AN: On one hand I apologize for taking 4-months to post again. What can I say this year sucks! On the other hand I think this chapter came out really well. I am currently on vacation, and due to some rain had time to write. Luckily enough there has been enough sun that I have a tan developing! Yeah! But not enough to burn! Based on that I am in so an agreeable mood that I should also be able to start working on the next interlude 'Sakura'. Hope you enjoyed, and I really hope I can get Sakura's interlude out before the end of the year!
"If you are losing a tug-of-war with a tiger, give him the rope before he gets to your arm. You can always buy a new rope."
Max Gunther
Chapter 5: Competition promotes growth….
Part 3: Survive …
"Sure, so who's this bitch? And why are you playing all by yourselves?" Naruto cracked his neck, and twisted the right blade to be alongside the inner part of his arm, and the left blade kept out. "You know how I love to play with sharp weapons?"
The woman smiled and licked her lips, "So, you escaped my snake?" she pushed her hair to the side, "I was curious if you had grown in skill, young Naruto," the woman licked her lips, and tasted the blood from her mouth.
"That was your snake?" Sakura shouted.
"Yes, what happened to it?"
"Let's just say," Naruto crouched slightly, his eyes narrowed. "It ate something that didn't agree with it."
The kunoichi backed up slowly, twirling a kunai in each hand at impressive speeds. Her tongue slipped out to lick at her lips, a wide grin forming, the moving blades never showing the slightest change in pace. Naruto tilted his head to watch, impressed in spite of the knowledge that they were about to face someone that was higher level than them - with no backup. "So teme, what can you tell me about her," he muttered softly, knowing Sasuke could hear him.
"Strong, fast, and knows things she shouldn't. I also get the feeling she has fought an Uchiha before and that she may be from Konoha, or is someone who knows more about leaf than they should," Sasuke said, wincing slightly as Sakura tied bandages around the cuts on his arms.
"Yeah, I kind of got that when she seemed to act like she knew me," Naruto tilted his head again, "Well, guess I need to see how fast. Try to get yourself together; I think we need to do this together. Sakura, when you are done with him, go for long range backup. If we manage to survive this, we are going to need you to patch us up and possibly safeguard us, so I think you should take cover. Also see if you can throw some genjutsu at her."
As he finished speaking, Naruto pushed off in a fast run, heading straight at the Grass nin. The foreign nin swung the blades at him, but Naruto ducked, pulling out of the way and swinging a blade at the other's legs. The other ninja jumped over the blade and aimed a kick for his head, forcing Naruto to roll away quickly to avoid injury. Rolling up he jumped high and started a swinging kick. She ducked, forcing him to twist his arms to slash from the side as his leg missed. Suddenly, he gasped as he was slammed from the side and smashed towards a tree. He twisted in time to land sideways on the tree, his chakra flaring slightly to catch himself.
"Well, that was interesting," he muttered. A quick glance to the side showed him Sasuke standing up, no longer bleeding freely, and Sakura to the side throwing Sasuke's sai to him. He glanced at the kunoichi to see her backing up as she realized two armed genin were now in the fight. Sakura had moved out of the way, following his directions, knowing she was not a straight combat fighter.
"Interesting," the woman stated tilting her head to see both boys at once. "Very interesting."
"You know this might be fun," Naruto said with a grin. He glanced at Sasuke who nodded and bent his knees before jumping from the tree straight at the woman, a small grin on his face.
For Naruto and Sasuke, a quick sensation was rushing through their veins. Everything seemed so vivid, clear - minute little details were somehow apparent, such as the slight movements that the enemy nin was making. Sasuke, who was rushing at the same time but slightly closer, leaped back as an arm swung out at him to fast to block. He felt the pain as a kunai sliced his hand. He twisted around and caught the kunai against his arm, using the sai to protect himself. A quick twist took his arm along the woman's arm, slicing her, although she still maintained a grip on the kunai. A slight movement had him bending to the side as Naruto's blade took a swipe at the woman. Shock startled him for a moment as the woman moved at an even faster speed to catch the blade on the handle of the kunai and tug Naruto off balance.
