Chapter 11

I gape at the enormous reptile, which rears its head as if about to strike. Naruto leaps back as the snake brings its monstrous head toward him, but its tail darts after him.

"Naruto, the tail!" I scream, but it wraps around him, pinning his arms to his sides. I quickly draw a handful of shuriken and toss them at the snake, but it bats them away with the tail below Naruto. He then swings him at me and knocks me off my feet. I skid to a stop forty feet away, and as I get to my feet the snake opens its mouth and throws Naruto in, swallowing him whole. "Naruto!" I run closer to the massive reptile, but it no longer seems to have any interest in me. It slithers up to one of the trees and rests its head on a protruding root, its eyes sliding shut. "Naruto?" I shout, approaching the snake cautiously. It doesn't stir, too content to be bothered. A muffled voice shouts a reply from within the snake, so I dart forward and put my hands against its scaly flesh. So much for snakes being cute. This is just ridiculous…not to mention obnoxious. How the hell am I going to get him out? I could try hypnotizing the snake into spitting him out, but I don't know if my powers will work on animals. There's always cutting him out, but that could take a while. Who knows how thick its skin is? "Naruto, can you hear me?"

"Yeah!" his voice replies from inside. I can barely make out what he says, but it's enough.

"Any ideas on how we can get you out?" I ask.

"Nuh uh! I can barely move in here! Ugh, it smells, too!"

"Focus, Naruto!" I bark. "Sasuke and Sakura could be in trouble!"

"R-right! Um…is there any way we could make him throw me up?" I ponder this for a moment. I doubt snakes have the gag reflexes humans do, so it probably won't help to open its mouth and shove a stick down its throat. Hmm…Suddenly, my brain clicks.

"Naruto, do you remember how you and Sasuke vomited at Tazuna's house?"

"Uh…yeah!"

"Try doing something like that!" I say. His doppelganger jutsu should work, if he creates enough clones.

"Right! Step back, Tami!" I retreat behind one of the trees and poke my head around just enough to see the snake. I hear Naruto yell something from inside and the snake starts swelling as its body fills up with clones. Its eyes burst open in shock, then its body splits open and a hundred Narutos come spilling out. I dart over to him as he drops the jutsu, revealing his true form.

"Naruto, are you alright?" I ask. He's covered in blood and saliva, his hair matted and his breath coming in huffs.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he replies, looking around at the snake remains. "I'm the shinobi who'll become Lord Hokage. So don't mess with me!" I roll my eyes.

"I think it got the message when you blew it up," I say. "Now come on – Sasuke and Sakura might be in some serious trouble. I don't know how strong the new opponent will be." He nods and we take off the way we'd come. I'm beginning to get that awful, haunting feeling in my gut again. It gnaws at me fiercely and only becomes worse with every leap that we take; it's almost enough to make me feel sick. Naruto glances at me out of the corner of his eye and notices how pale I've become.

"You okay?"

"Something's wrong," I reply, clutching at my stomach as my insides twist with fear. "Very wrong." He nods and we pick up the pace a little. I frantically search the area for Sasuke and Sakura's minds, but the density of the trees is making them hard to find. How far from them did we go? I didn't think it had taken me long to find Naruto, but then again, the new enemy could have forced them to retreat farther from us. Perhaps he's trying to keep us separated so he can take us down in twos. This one seems much more intelligent and fearsome than our first opponent, and this does nothing to ease the contorting of my innards. I finally stop and shut my eyes.

"Tami, what-?"

"I'm trying to find them," I reply, concentrating. I start with Sasuke, since he's the one I've had the most contact with recently and his mental signature is freshest in my mind. Come on, come on…Sasuke, where are you? I suddenly get a faint burst of it, not too far from us but in motion, and I grab Naruto's hand. "Come on." We shoot off again and I keep a lock on Sasuke's mind. As we get closer, I can feel the frantic, short thoughts racing through Sasuke's mind. He's all instinct right now, zero planning. This is nothing like the active but calm mindset he'd had during our first fight, which serves to further confirm my belief that this enemy is far more dangerous than the first. If he's terrified Sasuke this much, he must be someone worth being afraid of. We finally reach them and I spot them both. Something – or someone – is coiling around the tree with incredible speed, his body stretched like a spring (or, ironically, a snake). Naruto's hand flies for his shuriken pouch and he throws him into the path of the person after our teammates. He stops, unreasonably quickly for having been going so fast, and this stuns me. His reflexes are fantastic. The man's eyes dart up to us and Naruto yells,

"Sorry Sasuke…I can't remember that stupid password!" But they both know it's the real us. The enemy's gaze darts between us and it makes my knees tremble. He practically radiates bad vibes; there's something about his mind that screams pure evil. I recognize him as the one with the disgustingly long tongue from before the exam; the creeper.

"Sweet! Naruto, that was awesome!" Sakura screams, feeling a little surge of victory go through her. Sasuke, however, doesn't seem so happy to see us.

"Naruto to the rescue, huh? You're completely psyched to be saving the day, but now would be a good time to run for your life! This guy is way out of our league!" Sasuke yells. The Amagakure genin chuckles, propping himself up on his arm.

"My compliments on your stunning defeat of the giant snake, Naruto. With help from your little girlfriend," he hisses and I notice a difference in his voice now. Naruto doesn't seem to process that we're neck-high in danger right now; all he can think about is how snake-like the stranger is. Does he not have any shinobi instincts whatsoever? I can feel Sasuke's mind racing, trying to devise a way to get us out of this mess.

