Yo all! Welcome to the explosive thirty-sixth instalment of K:NP! If this one doesn't blow you out of the water, I have no idea what will!
Monstrous Chapter aside, Review Highlights go to luckykas (Can't take Shisui, his body is of no use, and yes, Gaara poked sand into Ibiki's head!), Tenari for a really inspirational one, Eternal Thief for showing real enthusiasm, Akitesyu for just being you, Obsi (He grabbed them with his sand and chucked them at Ibiki, that's why he got hit), Ageant for asking 'What the heck is 'Here and Now'?!', LookThereIsAPigFlyingInTheSky for the name (LOL!), My Uzo for completely misinterpreting what I meant by 'the holes' (GOD! It's so awkward just mentioning that you know?!), deathmachine2 for saying I'm as good as KyLewin, anothvortex for an awesome idea I'm borrowing for this chapter, Joshua The Evil Guy for saying my story is officially better than Perfect Lionheart's 'Chuunin Exam Day' and finally TenguTie for catching the Red Alert 2 reference last chapter.
Also, for those that wanted to know, the Railgun scene was inspired by the recent anime 'To aru Majutsu no index'. It's great, go watch!
ZZZZZZZ
'Ryu-Zashi....Check!......Utility Pouch.....Check!......Explosive Notes.....Check!.......Omni-Paint......Check!.....OK, anything else?'
Naruto examined the inventory of items he thought he would require in the Forest of Death. Anko had taken him there many times over the past two years and so he was familiar with all the lurking threats hidden around every corner. His job was to increase those dangers a hundred-fold and sit back to watch the fireworks. It kind of reminded him of his excursions into Akimichi territory all those years ago.
He grinned at the thought, pulling his Airboard onto his back and tightening the criss-crossing straps that held it in place. He tucked his sheathed Ryu-Zashi into the gaps provided by the straps and tilted the hilts so that they poked above his shoulder blades. Looking down, he grasped a brace of Shuriken and dropped them into his pouch followed by a bunch of Kunai that were flipped expertly and slipped them into the hang-holds provided at the top of the pack. Closing the pouch, he patted it down to make sure it wouldn't impede his movement and then picked up a few coins just in case he ran into trouble. The Explosive Notes were rolled up and pushed into a belt around his waist along with a couple of balloons and a spool of Ninja Wire wrapped around a plastic ring. He picked up the last item on his rickety wooden table; it was a packet of Grade A Rubber. He didn't know what he could use it for and as he stared at it, he considered whether he should take it along with him. The only thing he'd ever used it for was the TSS and he hadn't really had a chance to use the 'Amusement Ride' for quite a while now. He always stocked up on the stuff for when Higurashi-san was out on an errand and so it wouldn't hurt to take it along.
'Wait a second.....the TSS! THAT'S IT!!! I can set up a trap that chucks them around the forest! That's genius!'
He cackled gleefully and stood up. He picked up a long, thin piece of white cloth and tied it around his forehead to keep his hair out of his eyes. He knotted it at the back and tightened it with both hands.
It was time to ROCK!
XXXXXXX
TenTen looked up at the huge Oak trees with slight trepidation. Trees can't naturally grow that big and Training Arena 44 seemed to have grown them as a mainstay plant!
"ALRIGHT YOU GUYS! EVERYONE GATHER ROUND!"
The prospective Chuunin muttered to themselves as they formed a rough circle around the proctor of the Second Exam, her back facing the main entrance to the fenced-off Practise Arena. The noise died down as they waited for her to speak.
Anko took a rough headcount before starting her diatribe. Their numbers would dwindle fast when they got in there; inexperience with the environment and Naruto's well-hidden traps would see to that. She was expecting downwards of 16 contestants to actually reach that far but since they were in teams of three, a maximum of five teams.
"Welcome to Practise Arena forty-four, otherwise known as The Forest of Death!"
A few teams began discussing the name among themselves and Anko smirked inwardly. For Genin, the terrain was perilous on its own. Add Naruto to it and you get a potential disaster on your hands. It was the effect she had been going for ever since the Sandaime had asked her to formulate the testing process for the first of the bi-annual Exams. It wasn't a privilege she treasured especially, it was just that it gave her room to do whatever she wanted and she'd be stupid to let something like that go.
Scaring wet-behind-the-ears Shinobi was a sport to even the most seasoned veterans.
"You'll soon find out why it's named the way it is, but first I want everyone to sign these papers before I explain the rules!"
She held up the consent forms that would release her from any responsibility should some of the Genin die. It wasn't her problem and from the looks of things, there were some teams from an assortment of countries that just wanted to eliminate the competition before actually completing the exam. She would worry about her ex-protégé if she didn't know he could handle himself; there was nothing these guys could do that would surprise the Jinchuuriki and his motley crew of Sensei could attest to that.
She explained to the candidates why they would die, what the test was about and how they could complete their tasks. One of the fat Akimichis asked about where they would find food and she replied that they'd have to think on their feet. It was a ten kilometre run from the forty-four gates to the tower at the centre. Their objective was a standard task that any Chuunin would be expected to handle. Retrieve a scroll whilst protecting your own and do it within a certain amount of time. It wasn't particularly difficult but the obstacles on the way were the things that would test both their teamwork and their individual skills. If Naruto was thinking along the same lines as her, she snickered in her mind because she knew he was, they would have a hell of a time getting to the tower!
She glanced around as she finished her instructions and the Genin moved off in their teams to submit their forms, collect their scrolls and move to the designated gates. They would also be expected to traverse a river and many of them wouldn't know water-walking. She shook her head ruefully. She was beginning to think that Naruto was on these amateurs' level by default. He was so young yet so strong. If ever she needed proof that he was her and her Jounin friends' equal, it was right in front of her now.