Naruto released the blade, allowing it to flip in the air, and struck out with the second blade. Sasuke moved to catch Naruto's blade and threw it to Naruto, who caught it as he moved back following his failed offense. Both boys backed up slightly and Sasuke kicked the scroll on the ground into the air and caught it. Seeing the red string on it, he smirked. Twisting his arms to have the two sai bound into his arms he opened the scroll and ran his finger which had some blood on it. A slight poof of air two large windmill blades were in his hands. He quickly hooked some of his wire into the blades and bent low. On the ground three tags were laying in wait for him. He left them were they lay, knowing Naruto would grab them, and sure enough he felt three chakra flairs. He moved forward slightly allowing the kage bushin to move forward and stand on the three tags.
"I always wanted to try this live," he heard Naruto mutter. The chakra behind him flared again, and he knew that each Bushin now had explosive tags stuck to their feet ready to be set off at a moment's notice. Kneeling for a moment he felt Naruto hit his back running and using the momentum of Sasuke standing to get extra height he started tumbling threw the air, his blades twirling around him, forcing the woman back. The three bunshin moved forward in synchronized motion to attack the woman who was moving fast to get out of Naruto's way. With his sharingan on, he saw Sakura looking at him nodding slightly as she moved her hands, the slight disorientation that would hit the woman should keep her from noticing the wires. At the same moment, Sasuke let the blades fly, using the wires to move them in circles around the woman, creating an unnoticed web, to keep her from easily leaving into the trees.
He heard a shout as Naruto was kicked out of the way, and saw the bunshin move forward to start a brawl with the women. Three kunai moved from the side, two hooking into Naruto's blades and driving them into the tree that Naruto had hit, the third landing in the trunk by Naruto's hand allowing him to catch a hold and right himself, before ripping his blades out of the tree. I guess Sakura's aim has improved, he thought. An explosion had him refocusing on the fight in front of him. He raised his hands and caught the blades, tearing the wires off and dropping the blades. With a quick finger twist he had the multiple wires connected to each finger for him to manipulate, even as the second close exploded. He flicked his eyes to the side as another bunshin appeared, this one wearing a henge to look like him, and he nodded to it, thankful for Naruto's quick thinking, just as the third bunshin exploded.
"Damn," he heard Naruto's voice from up high, and couldn't help but agree. The kunoichi was standing in front of them with no apparent injuries, except some torn clothes. Apparently she had been able to kwarmi out of the way of each explosion, and from the looks of her breathing, none of their actions had even winded her in the slightest.
"My, my," she said standing tall and looking at them. "Now that was very interesting, I must say you have definitely caught my attention."
She started to step forward when she got caught in a wire. Sasuke grinned, even as he saw Sakura send a kunai with an explosive tag at her back. The Kunoichi couldn't duck that one, as Sasuke pulled the wires catching her tighter. As the tag went off he heard Naruto's whoop. He started to grin himself; until he felt the wire he was pulling go soft. The smoke disappeared and he was shocked to see that the woman was still standing, although the skin over her face seemed off somehow.
The woman threw her head back and laughed. After a moment she stopped and turned to look at first Naruto and then Sasuke, eyes flickering between him and the clone. "Oh my, this is very interesting," she laughed. Her hand reached up to grab the skin on her face and pull. Sasuke could just make out Sakura's gasp of shock as the skin was pulled off. The new face that was shown was that of a man, pale sickly skin and purple facial designs. "Now, we can really begin, after all," he moved forward slightly, "you have truly caught my attention."
{RoD}
"Not bad," Zabuza said over his sword. It was caught in the cross guard of Hayate's sword. The few moments of strikes have ended as quickly as they begun. "This should be interesting," he said, before twisting his blade to break them up.
Hayate grinned at him, a slight twitch in his cheek.
The two fighters backed away from each other, moving in a circular pattern that allowed them to maintain eye contact but provide space for them to plan out their next attacks. Zabuza was impressed. For a sickly small guy, Hayate handled a sword masterfully. Hayate appeared to be a perfect swordsman, and Zabuza was pretty sure that he had more tricks yet to be shown. Zabuza grinned in excitement. He loved a good fight. They both continued their circular moves until they had a decent amount of space between them. He waited to see what Hayate would throw out. He was not kept waiting long.