'Every time I ever tried to rescue us, he's made things worse. But there must be some way to…' His eyes dart to the snake-like man.

"HEY! Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Or something like that…" Naruto shouts, trying to act tough and I gape at him. Is he fucking serious? If it weren't for my faith in his uncanny ability to always come out on top, I'd probably punch him in the face myself.

'I've got to stop this before he gets us all killed,' Sasuke thinks, glaring up at Naruto. His eyes dart to me for a second, and I see his Sharingan eyes fade into their usual onyx. What the hell is he-? 'This is all I can think of…' He reaches into his shuriken pouch and pulls out the scroll.

"If it's our scroll you want, come and get it! Just…take it and go!" The three of us gape at him. What the FUCK? Alright, this guy is terrifying – I can feel it in my very core just from looking at him – but is this the only thing Sasuke can think of? He's not even going to TRY to fight back? Sasuke isn't joking, either. He's not simply luring the enemy in for a counterattack; he's honestly going to hand over our scroll.

"Sasuke, what the heck do you think you're doing?" Naruto screams, jabbing his finger at Sasuke in outrage. "Is this some clever way of beating the enemy? By handing over everything we've got?" The Ama-nin chuckles again, lifting himself up with one arm as he coils his legs back to their normal size.

"Well done. You're obviously natural-born prey, instinctively knowing that your only hope lies in the chance of the predator being distracted by some other tasty bait!" Sasuke grits his teeth, but tosses the scroll toward him and says,

"Come and get it!" Naruto's jaw drops and before I can stop him he leaps off the branch. He touches down on the same one as Sasuke and grabs the scroll, stopping it in its path to the enemy. Naruto's anger seems to spike, as does Sasuke's irritation. "Stay out of this! You'll ruin everything!" Without a word, Naruto spins and drives his fist into Sasuke's face. He goes flying back, but catches himself on a different branch, wiping blood from his lip. If nothing else, he's returned to his normal self enough to break his fall. "What do you think you're doing?" he demands.

"I forgot the stupid password, so I can't prove it, but this so-called Sasuke is obviously a fake!" Naruto accuses. Sakura stares at him, completely confused.

"What?" she cries.

"Naruto, you idiot, I'm me!" Sasuke says, glaring at him.

"That's bull! And you're the idiot, idiot! You're a coward, which Sasuke isn't, so you're obviously not him! I'm not so sure we need to be afraid of this guy, and even if we did hand over our scroll, there's no guarantee he'd spare us! So even if you were Sasuke, I'd still be calling you an idiot – and maybe a chicken, too!"

"Oh Naruto, this is rich!" the stranger coos, eyeing him with an amused smile. His tongue slides out of his mouth and curls in a way that makes me want to wretch. "And you're right. Why bargain…" His right hand slides up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a coiling, black tattoo. What is that…? "When I can simply kill you and take the scroll?" He bites down on his thumb and it splits open, blood oozing from the wound. He drags it down the length of his arm in a line straight through the tattoo, and I suddenly realize what it is. A summon. Naruto grits his teeth and starts running toward him, yelling,

"SHUT UP!"

""Don't do it, Naruto!" Sasuke calls after him.

"Naruto, it's a summoning jutsu!" I scream.

"Are you serious?" Sakura yells, staring after Naruto. Sure enough, in a whirlwind there's an enormous snake beneath the stranger's feet, similar to the one that had swallowed Naruto, though three times as monstrous. With a flick of its tail it smashes the branch beneath Naruto's feet and sends him flying.

"NARUTO!" we shout, watching him soar upwards and blow through another tree branch before slamming into the one above it. Blood sprays from his mouth as pain racks his body from the impact. I wince and shoot from tree to tree, hurrying to see if he's alright.

"Excellent…but let's not take chances. Eat the boy," the stranger chirps sweetly and I watch as the snake lunges for him. Oh no – I'm not going to reach him in time-! Naruto straightens up, his feet clinging to the branch, and as the snake comes within range he springs down, slamming his fist into the snake's nose.

"EAT SNOT, SUCKER!" he screams. His chakra has changed, just as it did during our mission to the Land of Waves…It's powerful, fierce, primal…The stranger's taken aback, and my teammates gawk at Naruto. They've never seen him this way, and his sudden surge of inhuman strength stuns and scares them. As Naruto falls, the man lifts his hand to his mouth and blows, sending Naruto flying in a powerful gust of wind, then he focuses his attention on Sasuke. He's completely rigid, torn between confusion and fear.

"And it's Sasuke's turn next! How will he take it?" the stranger asks, sounding as if he's having the time of his life.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screams, but he doesn't even hear her. All he can hear is the blood rushing in his ears…A blur of orange leaps between Sasuke and the snake, digging his heels into the branch and keeping the two of them separated. Holy shit… Naruto pants, exhaustion settling in.

"Hey…are you okay…you big chicken?" he asks mockingly, smirking up at Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widen as he stares at the blonde. The stranger smirks down at him and his tongue darts out of his mouth, wrapping itself around Naruto's mid-section and lifting him off the ground. That's disgusting. "Heeey! Get off me!" Naruto protesting, wiggling in his grip.

