Naruto landed on the soft grass. He took a deep breath, the thoughts of the plan he had come up with minutes ago raced through his mind and now came the time to execute it.
"Hey" Naruto called out getting the attention of the shinobi. He had tied Moegi on the tree's stump with rope and shurikens which he done messily. He took a step back and pulled a kunai out, he moved the kunai close to Moegi's neck.
"Ah, so you came. You came much faster than I expected" The shinobi chuckled "I want the Forbidden scroll and I'll let the girl go" Naruto tensed up "Don't stand there! Get me the scroll now! Or the girl's life will be in danger"
"What if I say no"
"Then you don't care what happens to the girl!"
"What girl?" Naruto smirks "I only see you and the straw dummy next to you" The shinobi whipped his head around. Naruto was not bluffing, Moegi was replaced. The shinobi looked up to find Akane holding Moegi in her arms on the tree next to him.
"Huh, so you have a partner. Guess I have to take you down as well" The shinobi took a step forward and fell face first. A net covered him and Akane threw kunais to secure him in place.
Akane jumped down onto the ground with Moegi.
"Boss!" "Naruto!"
The group turned towards the sound. Kohana, Konohamaru, and Udon who came to the rescue.
"Naruto, what happened?" Kohana asked, looking around studying the area.
"Well you see, a shinobi guy came out of nowhere and kidnaped Moegi, so me and Akane came to rescue her" Naruto grinned "And we caught him".
"Really?" Kohana right eyebrow rose "Well sorry to break it to you, but you didn't catch any shinobi guy" she pointed at the net "He escaped".
Naruto looked all over the area. His shoulders slumped down "He used a substitution jutsu".
"Yeah" Kohana placed a hand on his shoulder "I'll go report this to the Hokage, since it appears that security is lacking. You guys head back to the village" The group nodded and did as they were told.
Naruto staried at the ground while they walked back. He was disappointed in himself. How could have let the shinobi escape. He thought of the plan he had made, he was to cocky and let his guard down and then it hit him. He ran towards Akane asking her many question to which she knew she had to answer all of them.
The day had finally arrived. The first portion of the chunin exams were going to begin. Akane and her teammates made it to the testing area on time even with the disruptions that got them off track multiple times this morning, but they made it which only matters in the end.
The proctor handed out the exam and the room quickly turned silent. Akane skimmed through the questions to get an idea of what they were asking and it turns out to be chunin questions none of which average genius will know. Akane grips the pencil in her hand.
Will her teammates pass this exam?
Akane for sure knew Sakura can probably answer most of the questions and Sasuke as well, but for Naruto that was a different story.
Akane continues to fidget with her pencil. And then she heard number being called out. The proctors sitting around the room were calling out the genin who were caught cheating. She grit her teeth, something didn't feel right. Akane used her eye's mind, she looked around the room, it was filled with blue flames. She continues to look around and realized that there are chunins suppressing their chakra, to genin average storage. She looked around and found Naruto, Sasuke, and Gara, they had larger reserves than the other genins, they stuck the most. As she investigated more she heard the jonin proctor, named Ibiki, give a speech. Akane didn't pay attention until she heard a fist slam onto a desk.
She immediately opens her eyes to find Naruto standing up in the class calling out the proctor, proclaiming he will never give up and he would pass the chunin exams.
Akane looked over to Sasuke who was trying to keep calm and then she turned to look at Sakura was furious with Naruto's foolish outburst, but who can blame her. Sakura sighed and nodded at Akane and then Sasuke. They all stood up.
"We're not giving up that easily" Sasuke said, smirking at Naruto gave him a bright smile. Akane and Sakura both nodded in agreement. Eventually other teams began doing the same thing and the whole room stood up in an uproar.
The proctor chuckled and told them they had passed. The room when to complete silence. The proctor began to explain the written exam and then proceeded to remove his bandana showing the deeps scars he gotten from torture. He began to explain more, but was interrupted by another proctor who came crashing in through the window. The proctor who was a woman with mauve color hair explains the next exam which would take place tomorrow in the forest of death.
Team seven entered the Forest of Death. The air was thick making it hard to breath. Team seven ran straight into the tree line and stopped when they were far enough from the entrance.