Hayate moved forward before jumping in the air spinning. His chakra flared and was channeled through the blade as he began to fall towards Zabuza. The blade absorbed the chakra, and as it came down to strike, Zabuza raised his own only to be pushed back by a blast of wind. Spinning on the ground, he came back and the two started striking at each other. Hayate's blade moved in quick precise movements, while the head cutter moved slightly slower as its wider blade caught most of the moves. With a quick twist of his wrist and a strike with his foot, Zabuza pushed Hayate back.
They both were half crouched on the ground, Hayate coughed before moving to attack again, but he was too late. Zabuza jumped high and his blade twirled in a pattern that pulled wind and chakra to it. As it came close to his head, Hayate had to duck and twist his own blade to avoid a deadly strike. They came together and another blinding fast match of blows, before a single strike pushed them both apart.
Zabuza snarled in enjoyment, this move was his. Running with the blade low to the side he moved in slight awkward movements that confused Hayate, the blade was almost upon his opponent, his head almost trapped by the blade. Hayate moved his own blade to halt Zabuza's move before it trapped him. Twisting his own blade he freed it enough to move backwards.
"Heh, got away, huh?" Zabuza said as he crouched low, the blade balanced on his wide shoulders.
Hayate grinned back, neither paying attention to the watchers who were betting on the outcome of the fight.
{RoD}
"I never expected so much talent, so much brilliance," the man's voice had a slight hiss to it. Naruto never took his eyes away from the Grass-nin, didn't bother reacting as the Grass- nin pulled up his purple sleeve, revealing a tattoo marking. "I think it is time to up the ante don't you think? Perhaps see what you can do on a grander scale. After all," he brought his finger to his mouth and bit down, "I am sure you realize that you are no match for me."
The grass nin grinned as he ran his thumb along the tattoo, a huge rush of chakra built up at speeds that Naruto had never felt before, and instantly there was a poof, a rush of wind that made them momentarily shut their eyes. When they opened them again, the Grass-nin stood on the head of an even bigger snake than the one Sakura and Naruto had run against.
"Oh," he heard Sakura breath in shock, "Dear Kami not another one."
"Oi, Naruto, is that what held up you and Sakura?" Sasuke called out as he moved back a few steps.
"Yeah, Sakura and I got blasted right in front of one, not as big, but I guess it must have also been a summons," Naruto had moved through the branches to the right of Sasuke. "Haven't fought one, we had to kill it in an unusual way."
"Hn, if we get out of this, you are telling me that story," Sasuke muttered softly.
Naruto pulled his own chakra to the forefront and focused as he made the seals for a kage bunshin. There was a long delay before three more clones appeared, and Sasuke knew that these clones would be stronger than normal from the pallid color of Naruto's face. Naruto crouched against the tree for a few moments before standing straight his color back, and his chakra buzzing back at normal strength.
"I'm going for the eyes," Naruto muttered, and in a fast move all four Naruto's shot forward to attack the snakes face. There had been no fear in his eyes, none of the usual dramatics or quipping remarks. Sasuke grinned, the fight had just gotten serious, and Naruto knew it.
Sasuke pulled his hands back and started twitching his fingers to make the wires start pulling to circle the snake. The clone of him moved forward throwing kunai with tags attached at the snake's bodies. He heard Sakura muttering off to the side, before he saw more kunai with tags hitting the snake. After a moment he heard all the Naruto's scream before they ducked out of the way. He saw that the snake was now thrashing its head as it moved blindly. The grass nin was laughing as it jumped off the snake into the trees to watch. Feeling the wires finally pull tightly around the snake he pulled the wires into his mouth and started making the signs for Goukyakuu no jutsu.
As the wires started to burn he called out to Naruto to make sure he was out of the way and saw that all the clones and Naruto were in the trees watching as the fire struck the snake. He started running up his a nearby tree as the snake exploded as it disappeared.
"Very nice, but I wonder how good you would be on your own," the grass nin called out.
Sasuke turned his head as he realized the voice came from near Sakura. He called out to her but it was too late as the nin moved behind her knocking her back into a tree. Sasuke pulled out another scroll and summoned a giant shurikan that he threw at the nin to make him back off before he could finish Sakura. The blade landed in front of Sakura working as a partial shield to the girl who was breathing harshly, hands to her side where she hit the tree.
