The following day there was a grand funeral. Every one of the Jounins, Chuunins, Genins, and Academy students wore black coats. The people of Konoha and in the country towns came together to pay their respects to the dead Hokage. Since a body was never found the casket was closed. Along side the Hokage's casket were numerous others who had fought against the Demon Fox. Their pictures were presented on each of the caskets

When it became her turn Anko came forward and cast her rose on the casket. The others saw a red rose, she saw it as black. Walking away she felt only bitter resentment as her master's mortal enemy's life became the subject of remembrance and celebration.

"We desire you to be our Hokage as before," a Jounin said giving Sarutobi a letter.

"What is this?" he wondered.

"The names of the people who support you," the Jounin explained.

Sarutobi opened the letter and saw countless names. He found a few pages filled with names. Tears in his eyes he addressed the Jounins. "I will serve," he said.

"I present to you the Third Hokage," Sarutobi's aid said to the crowd. The crowd gave applause as the Third took up his Hokage robes.

"I shall serve in these desperate times, until I am replaced with a more youthful man," the Third announced.

The Third and his staff went into the board room. "How many people have we lost?" the Third asked.

"We are estimating thirty deaths, but basically an entire generation has been wiped out," a staff member reported.

"Can we survive an outside attack?" the Third questioned.

"As we see it, the only nation that would be in position would be Sand," the staff member reported grimly.

AN 1 Winter

"Our spies have reported that Konoha has lost almost its entire senior military force to the Demon Fox," a Sand aid reported to the Kazekage.

"Good, let us test out the new weapon, if it is successful we will launch an invasion into Fire," the Kazekage said.

"Here is the child," an aid said holding the infant. The child had little hair, but it was red in color, his eyes were light blue.

"You cost me my wife brat, but you will repay me greatly won't you," the Kazekage said to the infant. "Bring him out of the city," the Kazekage ordered.

The Kazekage, his Jounins, and Chuunins watched as the infant was put on a platform. "You are certain you will be able to control it?" Kazekage asked the priest.

The priest smiled at the Kazekage's doubt. "The demon is spawned from the sands, it won't hurt us," the priest said. He then turned his attention to the infant. Creating a seal he made the infant go to sleep. Gaara, as this was what he was called, fell asleep peacefully. The sand began to move around the child; the wind swarmed around the child. Gaara woke up but not as himself, his eyes glowed yellow. Within seconds sand was blasted into the air and started to take form.

The next day half of the Sand force had been obliterated. The priest was dead, the first to go in fact as he tried to control the demon. The Kazekage was on the ground dazed. Gaara was on the ground resting in the sand. The Kazekage looked upon him with hatred. Gaara fearfully kept his eyes open not daring to experience the past night's nightmare. His fate was sealed.

A week later a report came to the Third's desk detailing the demon attack in Sand. Although he was sympathetic to their plight he secretly felt relieved. For the moment there would be peace. The military forces of all the nations were now broken.

AN 1 Spring

Orochimaru looked very different from the last two years. His hair was reorganized and his face had a different appearance. He went up to the Lord's estate.

"I understand you have deep affection for my daughter, but I cannot permit the marriage," the Lord said.

"Why not?" Orochimaru asked.

"You are a good man, but you have no estate, no property, I can't be sure of my daughter's financial safety," the Lord explained.

Orochimaru knew he could kill the Lord and steel the daughter away, but he was a wanted criminal by all nations. Such an incident would demand retaliation. "I will form my own nation, a rival to Fire and Wave," Orochimaru promised.

"If you manage this I will gladly permit the marriage," the Lord said. He secretly hated Fire and Wave for their interference and wars between the borders.

"What would you call this village?" the Lord asked curious.

"The Village of Sound," Orochimaru said.

"You will be teamed up with Hayate and Kotetsu for the Chuunin exam," the Third ordered.

"I would rather go through the exam by myself," Anko said.

"I know you would, and it's unfortunate you were not taught this, but teamwork is a fundamental part of being a ninja. Even I was a member of a time in my early days," the Third said.

Anko stared at the Third in frustration. "The exam begins a week from now, all of you prepare," the Third ordered.

Anko arrived at her apartment throwing her books aside in frustration. The Chuunin exam expected too much she felt. Mandra was coiled up expecting something. "I suppose you want this?" Anko asked rhetorically. She put a mouse into the glass cage.

Anko opened her books and looked over mathematical problems for angles. "What do you think of all this Manny?" Anko asked the snake. The snake, with a noticeable bulge decided to answer her by hissing at the air. Anko put her head on the book in frustration.

The next day Anko arrived at the testing. Hayate and Kotetsu were waiting for her.

"Thought you wouldn't show," Kotetsu joked. Anko glared at him. Hayate put a hand to his mouth as he coughed. "You all right?" Kotetsu asked.