"Heh-heh, the brat of nine tails is still alive and kicking!" the stranger cheers, moving his hands up to place them in a handseal; one that I've never seen before. What does that mean? I start racing toward them, keeping my eyes on them at all times, but before I can reach them the stranger drives one of his hands into Naruto's stomach. Pain sprouts from the blow and immediately Naruto's chakra levels diminish, sinking below even their normal level. He utters a shout of pain, but as the jutsu takes effect his body slumps in the stranger's grasp. Sakura turns to Sasuke and cries,

"Sasuke! Naruto needs you!" The stranger removes the scroll from Naruto's shuriken pouch and tosses him carelessly over his shoulder. Knowing I'm too far away to catch him before he slams into something else, I quickly draw a kunai knife and throw it, catching Naruto's shirt and pinning him to a tree. "Sasuke! Naruto may be nothing like you; he's clumsy, and he holds us back, but at least he's got guts! Naruto's no coward! Right?" Sakura cries and I glower at her.

"Holds us back? Naruto was the only one working to do something to keep us alive!" I snap. "When was the last time YOU did something useful, other than BITCH?"

"Ooo, fiery, are we?" I spin around, only to be face-to-face with the stranger. He stares me down with a malicious, deadly look in his eyes that I've never seen before; not even in Zabuza. "Mmm…something tells me you're special, too…what's your little secret?"

"My secret? I hate phonies," I growl, taking a step back. Now that he's so sickeningly close, I start getting snippets of his thoughts. "You're not who you're pretending to be. You killed the real Amagakure genins and stole their identities." His eyes widen in pleasant surprise and he laughs.

"My my, and however did you come to that conclusion?" he asks.

"You ask a lot of questions," I retort.

"You raise many," he hisses. "And you didn't honestly answer my first."

"A shinobi doesn't tell." He chuckles once more and says,

"Well then it would appear I'm just going to have to torture you until I get what I want." His middle finger traces his eye absently for a moment, his gaze elsewhere, then they snap onto me. I'm sucked into a horrible genjutsu, feeling as if I'm being brutally slaughtered. Pain shoots from innumerable places on my body, as if I'm being cut to pieces, but I quickly fold my hands together. Kai – release! I break the spell with ease and though I'm shaken, my vision returns to normal.

"Unfortunately for you, the first thing I was ever taught to do was to block genjutsu and protect my own mind," I growl. His eyes widen and I take advantage of his momentary drop in guard to make several handseals. This is going to take a lot out of me, but if I can weaken him just a little, it might really help. I reach forward and cover his face with my hand. "Let's see how you like being tortured!" Kashaku rei no jutsu, art of the tormented soul! I feel his entire body recoil as I send shockwaves of pain throughout his body. This kind of pain doesn't target muscles or flesh; instead, it attacks the keirakukei and as it flows, it forces the chakra to emit itself in random, concentrated bursts. The keirakukei is the most sensitive part of a shinobi, which is what makes this jutsu so effective. Every burst feels as if you're driving a pick-axe into a pressure point.

However, I'm not nearly as skilled as I should be to use this, and I can feel my chakra depleting rapidly. Level Four users, with practice, have been known to do this for extended periods of time, going on hours, and such prolonged exposure to it can make a person feel as if he's in Hell; hence the jutsu's title. The stranger sinks to his knees as his keirakukei continues to sabotage itself and I grip his face to prevent him from breaking contact. However, he swings his leg up and it catches me in the stomach, knocking me back and freeing himself of my hold. He draws a rough inhale as the pain ebbs and though I can feel his anger, the more prominent emotion within him is interest. A selfish, desiring interest.

"You are a treasure," he hisses. "That is a jutsu that I've never experienced before now." I slide back and take a defensive stance in front of my teammates.

"It won't be the last unless you hand over our scroll and leave." His lips curve into a smirk.

"I think not. That jutsu doesn't just sap my strength; it also takes your own. Your fragile, untrained body doesn't have the power to keep going for very long, does it?" he asks in a sweet, mockingly sympathetic voice. I grit my teeth.

"You won't know for sure unless you try, now will you? Sure you want to take that risk?" He chuckles, his body slowly regaining his prior level of calm. Damn it…

"No, I don't. But I won't have to." He darts forward so swiftly that I don't have time to move back and the back of his hand comes into solid contact with my jaw. I'm sent flying back and I collide hard with the wood of the tree branch. Blood seeps out of the corner of my mouth and the blow was so strong that my vision is blurring. Damn, that hurt. It feels like my entire cheekbone shattered from the force.

"Tami!" Sakura screams, hurrying to my side. Sasuke's eyes dart from me to the stranger and his hands curl into fists as rage builds up in his chest. His mind has had time to cool, and he's finally back to himself. He activates his Sharingan and his brain goes into overdrive. The stranger prepares himself and Sasuke reaches behind him, digging in his weapons pouch and withdrawing a windmill shuriken and several kunai knives. About damn time he went on the offensive. "Tami, are you alright?" Sakura places gentle hands on my arm and back, leaning over me. I groan at the pain still raging in my cheek, but I manage to put my hand on her arm.

'I'm fine. Just don't make me talk, because my cheek stings like a bitch.'

'O-okay,' she says. 'Will you be well enough to move?' I utter a growl at the thought, but reply,

'Yeah, I should be.' With her help I straighten into an upright position and I immediately look at Sasuke. Incredible…all this time that he's been panicking, he could have taken this guy down and gotten his hands on the scroll. Sasuke's perceiving his enemy's every move and blocking each one, already plotting his next strategy as the stranger is forced to change his course of action. I watch as he masterfully pulls off a three-pronged attack, using string to pull the windmill shuriken back at his opponent's face. The stranger catches it in his teeth, only to realize that Sasuke's going to use the Dragon Flame Technique. 'All this time Sasuke wasted…we could have had this asshole's scroll and been done with him!'

'He…he ate it.' I turn to Sakura.

'He WHAT?'