"Now, now, Sasuke-kun," the nin called out. "Wait your turn."
With that the nin shushind from his spot to where Naruto and his clones were moving. Moving with rapid speed he started to tear through Naruto's clones. Sasuke started running through the trees and jumped the last distance pulling the blades along his arms into his hands and joined the fight. Moving in tandem, the clones, Naruto, and Sasuke started ripping around, yet they never seemed to do any serious damage to the strange grass nin.
{RoD}
"Anko," a voice called to her.
Anko turned from where she was sulking in front of the cameras watching the entrance to the tower. Her attitude had made everyone stay away from her, as she muttered obscenities about missing the spar between Zabuza and Hayate. Even worse, when she had arrived at the tower it was to find out that some team had already arrived, in only three hours. It was a new record, and that pissed her off even more. It was worrisome, but they were the Kazekage's children, which meant they had been tutored and trained more than the average ninja. But still… this was not the environment they usually work with.
She had been sitting for hours running through these thoughts while eating dango, until now.
"What," she asked harshly turning her chair to see the chunin running to her.
"The patrol guards are calling for you. They need you to identify something. It might be a breach," the chunin answered back.
"Alright," she stood and turned to Izumo, "You are in charge keep an eye out for any problems, but it should be quiet till I get back."
As she walked up to the chuunin she tilted her head slightly, "Any idea if it affects the exam?"
"Not sure, ANBU is at the site and they asked for you," the teen answered.
"Huh," she turned to the side and saw the kid, Haku. "Hey Haku-chan, join us?"
As Haku looked up, he nodded, "Is something wrong?"
"Not sure, but I have a funny feeling that you might have to fetch Hayate to take over the exam and if so, I need you to know what's going on," she answered. Seeing the worried look on the chuunin she eased his worry, "Don't worry, I'll clear it. He just will be available to get Hayate if needed, and if not, he can keep me company on the way back to the tower."
The three moved in silence through the tower to the tunnels back to the village. As they came out into the underground tunnels, the three turned to the stairwell to enter the surface of the village. They came out near the school, and Anko turned to the chuunin.
"So where to?" she asked, and then moved speedily after the brat who led them towards the training fields and the Memorial stone.
"Mitarashi-san," one ANBU called out. "We need you to take a look at this."
She moved motioning for Haku to wait with the chuunin. When she arrived at the stone and stared at the bodies, her heart froze. Three teenage bodies lay on the ground, their faces removed. She stared at the bodies and felt something familiar about them bit couldn't place it.
"We found this with them," one of the ANBU said, holding out gennin identification information with chuunin exam papers.
Grabbing them she looked at the faces and froze.
"Haku," she called out, and waited for him to join them. "Didn't these three enter the forest?" she asked him handing him the papers as she knelt down to look at the faceless bodies.
"Yes, they had the team with the girl who had that long tongue? Looked like some kind of strange jutsu, and they seemed interested in Team Seven. I was unsure about them as the group had high chakra - especially the woman - what happened?" Haku asked looking down to the bodies.
…long tongues, high chakra…
Anko jumped up, "Summon the Hokage and get Kakashi, Orochimaru is in the village!"
"What?" Haku looked at her with wide eyes.
"So it is his jutsu?" the ANBU asked blocking Anko.
"Yes, let me go he is in the forest we have to go after him," Anko struggled against the ANBU that grabbed her.
"I agree, but wait a moment, we have to send runners off and grab a team," the ANBU said.
"No time," Anko broke away and started heading to the forest. "Haku, go grab Kakashi and Ibiki, you know where they are. Tell Hayate to get to the tower to take over watching the second exam," she threw something back at the ANBU, "you guys can track me with this."
With a quick flicker of chakra she disappeared. Haku and the ANBU team shared a glance before they all flickered away.
{RoD}
The field rang with the sounds of the two blades striking each other. Some sounds had a hollow ringing tone, others reminiscent of the sound of crashing glass. The worse being the high shrieking noise when the two blades would slowly slide against each other. The two wielders of the blades moved with speed and precision, one that belied his weak body, the other that seemed at odds with his large build. Many of the watchers lacked the skill to follow them as they fought, others watching with raised brows at the skill the two warriors used. They had limited themselves to kenjutsu and jutsu based on their blades. It made many wonder what the fight would be like if they used the full range of their abilities.