"I'm fine," Hayate said giving off another cough.

The Third came into the room. "I will be giving you all a ten question test. You will receive your grades soon after you take the test. As you probably know I have excellent eyes so no cheating," the Third smiled.

"Your team must average at least a sixty percent to pass, however if any member of the team fails to answer at least three correct you are also disqualified," the Third said.

The Third then passed out the tests to the students. Anko hated the fact that her life was dependent on her two teammates. When she was given the test she went to work answering the questions. Pleased with herself she sent in her test.

"A perfect ten," the Chuunin aid told the Hokage. 'Mitarashi Anko got everyone of the questions right," the Chuunin clarified.

"What about her teammates?" the Hokage asked.

"A six and a five, the team passes," the Chuunin aid noted.

The test results were given back to the teams. "We passed," Kotetsu smirked. Anko nodded her fears vanishing. "Now for the hard part," Anko reminded them.

None of her preparation could compare to the Forest of Death. Kotetsu looked at the gate uncertain. Hayate didn't take on any emotion. Anko felt excited. She would prove to the others that she was of value. Several other teams also were staring into the forbidding forest.

"Make it back to the tower alive within five days with both the heaven and earth scroll," the Third instructed. "You must arrive with all of your teammates in order to pass the second exam," the Third added.

The gates opened and immediately the Leaf as well as foreign Genins ran into the forest. Anko was uncertain of herself. She trained only by herself, not with a team. Kotetsu, Hayate, and Anko landed on a tree branch to consider their options.

"It seems like a good enough time as ever," Hayate said taking out what looked like a small one foot tall sword. "How will that help us?" Anko asked skeptically. "Watch," he said and suddenly the sword became longer. Waiving the sword around skillfully Hayate grinned at his teammates. "They never searched us for these types of weapons."

Before they could comment on Hayate's sword Anko knocked the two out of the tree. She jumped off the branch avoiding the kunai blades. A blade with a note exploded. Anko landed on the ground and ran as the tree came down on her. Hayate slashed the tree saving Anko. The three Hiddin Mist fighters ran towards them.

"Let's keep them in the fog," one of them said forming fog around them. Hayate paced around with his sword wondering where their enemies were. Kotetsu nervously held up his blade.

"When I say, throw blades," Anko said. Her eyes became snake like. Her vision immediately changed to that of heat vision. She could now see the three Hidden Mist fighters above them on three trees looking down on them.

"There," she pointed. Hayate phased jumping up into the tree. He took his sword and sliced the Hidden Mist warrior. The other two sent blades raining down on them. Anko dodged the blades and sent her own easily puncturing one of fighter's lungs. The other tried to escape. He became surrounded with Kotetsu shadow clones. The fighter was uncertain wondering where to move. Kotetsu snuck up on him and punch him hard enough to knock him out.

"It looks like we have the other scroll," Hayate observed. "Let's see if we can eliminate a few other challengers," Anko suggested. Kotetsu and Hayate looked at each other wondering whether they should argue against such an aggressive plan.

"I think this can be done as long as we head in the general direction of the tower," Hayate compromised. Kotetsu nodded.

While most of the other ninjas slept Anko went off on her own. She found a few ninjas walking by themselves. Anko gracefully landed from the trees. The foreign ninja looked behind him and sent a blade. Anko caught the blade easily enough. She raised her hand and summoned a snake. The snake came out of her trench coat and grabbed the youth's foot. Anko swung the youth into a tree and then slammed him into the ground.

She disabled another by throwing blades into his leg. The night became very fruitful for Anko as one by one she disqualified five teams.

"Look at her sleeping," Kotetsu smirked. Hayate covered his mouth as he coughed. "I have to get some water," he said leaving them.

Hayate found a stream. He turned his hand into a cup and attempted to drink some water to help his throat. Three ninjas surrounded him. "Give us the scroll and we will let you live," they told him while holding chains. Hayate stood up and took out his sword. The three grinned. One sent his chains around the sword snatching it away. Another hit Hayate to the head sending him to the ground. He touched his head, blood in his hand.

Kotetsu saw what was happening and ran off to help Hayate. He kicked one of them down and dodged the rotating chains. He got caught in the arm; the fighter pulled his chain ripping his arm. "Let's kill them now," one of them said. They sent their chains around their bodies. With one rip they would be shredded. Just before they could do so the chains transformed into snakes. The snakes hissed at the attackers and disengaged from Kotetsu and Hayate. The snakes bit into the fighters and coiled around them. Anko walked toward the stream. Observing the situation she killed two of them by throwing blades into their necks. She cocked her arm across her shoulder and hit the other one to the base of the skull.

"Let's move toward the tower," Anko said fatigued. Hayate and Kotetsu in awe nodded in agreement.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form