"We should move towards the center of the forest and 'claim territory' we will have a higher chance of waiting then fighting for a scroll right away. Akane suggested
"I agree, but we don't want to be too close to the towers. Some other teams might have the similar idea, so it would be better to move stealthily through the forest to avoid other teams" Sasuke finished, they had a plan and they started to move again
Sakura looked at her teammates nervously. The idea of being here still has not settled in her mind. She has faith in her teammates, but what they when through at The land of Waves, she didn't want to go through that again. She vowed to herself to protect herself so others won't risk themselves, but has she given stronger in the last three weeks? No, she hasn't. Sakura doesn't want to left behind her teammates she has already come this far. Is it too late to give up? Sakura's mind wandered trying to find an answer to ease her mind.
"Sakura" Naruto called out her name quietly not getting the attention of the other two "Are you alright? You seem out of it."
Sakura looked up at him. His eyes were soft and looked sweet. She tried to swol the emotional lump in her throat. "I'm fine" she said quietly. " I was just wondering what awaits up ahead. This place is called The Forest of Death, and I think name says it all" Sakura rambled.
"Are you sure?" Naruto press on
"Yeah" She smiles
"If there's anything wrong tell us okay, Sakura. We're a team after all, remember what Kakashi told us"
Sakura's eyed widen. Naruto's words sank in and she felt reassured "yeah" she smiled
"Right, then let's catch up" They jumped from branch to branch until they caught up with Akane and Sasuke who were waiting for them both.
Nightfall came sooner than expected. The group camped in the tree tops and set up a fake camp on the group a mile or less away.
The next morning the group were on the move, making sure they did not leave a trail. They were moving slower that the day before due to the cross fire they came across. By noon, they made it to a clearing. In the clearing, a massive tree lays on it's side with the roots sticking out, this was a good spot to take a break.
" This is taking too long'' Naruto grunts "It's our second day and we have nothing".
Akane took a deep breath "Naruto, calm down. We-"
"We still have three days left. Time is running out and we have not came across a team with a different scroll than us yet!" Naruto spits out
"Then that means we have to split" Akane said " this is a good area to camp out at and we are near the tower, but the problem is we have to split. Two go out to search of a scroll while the other two guard here" she finishes
"It's too much of a risk" Sasuke points out
"I agree" Akane replies
"Me and Sasuke scout out the area." Naruto speaks out " We'll scout not to far from here"
"But what if you run into trouble" Sakura points out worriedly
"Akane can use her eye's mind thing" Naruto grins " We can flare our chakra if anything happens"
"Eye's mind?" Sasuke eyebrow rose
"Akane's a sensory ninja, it the technique she uses" Sakura answers
"If that's the case then we have a plan" Sasuke said, Naruto nods in agreement. Both boys decided to go in different directions, Akane protested, but knew they had made up their mind. Once the boys left Akane and Sakura set up camp in the roots of the tree.
Akane gently laid a scroll on the ground.
"What is that?" Sakura asks curiously, hoping Akane would not give her a smartass answer.
"A scroll" Akane replied plainly.
Sakura's eyebrow twitched "Huh, you don't say" she sighs "So what do you have written in there?"
Akane released the seal and boxes appear in the center.
"Soldiers pills" Sakura's face turned slightly green
"That is why I also brought these" Akane opened another scroll and dumped out candy bars
"Akane! You're a lifesaver" Sakura cries
Sasuke came back an hour later. He came across another team, but they had the same scroll as them. Naruto had yet to come back. Akane decided to look for him and left the camp.
Akane moves from branch to branch searching for Naruto. She climbs up a tall tree and use her eyes mind. She scans the area, but finds no sign for Naruto.
Akane sighs, and they she felt something behind her. She turns around rapidly to find a giant snake hissing at her. The snake charges at her, she jumps to the side, onto a tree branch, but the branch breaks. She falls down breaking each branch breaking them as she fell. The snake found her once again and charges at her, she pulls out a kunai when someone grabs her and brings her to another tree top.
"Are you alright?" the familiar voice asks "That was a huge fall, ya know"
"Well if you had came back sooner then I would have not fallen" Akane shot back
"Okay, okay I get" Naruto replies " This guys has been after me and I moved him far away from camp as possible"
"I have a plan" Naruto grins and hands her a pack of smoke bombs.
Akane sighs knowing she has to help him.
His plan is to get swallowed by the snake and kill it by using multi-shadow clone jutsu. What did she really expect from him. Both Uzumakis made there was back to the camp when they heard fighting. Akane used her eye's mind to figure out what was happening. Akane sensed Sasuke and Sakura's chakra and the chakra of another person. Akane warned Naruto, but Naruto charged in. She followed him.