"Come on, it's just getting good," Zabuza shouted, as once again the two had been pushed apart.
Hayate grinned back at him as he stood on the other side of the destroyed field. Large patches of earth had been destroyed from jutsu channeled through their blades. A few trees had been chopped down or hacked to bits by the blades striking them. The watchers were jeering and catcalling in hopes of a winner. Most had decided it would be a draw, and several kenjutsu practitioners were planning to set up spars with both Hayate and Zabuza in the future. Many had never seen Zabuza fight before and others have never seen Hayate go full out, as he was, due to health, more often tied to clerical work.
Suddenly, as the two were heading to each other again for another clash of blade against blade, they were stopped when an ice mirror appeared in between, taking the shot from both blades but not breaking. Recognizing the jutsu, Zabuza quickly backed off and, taking his cue from Zabuza, Hayate withdrew his blade and jumped back in confusion. Off to the side, Kakashi and Ibiki stood up in attention, along with a few others who recognized the newest Tokubetsu Jounin in Konoha's ranks.
Haku appeared in the surface of the mirror and after seeing it was safe he stepped out on Hayate's side, and the mirror faded from view.
"Hayate, I apologize for interrupting your fight, but Anko needs you at the tower," he stated for Hayate's ears only.
Zabuza heard it and backed off and moved to join Kakashi and Ibiki who were watching, curious about what might have happened. A few people who had been witnessing the spar were standing at attention waiting to see what happened. By the time Zabuza had reached Kakashi, Hayate was stalking off for the tower, after a quick shout to Zabuza that they would continue later, and several other jounin were taking off after seeing several message hawks flying up above.
"What do you think happened," Zabuza asked Kakashi who was watching as Haku started heading towards him, and seeing several off duty ANBU taking their leave quietly.
"Not sure, but I think we are about to find out," he muttered as Haku finally reached them.
"Kakashi-san, Ibiki-san, I have been told to escort you to the tower. A small problem has occurred and you are needed," Haku said once he was within hearing range bowing his head slightly.
"Of course," Kakashi said moving to join Ibiki, they both nodded to Zabuza who had moved back slightly.
"Zabuza-san," Haku said with a small nod, "sorry to interrupt your fight."
Zabuza nodded, his eyes narrowed. As he watched Haku, Ibiki and Kakashi performed a shushin. Curious he noticed that a lot of the shinobi had left and others were wondering amongst themselves as to what might have happened.
"If it's serious we'll find out eventually. If it's nothing Haku will probably be able to tell you later," Raido said as he came up to him. His eyes though were looking to the spot where the three ninjas had last been seen.
"I doubt it isn't serious, Hayate is supposed to oversee the third task, so he wasn't supposed to be needed until the fifth day," Genma said around the senborn in his mouth. "Only reason for him to be needed at the tower is if Anko had to be pulled. For them to need Kakashi and Ibiki as well, this means problems. That is, unless Anko has caused an international problem."
"Hn," Zabuza hooked his blade onto his back. "Well I'm hungry; you want to grab a bite?"
All three nodded and headed off, each wondering when or if they would find out what happened.
{RoD}
Sasuke was flung away, he had to use all his strength to catch hold of a nearby tree branch, and hold on tight. Eventually he gained enough air through his bruised ribs to pull himself up. He turned to look back at the fight and saw the last of Naruto's clones disperse, and Naruto himself thrown into the trunk of the tree they had been fighting on. Sasuke watched as the grass nin moved towards Naruto and he quickly grabbed his only remaining sai in his hand and threw it to stop the advance.
The blade was caught by the grass nin, who then with his other hand grabbed Naruto by the back of his neck. He held his teammate up in the air, black eyes focused on Sasuke's face.
"I must say Sasuke-kun, you and young Naruto are truly gifted for your age," the Grass-nin called out. "Truly you have impressed me, but alas this just cannot keep going on."
Even as he spoke, Naruto kicked out at his face once, and then wrapped his legs around the Grass-nin's arm, his fingers clawing desperately at the arm holding him aloft.
