter. She caught sight of something familiar out of the corner of her eye and she twitched.

Blond, orange, blue, black, pink and red.

It was the orange clad wonder and his team. He froze when he saw the Kiri team. "You!" He shouted and Kyoia, whom hadn't noticed them, choked on her ramen in surprise.

"What the hell do you want, you obnoxious brat?" She asked taking a sip of her water, most likely to clear out that tickling sensation in your throat you get after you cough or choke. "You owe me an explanation!" The blond shouted at Kumiko.

"Naruto..." The pinkette beside him scowled, probably upset at the fight he was picking.

"Excuse me sir?" She asked the confused man behind the counter. "Could you please package up the rest of our ramen to go? I believe we are no longer able to eat peacefully." The man nodded and took their bowls into the back of the stand to package it up.

"Hey, are you even listening to me? You owe me an-"

"I owe you nothing!" She growled deep in her throat and was aware of how animalistic she sounded.

"Kyoia, Toshi. I'm going back to the hotel. See you, and our ramen, there." She murmured before leaving the area and walking down the busy street. She was surprised at how constantly busy this village was, Kirigakure was twice as big and never this busy. Maybe it was because of how nice the weather was.

It was always so sunny and warm here...Kumiko hated it. She actually missed the cold snows of the northern water country, the damp misty marshes of the west, the beautiful lakes and interconnecting streams of the east and occasionally the tropical but cool beaches of southern water country.

Kirigakure was right in the middle, the perfect spot. However it made the weather the most unpredictable you'd ever seen. One day it could be snowy outside, the white fluff covering the pine trees and roads, the next it could be bright and sunny, the snow completely gone. She ducked into a nearby ally, glaring at the ground. Why is it that there was always something wrong? Why was it she was never allowed to be completely happy?

"Kumiko Stiller." She tensed as it wasn't a question, it was a certain 'I know who you are' tone.

Stiller...

No one had called her by her real last name for over 100 years. She glanced up to see the boy from before. The one with the lilac eyes.

"I have been sent by my master." Damn. She should have known he was a fiend! A creation of Jashin, the lilac eyes said it all.

"Why? I am a creation of Matsuro, not a creation of Jashin." She protested. "What does he want from me now?"

"He wants you to know, that you have entered the dimension of his birth and will discover many of his followers. Even one with the power to make you show weakness and sacrifice everything."

"Is that a warning or a threat?" She growled. She received no reply before he then exploded into a mass of violet coloured worms that wriggled their way into the ground. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Why was he contacting her after all these years and why use a fiend to do it?

"Whoa! What the hell was that!" Kumiko started and turned towards the familiar voice. Kyoia stood there a partially chewed to death chopstick hanging out of her mouth.

"What did you hear? What did you see?" Kumiko asked quickly, afraid. Matsurians and Jashinists preferred their secrecy, especially when said Matsurian was an actual creation of her, a reaper in disguise.

"I-I followed after you as soon as you left. Heard something about you being some kind of creation and followers of 'Jashin', whoever the hell that is and then that guy turned into a bunch o' worms." Kyoia babbled. She may be a hot-head, but she could obviously tell when she had heard something she shouldn't. She knew whatever it was she just heard, was top secret.

"Kyoia Satoshai...what do you know about gods?"