'Right after he showed himself, he put the scroll in his mouth and swallowed it whole.' I gape at her.

'You're serious? Why the hell have we wasted so much time, then? We should have simply made a run for it and seen if we could lose him! Forget handing over our scroll – that much was stupid – but staying here and getting our asses kicked was exactly the sort of thing we wanted to avoid!' She sighs, but doesn't argue. I return my attention to Sasuke and see that his technique was successful; the man's face has been horribly disfigured, beyond recognition, yet he's still standing. How the hell-?

"That one so young should have such mastery of the Sharingan mirror wheel eye…! Truly, a worthy successor to the honored Uchiha clan! In fact, I believe…I want you, after all…" Want him? What the fuck does he mean by that? Using the hit of mental signature I acquired during our contact earlier, I dive into his mind and search for the answer. It's all very…vague…something about wanting Sasuke's…body…? That just sounds even MORE creepy than his appearance alone, but it must have meaning beyond just what it sounds like he wants. "It's marvelous fun, having you show me all your tricks!" he continues, his hand moving up to rub something from his headband. Upon moving his fingers, I see that the symbol on his headband is actually a musical note; the symbol for Otogakure. The three of us suddenly realize that we can't move and my mind starts working frantically to break his spell's hold. He's truly a master, to be able to impose such a powerful hold without lifting a finger. "You really are his brother, aren't you? You can see – and conceal – things with those eyes of yours that Itachi himself never dreamed of!" He knows Uchiha Itachi? How? Who IS this guy?

"Just who the heck are you?" Sasuke demands.

"I'm Orochimaru, the giant snake. If you'd ever like a rematch, then pass this exam as quickly as you can!" He holds our scroll in his hand and it bursts into flames. We gape in horror as it smolders and I snap,

"How can you expect us to fucking pass if you've taken BOTH scrolls from us?" He chuckles.

"I have faith in his abilities…and in yours. I'll see you again, if you manage to defeat the three Otonin who answer to me."

"Wh-what're you babbling on about? We never want to see your face again!" Sakura cries.

"Perhaps not, but wishing won't chase me away." He folds his hands together, twisting his middle fingers around his indexes in another seal I've never seen before, and I quickly look into his mind.

'As soon as I place the curse mark on Sasuke, I should pay a visit to my other little progeny…Anko…' The proctor? She's in league with him? His neck suddenly stretches, his mouth opening to reveal two long, pointed canines; like snake fangs. I jump to my feet, the spell on me broken, and I push Sasuke out of the way. His head flies right past me but my arm brushes his neck, and my vision suddenly goes black. What the fuck?

Orochimaru smirks out the open window of a wide room, watching the day pass by him.

"What makes you think he'll come?" a vaguely familiar voice asks.

"He will. I know what it is he wants; he won't be able to resist the temptation I've presented. He may try for a while, but once he realizes how weak Konohagakure is, and how incapable his teachers are of helping him reach his full potential, he will seek me out. When he does, I expect you to assist me in his teachings, of course. He is to be my most important pupil." The voice chuckles.

"Naturally. I know that look in your eye. Rarely do I get to see you so excited, Lord Orochimaru. This boy must mean a great deal to you." Orochimaru's smirk broadens as an avaricious gleam invades his cold, golden eyes.

"Oh, he does. He possesses raw power and skill that may surpass even Itachi. To have the last of the Uchihas under my command would be a great advantage. He will become the perfect vessel for me; the most worthy vessel I've ever chosen!" The degree to which he wants this person is borderline to obsessive madness.

"This is all based on the assumption that he passes the exams, that is." Orochimaru scoffs.

"Those pitiful exams measure one's ability to lead, not the individual raw talent of the examinee. Sasuke doesn't require such capability; his talent is a far more lucrative quality."

"There's also a matter of the curse mark," the voice reminds him. "He seemed to be having trouble controlling it the last time we spoke. That curse does have a nine in ten chance of killing him, doesn't it?" Orochimaru chuckles.

"If Anko managed to survive it, I'm very confident Sasuke will as well."

I suddenly snap back to reality as excruciating pain surges through my body, radiating from the left side of my neck. I clutch at it, stifling cries of pain, but there's someone else screaming. It's Sasuke. Oh no… Though my arms are shaking, I manage to prop myself up just enough to see him. Sakura has her arms around him; Orochimaru's nowhere in sight.

"Shit…Sasuke…" I mutter, trying to lift myself to my feet. "Sakura…his neck…"

"Orochimaru bit him," she snaps through her tears, fear and anger ripping through her. "I can't believe he would do such a thing." Tears are pouring from her eyes, and this immediately sends waves of anger through me. Nothing has happened to her. She hasn't been injured, nor has she even lifted a finger to help us fight off our enemies. Yet she sits there and cries as if the world has been completely cruel to her. Pathetic.

"Stop…fucking…crying," I growl through gritted teeth, using my anger to block out everything else. I stagger to my feet. "Get…Naruto. We have…to move. And hide. I can't…take anyone on…right now. My chakra's…running too low, and Sasuke's pain – " I stifle another scream as a fierce wave of agony courses through Sasuke's body and my knees buckle. " – Doesn't help." She nods and hurries off to get Naruto. I shuffle to Sasuke's side as quickly as my feet will allow me to move. "Sasuke…hang in there. We're going…to move somewhere safe…and then I'll see…what I can do…about the curse mark."

"Unnh…make it…stop…!" he cries, gripping the wood so hard his fingernails are beginning to crack and bleed.