"Let him go!" Sasuke shouted, rushing at the man. The Grass-nin stabbed the sai into Naruto's leg, trying to force him to let go, Naruto shrieked before the injured leg let go, but his other leg remained wrapped around the arm attempting to break the hold on his neck. Even as the blood dripped down the sai, the grass-nin threw it at Sasuke catching him off balance, and pushing him back into the tree from the force of the blade.
The Grass nin turned back to Naruto and his long tongue shot out to wrap around his middle to lift his shirt and expose the mesh covered torso. "This should take you out of the fight," his fingers lighting up with chakra.
As he flared chakra through his tongue in an attempt to force the Kyuubi seal on the boy to appear, he did not notice as Naruto's hand released his arm, and release the latches on his hidden arm daggers. As the seal started to appear, Naruto slammed the daggers into the tongue that was holding him, forcing the nin to release him. He allowed himself to roll off the tree and to fall down before catching a branch a few feet below the grass nin.
{RoD}
"What about Anko?" Kakashi asked.
"Heading into the forest, we have an ANBU group trailing her," Sarutobi said as he looked down at the cameras of the forest.
Sadly no one could tell where Orochimaru was in the forest, and they wouldn't be able to lock on to him until they heard from Anko with coordinates. Occasionally they could see genin team fighting, but no sign of the missing grass team or Orochimaru.
"Are we sure he is here for Naruto?" Kakashi asked even as he watched the screens.
"No, but we do know he was watching your team," the aged Hokage said, even as he moved to sit down, his age apparent in his face.
"Oh, how so?" Kakashi looked to his leader.
"Haku-kun?" the old man turned to the new shinobi.
Haku stepped forward and nodded to Kakashi and Ibiki even as he started to speak.
"It was Naruto who brought the grass team to our attention. After Anko-san used Naruto to make the genin nervous, Naruto noticed the grass nin watching his team. I am not sure who they were watching, but the female, she had caught their attention by her actions," seeing the question in Ibiki's face he continued. "She was using a jutsu to engorge her tongue. Whenever she caught Naruto or Sasuke's eyes she would lick her lips as if seeing something to eat."
"As you know, that was a hijutsu of Orochimaru's, one that to my knowledge he wouldn't even teach Anko, it was a signature jutsu of his," Sarutobi spoke up. "Anko also confirmed that the jutsu used on the grass nin bodies we found was one that Orochimaru used when on infiltration missions."
"So, either he or someone he has taught his personal jutsu to is in the village," Ibiki muttered.
"Well unless he fathered children, my guess is it is him," Kakashi turned to look at Ibiki, "either situation is not good. I also can't help wondering if form what Zabuza told us about him, that perhaps he is here for something other than Naruto."
"Explain," Sarutobi spoke up.
"Well, Zabuza did tell us that he is building his own village and that he is collecting kekkei genkai. We have an unsealed Hyuuga in the forest, and Uchiha Sasuke, who other than me and Itachi and the former Mizukage are the only Sharingan users. He was always fascinated by the Sharingan, especially when he saw Itachi in his chuunin exam."
"Well, hopefully we can find out what he wants before it cost us to much," Sarutobi replied, watching the screens with a blank expression.
{RoD}
Sasuke crouched, finally having caught his breath and watched the grass nin as he placed his hands over his mouth. His eyes saw the chakra and realized he was healing himself. Looking downwards he saw Naruto holding pressure to his leg, before trying to regain his balance. Another glance showed Sakura armed and waiting below to see if she could help. He couldn't shake the feeling that the stranger was still playing with them.
"Well, aren't you a slippery brat," the voice held even more of a hissing tone than earlier.
Faster than he could see, Naruto was being hit and slammed into a tree below, and Sasuke couldn't even follow the man with his eyes.
"Now, it's just you and me," a wide snake-like smile was aimed at him.
Before he could even blink the man was attacking him, and he could barely defend against even a third of the hits. Reacting on instinct he jumped from the tree heading down to the ground. Hitting the dirt he rolled to the side, just as the other man landed and punched the spot he had moved from. His eyes flickered and he jumped further back as Sakura unleashed several kunai.