Akane landed on a branch next to Naruto. Sasuke was protecting Sakura from a hidden grass ninja, who they saw earlier at the gates. The grass ninja's body was warped around the branch Sasuke and Sakura stood on like a snake. Naruto called Sasuke a fake while Sakura yelled at him to stop. Akane used her eye's mind and sensed the grass ninja chakra. Their chaka was dark and sinister it sent chills down her spin. Akane open eyes, the grass ninja jumped back and summoned a snake, similar to the one Naruto killed. The snake charged forward at Sasuke, but was stopped by Naruto.
Naruto's body was covered with red chakra.
Akane trembled. 'This chakra, it the same as the one at the land of waves.' She tried to calm herself 'Naruto, what is this chakra it's not you' her legs collapsed underneath her.
The fight between Naruto and the Snake ninja continues until the ninja uses his snake to hold Naruto down. The grass ninja brings Naruto up to his level and does hands signs and then Naruto red chakra vanishes. The ninja throws Naruto, but luckily Sakura throws a kunai that pins Naruto to the trunk of a tree.
The grass ninja jumps off of the snake and extends his neck and bits onto Sasuke neck. they then releases Sasuke and he falls back, Sakura catches him as he screams in agonising pain.
"Sasuke!" Akane calls out his name, she throws kunais at the ninja, but catches them all. He throws a kunai back at her, cutting her on the cheek. She pulls another kunai out, and the grass ninja appears in front of her. Akane falls on her back and draws the kunai close to her as she back away from them.
"What a rare sediment to come across." The ninja sinisterly chuckles. Akane stares at them, her arms are trembling with fear. The ninja bends down, lifting Akane's chin up with their long index finger and thumb "Finding an Uzumaki is rare these days. Especially a full blooded ones. Just like I told the Uchiha, come with me if you want to use your true potential." The ninja chuckles again "My name is Orochimaru"
The ninja named Orochimaru, steps back and vanishes.
Akane and Sakura brought both boys down to the roots of the tree. Naruto and Sasuke had fevers and it took around two days for it to lower. Akane sense the surrounding area and sensed a group of shinobi heading their way. She was about to warn Sakura when they attacked. They were shinobi from the hidden sound. Akane fell back next to Sakura, both played defensive. The sound shinobi continued to attack, Sakura then got caught by the sound kunoichi, she had her hand wrapped by Sakura's hair. Akane knocked down one of the shinobi and ran towards Sakura, but a kunai stabs her leg. She falls on the ground and attempts to get up.
'Damn' Akane grunts, trying to push herself up. Akane looks up to see Sakura cutting her hair off with her kunai. Sakura punches the kunoichi in the jaw and runs to protect her.
"I won't let you hurt my teammates!" Sakura draws a kunai out in front her, ready to strike the next enemy.
'Damn, my leg. I'm useless' Akane breathed heavily 'Wait, that book'
Akane laid a scroll down on her bed, she finally figured out to open it. She puts her hands together, taking a deep breath. Her hands move swiftly as she forms each seal.
"Release!" Akane looks at scroll, it was still sealed. "Damn, I followed the…. Damn" Akane pressed her hands on her temples, she took a deep breath releasing her frustration. She inspected the scroll, the scroll was intact, she moved closer to the scroll hoping to find what was wrong. Out of nowhere, the scroll seal released, Akane lost balance and fell head first on to the hardwood floor. After rubbing the pain way, Akane picked up a thick orange book with the Uzumaki crest on the cover, she flipped the book open. "Being an Uzumaki you have an large chakra reserves, that being you can heal your comrades or yourself by biting your flesh. Your body or the person who has bitten you will absorb your chakra and will begin to heal"
Akane pushes herself up, swinging her left arm to her mouth, sinking her teeth into her skin. The pain runs down her entire body, but she can feel the chakra flowing to her injuries, healing them instantly.
"What the hell is she doing?" one of the sound members said "Has she gone insane?"
Akane now healed, runs to the sound ninja who wounded her, she kicks him in the chest and falls onto his other teammate. Akane then runs to Sakura, who is still keeping up with the female ninja. Akane intercepted and grabs Sakura moving back to the tree were the boys were.
Akane and Sakura make it near the tree until their bodies went paralyzed in place, there was a ringing sound echoing. The three man sound team landed in front of the leaf girls, preparing to finish them, the female draws her senbons and grins, but she falls onto to the hard ground.
Rock Lee stands in front of them and the rest of his team. The continue to fight the sound ninja until Sasuke intervenes. Akane senses a dark aura of chakra coming from Sasuke, She can only guess this outburst came from Orochimaru. The sound ninja eventual retreat leaving their scroll to team seven, and Naruto finally woke up from his unconscious state.