"I'm going to try," I say softly, and without thinking I take one of his hands in mine. He grips it, both in an effort to alleviate his pain and seek comfort. His muscles are contracting in hundreds of painful spasms and he can barely breathe without it hurting. "Let me knock you unconscious. It might make it easier on you." He hesitates, then nods, so I release his hand and make a few quick seals. Tapping him lightly on his temples, his eyes flutter shut and his mind slips into unconsciousness. His body is still wrought with pain, but he doesn't consciously feel it as much anymore. I manage to get him onto my back just as Sakura comes back with Naruto. "Ready?" She nods and I lead the way as we take off.

Using my mind to track down potential enemies, I guide us to a small clearing. There's a tree whose roots have grown out of the ground and it provides a sort-of shelter. I make another quick scan, searching for remnants of mental signatures or any active minds nearby, but I don't sense either so I gently set Sasuke down before helping Sakura with Naruto. Once they're safe, I turn to Sakura. "Give me the little water canister in your pouch." She digs it out and hands it to me. "I'm going to find water. Stay here, and do not fall asleep." She quickly nods and I take a look at the boys. Sasuke now has a dreadful fever and his breath is coming in gasps and wheezes. Naruto looks practically dead. Shit… I turn on my heel and hurry off. Thinking back to the map Anko showed us before she locked us in here, I remember that there's a river running through this forest, and it would have been approximately three miles from our original position. I estimate that during both our battles, we travelled a total distance of five miles; four into the heart of the forest and one west of our entry point, meaning the river shouldn't be too far from where we are. The sun has started setting, so I guess it's about seven-thirty, going on eight o'clock. I dart through the trees and, sure enough, I soon pick up the sound of rushing water. I touch down and I'm relieved to see that no one else is here. That's…pleasant, but very odd. Did everyone already secure provisions? Or have that many teams been eliminated? I shrug it off, but scan the surrounding trees for minds as I fill both Sakura's and my canisters. I screw the caps back on them and shove them into my shuriken pouch, but keep my hand there as three minds approach me from behind. I've felt their minds before…but I don't recall who exactly…Someone puts a hand on my shoulder and I turn on my heel, drawing a kunai knife from my pouch and pressing it to the stranger's neck.

"Whoa! Hey, easy, Tami!" I blink.

"Kiba?" He gives me his cocky smirk and grins, baring his abnormally pointed canines.

"Yeah, just me. Take it easy." It really is him; him and his two teammates. They all appear completely unharmed. I take my knife from his neck and put it away.

"Sorry," I say.

"Hey, no problem. Just staying on your toes, like you should. After all, what if I'd been an enemy?" he asks, giving me a challenging smile. I smirk.

"I wouldn't have merely stuck the knife to your throat; I'd have cut out your Adam's apple." His eyes widen and he laughs.

"Wow, pretty gruesome."

"There's no mercy in combat, Kiba," I say.

"Haha, yeah, I guess not. Where are your teammates?"

"Hopefully, hiding and safe," I say, frowning. If Sakura screws that up, I swear I'll end her. Kiba laughs again and says,

"Hiding? They sent you out here by yourself? No backup?"

"I don't need it. And they didn't really have a choice," I reply. I wonder if I should be telling them this, but they aren't sending off any threatening vibes; Kiba just happened to see me and wanted to see how I was doing. They're friendly, for the most part.

"Heh, how come? You got a tight leash on them?" Kiba asks.

"Save your dog-related puns, Kiba," the quiet boy says. He chuckles and says,

"Just trying to lighten the mood, Shino. Anyway, how are you four doing? Got your two scrolls yet?"

"Nope. We don't have either." Kiba and Hinata gape at me.

"You…you're serious? You've already lost your scroll?" Kiba asks, stunned. I nod.

"Not only that, but both Sasuke and Naruto are basically comatose right now. It's just me and Sakura. That's why they're not here; Sakura's standing guard over the boys. I knew where the river was, so I left. I just hope Sakura hasn't had a chance to fuck up yet."

"Jeez, I knew you four were doomed, but not THAT doomed," Kiba says.

"K-Kiba, don't be rude," Hinata says softly, tapping her index fingers together. A nervous habit, I suppose.

"Yeah, it's not really our fault," I say. "You know those Amagakure genin who gave Anko trouble right before the exam?"

"Yeah, the one with the really creepy tongue?" Kiba asks and I nod.

"He wasn't the real thing. He and his team stole the identities of the real Ama-nin to get put into this forest with us. He's way more powerful than any Chunin. The guy with the long tongue – he was after Sasuke. He used a jutsu on Naruto that lowered his chakra levels, and he put a curse on Sasuke. He swallowed his own scroll – not that he needed it, I guess – and burned ours." Even the quiet boy is interested now.

"Holy…Do you guys want help?" Kiba asks.

"Y-yes, it sounds like you four have b-been given a-an unfair disadvantage," Hinata insists. Their camaraderie is touching, but I shake my head.

"I doubt either of the boys would like waking up to find you three helping us, especially Naruto. You know how he is. Besides, you guys should get to the tower as quickly as you can, so there's less of a chance that you'll lose your scrolls."

"Hey, how'd you know we have both?" Kiba asks. I smile.

"Just a feeling. I doubt you would've taken the time to stop and ask me how I'm doing if you three weren't already set. Thanks for the offer, you guys, but I won't put you in jeopardy like that. Something tells me we haven't seen all the misfortune this forest has to heap on us, and it wouldn't be fair if you were put in harm's way for us." I throw a glance at the sky; the sun is now glowing a deep red and a wave of beautiful purple is starting to make its way across the sky. "I'd better go; so should you."