Faster than a blink of an eye hand signs were flashed and wind shot out catching the blades and turning them back on Sakura. He could hear her cry out as several struck her. The ninja turned to him and smiled again.
"Well, I would love to play some more, but I sense that my time is up, but you have impressed me, so I think I shall leave you with a gift," the smile widened into a hideous character of a serpent like demon. Hands started making signs again, and the man's head suddenly shot out as like a snake form his body and fangs appeared aiming for him.
{RoD}
Naruto stood and shook his head, he could feel something inside him aching to come out and fight. Closing his eyes, he centered himself and tried to focus his chakra. After a few moments he looked down at the fight below. Sakura was behind cover pulling a kunai out of her arm and Sasuke was facing the freak. He saw hand seals being formed and saw the stranger's head change and aim for Sasuke.
Crouching down and pulling all his chakra, he pushed off and aimed for the two on the ground. He felt his chakra burn through his system, not even noticing the slight red tinge to his chakra appearing. As he saw the snake-like head rear back to bite Sasuke he felt everything slow down around him. As the head moved towards Sasuke he pushed his arm out to catch Sasuke and tackle him out of the way.
A burning sensation struck him in the arm, and, as he twisted his body, he saw that he was not quite fast enough. His arm and Sasuke's shoulder had been torn by the snake-like fangs. The nin pulled his head back with a scream, smoke seemed to be coming from his mouth. Naruto crashed into the ground, rolling with Sasuke who had shouted as the fang dug into him.
They both rolled and landed side by side. They sat on the ground tending to their wounds. Sasuke tried to stand and kept falling down as the pain, radiating from the wound, coursed through his body. Blood leaked through his fingers, but not as much as would be expected from a bite. Naruto stared down at his arm to see a puncture wound that was swelling as if already infected. He could feel the pain coursing through his arms, yet at the same time his skin seemed to be smoking. His eyesight began to fade in and out as if he was about to lose consciousness. He could hear a strange growl like roar inside his head just as he fell to the side. His last image was of pain and steam as his arm seemed to be boiling…
{RoD}
Deep in the core of Naruto's mindscape the Kyuubi looked out. It had felt the emotions tearing through the boy's body as he fought. The enemy he fought was strong and unlike any the boy had battled before. In the past few months the Kyuubi had felt soothed and amused as the two new people in his prison's life affected the brat. Images, thoughts and emotions had run through the boy's subconscious unlike any the beast had felt since the boy was a child. The strange boy with ice like chakra had soothed Kyuubi, making it feel restful as if it needed to hibernate, calming its mind. Tolerating it was in its best interest as even it could feel the loud brat's skills increase and the body requiring less of its chakra to heal it.
The lower water had also been of concern, although it meant to brat was less likely to link and pull on its grand reserves, it also meant that this cage was more comfortable. Reminded him of her…
But now, something caught its attention. Fear and rage… subtle amounts but so focused he could feed small bits of raw chakra into the brat. With the small amounts being fed it could sense better what was occurring. As the boy used his mind to move his chakra into his body and opened his senses, Kyuubi could see what was occurring. Sending another burst of chakra into his prison's body he could see through the brat's eyes and enhanced it allowing the speed of the movements to be read faster than before.
As they collided with the child Uchiha he felt the pain tear through the boy, sensing the injury more of its chakra was gleefully sent into the body to heal the wound. Only… it wasn't working. The Kyuubi stood within the cage and tried to sense the bit mark.
CHAKRA POSINING! Something was infecting them planning to corrupt the chakra coils of HIS Prison!
With a roar of rage a large blast of chakra was sent through the body to the wound, burning the poison as it met. The wound itself was so filled with the poison that he knew the arm itself needed to be dealt with. SNAKE BITES! How it hated them; how they puncture and closed the wound, trapping the poison within the flesh.
With a laugh he controlled the chakra; this was his prison, only he could cause it such devastating destruction.
{RoD}
Sasuke felt pain tear through him at the same time as he felt Naruto collide with him pushing him to the ground and out of the way. He grabbed his shoulder feeling the pain originate from that spot, and felt his flesh burn. A bite! Was it poison, he dug his hand in and tried to stand. Turning his head slightly he saw Naruto clutching his arm which was surrounded by bright red chakra. Smoke seemed to be coming from the wound, and as he watched Naruto fell over his arm moving to the side and the flesh appeared to be burning from his body.