Tenten walks up to Akane " Hey, Akane! Do you have any medical stuff with you?"
Akane nods "Look, I don't have much, but I'll trade you a weapon scroll"
"What type of weapon scroll?"
"Kunais with wires, it wraps the enemy in the wires when released, it really helpful especially for mid to long range attacks"
"I guess, here I have a few bandages and ointment"
The trade was complete team seven and took separate ways. Team seven headed towards the tower since they had the two scrolls. Once they made it to the tower and answered the riddle they waited until the rest of the genins finished. Meanwhile Kakashi came to check up on them and making sure they got medical attention, to which was more of him dragging them to the medics. While arriving, a beautiful woman with long brown hair walks up to them.
"Kakashi-san" She bows and turns towards Naruto and Akane who both stood next to Kakashi, the woman smiles and hugs each of them "Naruto-kun you've grown up so quickly! I can't believe you are going to become a chunin and you've only just graduated from the academy not too long ago" The woman cried with joy "Akane you've also have grown so much. I haven't seen your beautiful red hair in such a long time" The woman now proceeds to pat Akane on the head, Akane on the other hand, her face turned pink but hid it from her teammates.
"Uh, who is she?" Sakura asks, she was feeling a little sorry for Akane and Naruto for they were being crushed by hugs
"That's the Hokage's daughter" Sasuke answered
"Wait, what! The Hokage had a daughter!" Sakura turns to Kakashi to further explain
Kakashi nods "Yes Sakura, This is lady Kazumi, she's the Daughter of the third Hokage and the mother of Kohana and Konohamaru"
"What! No way, she looks to young to be Kohana's mom!" Sakura studies her, she has fair skin, she has dark doe eyes, long brown hair parted to her left. Her outfit consisted of navy blue spandex and the jonin jacket along with a long white doctor coat.
"Well, thank you Sakura-chan" She smiled back making Sakura slightly blush. Lady Kazumi turns to Kakashi and nods at him, Kakashi nods back "Sasuke-kun will you come with me and it's not an option" Sasuke grits his teeth and Follows her. The rest of the team seven moves to the common area where they waited for the other teams.
The next day, all teams were taken to what seemed to be an arena to the genin. The Hokage came out with two guards next to him, Kohana and a brown haired male around the same age as her. The Hokage asks the genins if the would like to quit to fall out of the formation, to which many did. Akane inspects the area, all of the genin from her graduating class stood information except for Sasuke. Akane suspects the hokage knows about Orochimaru and the mark left on Sasuke's neck.
She collects her thoughts, she looks over to where Naruto was talking to Sakura. Akane body tenses up, the red chakra covering Naruto's body making him look like a feral creature, but most of all the dark evil aura. The thought it made the air hard to breath.
A joinin walks to the center of the arena and tells the genins to meet up with their sensies on the balcony. While walk up to where Kakashi is standing Michiko is standing there with Sasuke"Hello, it nice to see you all again" Michiko waves, "Don't worry Sasuke-kun is fine, he just spent time with me. Sorry if I made you guys worried, I was just happy to see my little brother pass the first and second test." She smiles "I'm also happy that you all made it this far."
"Of course, Michiko-chan! We're all going to pass and become chunins, believe it! This is nothing to us" Naruto shouts. Sakura looks up with worriness.
"Well, at least you enthusiastic-"
"Michiko, are you up" A jonin proctor with a toothpick in mouth asks
"Yes, Genma-sensei" Michiko nods back "I have to go, good luck to you all"
The Hokage gave a speech and then the first fight was between Kiba and Naruto. Everyone assumed Naruto would lose, but Naruto proved them wrong despite his strange tactics. Sasuke was the next one on their team to go, he went against
Sakura eventually fought, she fought against Ino. The fight was boring, it was ended with a draw. The fights continue, most of them ending draws.
Akane leans against the rail, knowing her turn will come soon. The monitor screen begins to runs rapidly through the list of names and comes to a complete halt. Akane stares at the screen reading the names over and over.
"Uzumaki Akane vs Yakushi Kabuto" The joinin proctor with the coughs out.
Author's Note:
Hey, it been a while. So, I wrote most of this chapter around three months ago and added the ending yesterday, so yeah it might be a little confusing. I'm trying to update and edit the chapters as I go. And I have no one beta read so its only me to check. Anyways I hope you enjoy this update! Please leave a comment on what I should improve on, it would really help. Anyways see you next time!