"Alright. Bye Tami; hope we see you at the tower," Kiba says.

"Yeah, you and me both," I reply. I wave to them and we dart off in separate directions. When I reach Sakura, I see her head bobbing up and down as she fights sleep. It's nearly dark now and the entire forest has reached a new level of fucking creepy. Not only that, but I sense the presence of three people not too far away. I know we're being watched, but I'm not nearly strong enough to take all three of them out. The least I can hope for is that they're after our scroll, and when we tell them we don't have either they'll leave us in peace. Sakura looks up as I approach.

"Hey. You've been gone a while," she muses.

"Ran into Kiba's team by the river. They're on their way to the tower; they already have both scrolls."

"S-seriously?" she asks, her shoulders slumping in dismay. I nod and it seems to make her sink even lower. "Just when I thought we would be able to show how much we've grown, and how we're not the same losers we were in the academy…"

"It's not our fault," I say. "Orochimaru isn't a genin; his prowess exceeds that of a Jonin. We were put at a ridiculously unfair disadvantage; there was nothing more we could have done to prevent things from happening the way they did. And sulking won't do us any good, either." I pull the canisters from my shuriken pouch, along with a thick cotton cloth. "Get some sleep. We'll watch them in shifts; I'll wake you at around midnight." She nods and crawls further beneath the branches, curling up on the ground. I douse the cloth in water and wring it, then drape it over my forearm. I slide my arm under Sasuke's shoulders and lift him just enough for me to untie his headband. It slides off and I set it aside, replacing it with the soaking wet cloth. It seems to help ease his discomfort just slightly. I look over him to Naruto; he hasn't moved at all since I left. That jutsu Orochimaru used on him must've been really draining…it isn't like Naruto to be down for this long. I thought he'd be awake by now.

Sakura's already asleep, her eyes lightly shut and an arm tucked beneath her head. I sink against one of the roots, looking over my teammates. My body's completely exhausted; thank goodness we're getting at least this break, however long it lasts. The three people watching us aren't leaving, which causes me to question their motive. If it's a scroll they want, there'd be no better an opportunity to attack than now. Two down, one asleep, and one too exhausted to put up much of a fight. My mind wanders back to what Orochimaru said… I'll see you again, if you manage to defeat the three Otonins who answer to me. The three Otonin that charged Kabuto before the exam…they must be the ones he referred to. They're the only three that came this year, unless Orochimaru entered three others under the cover of being ninja from another country, like he had. I massage my left temple with my fingers, the stress wearing on me. This is such bullshit. How could no one have noticed he wasn't who he said he was? Aren't the three real Amagakure genin somewhere in the city? Why haven't they been found?

My mind then goes back to the vision I'd had during the fight. This shouldn't be happening. My powers aren't supposed to be progressing this fast; no one else's has. EVER. It's taken Sohmas years to ascend the levels, whereas I'm going through them in leaps and bounds. I've gained sight without touch and premonitions within weeks of each other; usually, I wouldn't have my first premonition for at least a year after. My grandfather, the most powerful man in our family, had his first premonition seven months after he gained the ability to read minds without contact, and that alone is extremely impressive. A shudder runs down my spine as I recall what I'd seen. What did Orochimaru mean by a 'vessel'? Like an heir? Orochimaru seems to be under the impression that Sasuke will come after him, to take him up on some 'temptation'. What could he have offered him? Itachi's head on a stick? That would be some definite motivation for him.

The next five hours drag on, punctuated by occasionally dampening the cloth on Sasuke's forehead. It's about one in the morning when I creep to Sakura's side; I'd given her an extra hour as a precautionary measure. I certainly don't want to be killed in my sleep because she's too tired to fight. I shake her and her eyes flutter open. For a moment, she doesn't remember where she is and why she's outside, then she looks up at me and it all comes back to her.

"Your turn." She nods and gets up, moving past me as I lie down in her place. The forest has cooled as the night's gone on and I'm thankful for her lingering body heat. I watch her to make sure she gets situated, the water canisters at her side, then I shut my eyes. Have faith that she won't fuck up…You'll never be able to sleep if you're paranoid that someone's going to stab you… I force myself to relax and sleep takes me. I wake not long after that, though, when I feel a sudden spike in adrenaline. Light is filtering weakly through the trees and I realize that it's just after dawn. Well, at least we survived the night. I push myself up and turn to find Sakura. Her back is to me, shaking hands on her kunai holster. Across the clearing stand the three Otonin. I was right.

"As of now, you're off duty. Just wake Sasuke for us. The three of us want to take him on," the bandaged one says, his head cocked to the side.

"Wh-what're you talking about? I know that some guy named Orochimaru is the one who's been pulling the strings, so what do you want?" The three Otonin are shocked; they hadn't been expecting us to know. "What does this mark on Sasuke's neck mean? With Sasuke in this condition…NOW you want to fight him? Get out of here! Go!" I sneer as I get up.

"I suggest you stop giving orders, Sakura. You suck at it; no one takes you seriously." She turns and watches as I walk to her side, rising to my full height once I'm clear of the roots. The leader muses,

"Hmm…I wonder what Orochimaru's up to?" The dark haired boy who'd thought to catch an attitude with me before the exams smirks and says,

"Whatever, I can't leave after hearing that! I'll destroy you, girl…and your little Sasuke, too!" He starts to move forward, toward Sakura, but the leader barks,

"Wait, Zaku!"