Turning away he tried to stand again, and felt his legs give out. He turned his head to look at his shoulder. At the edge of his shoulder almost on his upper arm he saw a huge puncture and a seal appearing around it. The seal looked half finished and faded in spots before disappearing into his skin.
"What did you do to me?" he ground out as his arm started burning even more.
The grass nin took his hand from his mouth, the small burn marks on one side slowly fading. He tilted his head and looked at Sasuke and then at Naruto.
"Well that was unexpected," he stated. He moved forward a few steps and smirked at Sasuke. "Consider it a gift, although it won't work as well as it should as you didn't receive it in full."
"A…gift?" Sasuke ground out even as he fell over both hands braced on the ground as his vision began to fade out.
"Yes, a gift from Orochimaru, when you are sick of playing here in Konoha, come and find me," the snake man moved forward. "This is but a gift of the great power I can give you, all you need."
Sasuke fell over, the next words missed as he lost consciousness.
{RoD}
Sakura ran over to Sasuke trying to see what was wrong, not even noticing that the snake man was still watching.
"And the little girl playing at being a shinobi joins the party," he spoke up.
Looking up, the cherry haired girl started in fear of him, "What have you done to them? Who are you? Why did you attack us?"
Throwing back his head, the man laughed. "Does it matter?" He moved forward and, striking out, he grabbed her hair and pulled her up. "But it was not your team, originally just Sasuke-kun, but my, I never expected the little blond child to turn out so well." He turned to stare at Naruto with curious eyes, not even noticing as Sakura struggled with the hand holding her hair. Turning back to her he pulled her face close to his, "But you, I have no use for you? In fact if it was not for the fact the whole team is needed to continue on, I might just rid the world of such a useless piece of space."
With that he threw he to the ground. Sakura backed away, her eyes wild in fear as the man stood over them.
"I suggest, girl, you take care of them, perhaps if you do so they might just survive."
He laughed and moved to look down at Naruto. Kneeling down, he picked up the damaged arm to see a large chunk of flesh had been burned away. Sakura choked back at the grisly sight, yet the man just seemed to study it. Finally he dropped the arm and let out a bark of laughter before standing.
"Interesting," with that he turned to leave the area, "I suggest you get them out of the open area, little girl. Perhaps you should consider another life; you don't seem to be made for the shinobi one."
Crying Sakura watched as he left before moving to Naruto and Sasuke.
{RoD}
"Did you enjoy the fight?"
The grey haired man turned his head, raising a hand to adjust his glasses.
"Very much, what about you, Orochimaru-sama?"
"Oh very much, I enjoyed seeing the Kyuubi child's reaction to the Heaven Seal even more," The snake man leaned down to watch as the girl seemed to work to move her teammates into the forest nearby. "The beast appears to have blasted the seal out and took a chunk of flesh as well. No sign of the seal at all and his arm appears to be regenerating the flesh. I am assuming since he is so drained of his own chakra it is going slowly."
"That is interesting, do you plan to try and take him as well?"
"I doubt it, too much trouble," he smiled. "But perhaps someday."
"Do you still want the sound team to attack?"
"Yes, I need to know if the half seal he received will activate in Sasuke-kun," he turned to leave. "But perhaps I will encourage you to go through the chuunin exam."
"Oh?"
"Depends on whether you can get close to them to study the injury of dear Naruto-kun, I do find it most interesting."
Edited by Treyvoni Fox 11/28/2010
AN: To clarify something you may or may not have noticed, but is important: Orochimaru is more personal with Naruto because he more impressed with him here than in the original manga. Let's face it in the original he was loud, hardly talented and acted like Jiraiya, Not someone Orochi would be interested in, unless he wanted to reminisce on his past. This time around he showed signs of a child born to really strong ninja and exhibited talent that reminded him that he was the son of the Yellow Flash. Hence the difference in his actions!
So Like I said, this ends Chapter 5, Next up is Sakura's interlude, followed by the prelims and such for Ch 6. I will aim to have her interlude out by Holidays, but for now I am off to drink and back to toasting in the sun tomorrow!