"Wait? Why?" Sakura swallows hard as the leader steps forward, kneeling in front of a patch of grass. I look into Sakura's mind and realize that she'd set a trap there; an easily distinguishable trap to dupe them. Truthfully, she'd set another trap above us – a massive log that would block them if they come straight for us. A pretty tactful maneuver, but I doubt it'll do much as far as protection goes.

"It's obvious…freshly turned stones, exposed soil, grass in a place it would never grow…someone's been setting booby traps, but what's the point of laying them if you leave evidence that warns your prey?" Zaku hadn't spotted it before, but smirks.

"It's amateurish! So…the person who threw the kunai knife was trying to stop the squirrel from springing the trap?" What squirrel?

"Well, the girls are no use to us, so let's eliminate them first." They dart forward and I stay back as Sakura slices through the cord at her side. The log she'd rigged swings down and I feel the amazement of the Otonin. "A log? The trap was above us this whole time!" They touch down near the top of the log, and a moment later they blast through it. How did they do that? I then see that the bandaged one has his right arm extended; the arm with the bulky, metal fixture on it. Perhaps that thing somehow amplifies his jutsus, to the point where he can blow through such solid objects with ease. "To be honest, you know you're a complete no-talent, don't you? Stop dogging it and start working at it! It's an insult being underestimated by slackers like you!"

"Then forget the team idiot, let's see how well you fair against me," I challenge, stepping in front of her as I feel fear well up in her stomach. She's honestly stupid enough to think such a simple diversion tactic like that would work and they'd just run away scared? But I know that only four hours of rest hasn't given me the strength to completely beat them…If I can take down the leader, though, I might have a shot… A new mind approaches us from the left and I duck as it flies right over me.

"Konoha Hurricane Technique!" All three of the Otonin are knocked in the opposite direction, solid blows dealt to each of them. I recognize that voice, as well as the mind, and I grin. He lands on his feet in front of me, taking his stance. "Look who's talking! Try taking your own advice!"

"Lee!" He gives me a friendly smile over his shoulder, which appears to have a squirrel on it. Did everyone suddenly get a thing for squirrels overnight?

"Wh-who are you?" the lead Otonin demands.

"Konoha's handsome blue beast, Rock Lee!" I roll my eyes at his flourished introduction, but I'm so relieved he's here.

"Where did you come from?" Sakura asks.

"I came because you needed me. And I always will!" Lee promises. He takes the squirrel off his shoulder and sets it gently on the ground, patting it gently on the leg to usher it away. Sakura gives him a bashful smile and says,

"I don't know how to thank you. You're a lifesaver."

"I promised when we met to protect you, until death do us part!" Aww, how touching. He's still so sweet to her, even after she was such a horrible little bitch to him. The leader holds their scroll up, eyeing us carefully, then tosses it behind him to Zaku.

"It can't be helped. Zaku, little Sasuke is all yours! They're as good as dead!" He then takes a running start toward us. I move forward but Lee throws his arm in front of me.

"Save your strength, Tami. I will deal with him."

"Are you sure? This isn't your fight," I say. "You don't have to throw away your strength for our sakes!" He throws me another confident smile and replies,

"It became my fight the moment they threatened to harm my friends." My lips curve into a weak smile and he focuses on the leader. "Stay back, Tami. This may get ugly." I do as I'm told, and Sakura tosses a kunai knife past us. The bandaged one jumps over it and Lee sinks to one knee, punching through the ground. I stare at him in awe as his hand wraps around something underground and he yanks it to the surface. It's a massive knot of tree roots! He's torn the entire thing out of the ground with only a small fraction of his strength! The leader swings his right arm and blows a chunk of the root apart, making me wince. If that had been a person… "This is some kind of illusion, right? So I'd be wasting my time ducking as though your attacks were real!" Illusion? That blow looked incredibly and horribly real, but it also doesn't make any sense how he's doing that. I've only seen them fight once, and even then my attention had been focused on the girl. Lee pulls the ends of the bandages around his arms out and starts untying them, silently prepping himself. I see glimpses of memories as they play through his mind – how happy he was when he mastered this technique, then how his sensei told him that he wasn't allowed to use it except for in one circumstance…when he was defending the life of someone precious to him. Sakura's this person? How can Lee be so deeply devoted to someone he barely knows? And he's not simply infatuated, as Sakura and Ino are with Sasuke – he really thinks that he loves her. It's absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time…touching. The leader takes another running start at Lee and he makes a handseal, darting forward to meet him. In an instant, Lee disappears.

"Where'd he go?" the Otonin asks aloud. Lee reappears beneath him and drives his foot upwards, slamming it into the Otonin's chin and sending him flying – just as he'd done to Sasuke when they sparred. Now I'll see what this move can really do. Lee leaps into the air, going behind the Otonin like before.

"I'm not done with you yet!" He wraps the white linens around the Otonin, pinning his hands behind his back. Lee then wraps his own arms around him, and they both start hurtling toward the ground head-first. Lee starts spinning and the two of them pick up momentum, heading for the earth at a dangerous pace. No wonder Lee's sensei forbid such a move; there's practically no way they'll come away from it unscathed. Lee drives the Otonin into the ground before leaping away, but even then Lee's exhausted. It takes a great deal of effort to build up a force that strong, especially going from so minimal an altitude. As the dust clears I see the Otonin's lower half, from his waist to his feet, protruding from the earth, and at first I think he's done for…until I feel his mind still thrumming. No fucking way. That move was ridiculous! He should be unconscious, at the very least!

"Whew…Looks like I made it," Zaku says and I notice his hands buried below ground. I stare at his friend, hoping he won't move, but he plants his hands on either side of him and pulls himself out. Shaking his head back and forth to clear his vision and dust himself off, he says,

"What a terrifying technique. I managed to land on a pillow of soil and it still almost wiped me out! But now…" He draws his sleeve back to reveal that metal device. "It's my turn."

'Oh…this is not good,' Lee thinks. 'That last move I did just toasted me. I've got nothing!'

"Let me take it from here, Lee," I murmur, sliding closer to him. "You gave it everything you had – you shouldn't be asked to do more for us."

"Oh no," the Otonin hisses. "That brat wants to try my hand; he must deal with the consequences."

"He was fighting on our behalf, leave him alone," I snarl, stepping in front of him. "And it's my teammate you're after. You'll have to fight me sooner or later."

"Precisely," Lee says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Save your strength."

"Lee, no," I insist. "Your teammates will hate us both if I get you killed."

"You won't," he assures me. The Otonin takes a running start at us and Lee puts his hands on my shoulders, moving me out of the way. As the Otonin takes a swing at Lee, he leans back to avoid the blow, but like with Kabuto his vision goes suddenly blurry. It's as if something in that machine can affect the cerebellum and mess with a person's balance…but is that even possible? How can a simple machine do something so advanced? The Otonin chuckles and says,

"Your moves may be fast, but ours are supersonic! And muscles alone can't break down the wall of sound!" SOUND! That's how they do it! Fucking duh! That machine must amplify sound waves – vibrations – and attack the inner ear with it! It's what causes the person's balance to be off! Lee sinks forward and vomits, then realizes liquid dripping from his ear. Blood. The Otonin's last attack burst his left eardrum. What a bastard, I think bitterly. "It's this appliance, you see. It prevents you from blocking my attacks." Well that much is obvious now. Lee shudders and Sakura demands,

"What did you use on him?" The Otonins then explain the nature of their sound-based attacks. I should have seen this. They hail from the Village Hidden in the Sound, for shit's sake. But it's hard to think so basically when we have shinobi in our country that don't base any of their attacks on our namesake element. In fact, Sasuke is, so far, the only person I've ever seen use fire-based jutsu. The Otonin's revealed eye locks on Sakura and he darts for her. Naturally, she simply sits there, her body frozen in panic. She really needs to learn how to react to being attacked.

"And now, it's your turn!" Lee springs to his feet and leaps in front of Sakura, rotating his body to implement his Konoha Hurricane technique. But his balance is still horribly off and a painful ache courses from his ear, causing the entire left side of his head to throb. "My last attack is finally showing some effect!" the Otonin snarls, placing a hand on Lee's feet and guiding it out of the way. "You startled me at first, now where's that fast, laser-sharp attack of just a few minutes ago?" He swings his arm around and Lee raises his arms to block it. He manages to hold it back and the blow alone doesn't deal him any greater damage, but the Otonin places a hand on his arm and stimulates the device. Even from my distance I can practically feel the strength of the vibrations he's bludgeoning Lee with. "This arm of mine magnifies every little sound within to the utmost limits! It's an amplifier and it goes to 11!" Lee utters a howl of pain as his inner ear is tormented. He crumples to the ground, unable to stand, and the Otonin says, "Now, time for the coup de grace!"

"I don't think so!" Sakura shouts, drawing weapons. She tosses a handful of kunai at him, but he parries them easily. Sakura tries again, getting to her feet now and tossing another wave of shuriken their way. Zaku darts in front of his teammates and blasts them back at her, the blades grazing her skin. The female team member darts forward and I shout,

"Sakura, move!" But the girl reaches Sakura, going behind her and taking her hair in her grip. "Sakura, damn it!" I start to dart forward, but Zaku sends a blast my way and I'm taken off my feet, slamming into one of the roots. I slide down and hit the ground, groaning from the pain, but I stagger to my feet. My body protests being moved in the direction of more suffering, but I fight the urge to heed its warnings. "Fine, let's see how you like us separated," I hiss and I instead start running for him. He holds his hands up again, smirking, but as he sends a gust my way I leap over it and come down on top of him, my feet landing sturdily on his chest. We fall to the ground and I pin his shoulders with my knees, drawing a kunai knife from my pouch and sticking it to his neck.

"Zaku!" the other one yells. He darts forward to help his comrade and I jump off of Zaku, going over his friend's head and landing behind him.

"She's so damn fast!" Zaku growls, sitting up. I turn to face them when Sakura whimpers. Her soft cry attracts my attention and I turn my gaze to her, instead.

"Zaku, why don't you finish off Sasuke or one of her other fallen heartthrobs right in front of this little lovesick pig? The least we can do is entertain her," the girl chirps giddily.

"Ha! Good one!" Zaku says, climbing to his feet.

"Over my dead body," I growl.

"Hmph, that can easily be arranged," he snarls back, his lip curling in what he thinks is a menacing sneer. I smirk in return and say,

"Then let's hope you've got something else up your sleeve than just your little air show, or your shit out of luck. I have powers you can't even think of." He turns back to the girl and says,

"Let's do it!" I suddenly feel a new, burning ache in my shoulder, near the base of my neck. What the hell is-? My eyes dart to the boys and I see something that looks like…steam rising from Sasuke's shoulder. What's going on? The final stages of the curse? What more can there be? Sakura pulls another kunai knife and the girl says,

"Your tricks are useless against me, little girl." Sakura smirks up at her.

"You think so?" She then swings her arm around and slices through her bright pink hair, shaving off about six inches of it and escaping the girl's grasp. Well, at least she's starting to think like a shinobi.