"Oh, I just remembered! Before you start, if you see a blond-haired, blue-eyed knucklehead in there...he's part of the exam so you'll have to deal with him too! Feel free to use as much force as you want and tell him I said 'Hi!'."
A whistle blew and the gates sprang open. In a rush of air and a shout of instructions by the team leaders, the Genin disappeared into the darkened greenery famously associated to The Forest of Death. Anko sighed in contentment and made her way to the examiners booth.
"Oi, Izumo, I'm gonna be in the main room. I'll wait about 24 hours before heading to the tower so you dolts better not drift off! And don't disturb me!"
Izumo nodded quickly and punched his best friend who was falling asleep beside him. Kotetsu snorted and punched him in the nose, the former falling from his seat and grasping at the bleeding part of his noggin. Anko chuckled as she pushed open the door to her booth before closing and locking it behind her. No-one could see her doing this or the Sandaime would have her head.
Nodding in satisfaction, she pulled the Hokage's seeing-ball from under her trenchcoat and set it on the rough wooden bench set to one side of the cabin. Smirking, she placed her right hand on the smooth glass surface and channelled her Chakra into the fine seals carved into the orb, so intricately and carefully that they could not be seen with the naked eye. She whispered her blond friend's name and watched as his form morphed into view.
It had taken her a while to work out how the seeing-ball worked. At first she couldn't get it to display anything she wanted and then in a fit of disappointment she'd said one of her friend's names and unconsciously channelled Chakra into it whilst she held it in her palm. She was shocked to find the glass sphere glowing and upon second glance, she'd spied Kakashi splayed out on his sleeping bag with his head squelched into a head roll full of Omni-Paint. She laughed really hard later, but at the time she was too elated about the dratted thing working in the first place.
Naturally, after her initial success, she'd taken it with her on the mission to Wave in case it would turn out useful to their objective. She'd attempted to view the Village and its surroundings before they'd reached there by using the same method but it hadn't worked. Upon camping on the outskirts of Nami no Kuni she'd tried again, this time attempting to see her apartment in Konoha but to no avail. She'd given up after that and when they'd become engaged in the battle with the ex-Iwa-nin, she'd again tried to locate Naruto when he and Taka had taken off to fulfil their last objective of destroying the base. To her surprise, it had reacted instantly, leading her to believe that there was some kind of distance variable to how far you could see. This time she was right outside the forest so assuming that old Sarutobi was able to spy on the whole Village from his office, she should have no problem monitoring Naruto antics in the forest.
Of course, she could simply head to the tower and watch as the Genin arrived but the surveillance cameras didn't cover the forest and so she wouldn't be able to see the fireworks from her office.
She grinned widely as she sat down lightly on the bench and leaned back on her arms. She had a show to watch!
XXXXXXXX
"There are three rules of engagement that nearly all Shinobi follow. If you stick to 'em, chances are you're gonna win. If you know them but don't necessarily wanna use them then at least you can try to predict how the other guy's gonna move. We'll test it out in a bit but I'll let Shisui take over; he's better at this stuff than I am!"
Anko dropped onto her butt and placed one palm on her chin as Shisui pushed off from his resting position at the side of a tree.
"Alrighty! As Anko said, the Rules of engagement are three:
Number One: Always make a clone before getting into a fight!"
He grinned and spun in a full circle, his hands flashing up to form seals and resting on an unfamiliar cross-shaped formation.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
With a small pop, an identical replica of the teenage Uchiha appeared next to him. Naruto sat up further as he stared at the body incredulously.
"EEEEH?! There's two of you?! Anko-nee, we'd better get rid of one! One's more than enough!"
Anko snickered into her hand and Kakashi, who sat with his back against the very same tree Shisui had been leaning on with his legs spread in front of him and his orange novel in front of his face, oddly seemed to be reading by placing his forehead on the page and causing his body to shudder.
"OI! Stop laughing! It's not that funny! And Kakashi, I don't see how you can even do that, you hypocrite!"
Anko guffawed loudly and sat back with her arms supporting her weight. Shisui schooled his expression and popped the clone in a cloud of smoke.
"Anyway, there are quite a few variations of clones and I know you can do the Bunshin, right?"
Naruto's eyes widened and his face became red.
"W-W-W-W-Wai-Wait just a sec! What do you mean?! Why'd I need to do the Bunshin?!"
The air became very still.
"You can't do the Bunshin?"
Naruto hid his eyes behind his knees.
"Ooooookaaaaaaaaaaaay.....moving on! Right, so the second RoE is to make loads of unnecessary movements to see how good your opponent is, FOR INSTANCE....hmm...."
Shisui grew shifty eyes as if he had a devious plan of some sort. A small, evil grin grew on his lips.
"Heh...KAKASHI! BEHIND YOU!"
Kakashi 'hmmed' and didn't budge an inch. Naruto cracked up at the failure of an attempt to divert attention. Shisui looked downcast...
With a wet sucking noise, the copy-ninja was pulled floundering into the ground as a pair of hands grabbed at his ankles. At the last minute, he twisted, driving a knife-hand strike into the wrists of the offending appendages and flipped out of the small hole. He glared with his single eye at the Uchiha whistling nonchalantly in front of Anko and Naruto.
"AHAHA! YOU THOUGHT I COULDN'T GET YA' HUH?! I know you far too well Sem-Pai!"
Kakashi growled and turned his back.
"As you can see, Kakashi's a close-quarters specialist. He's also proficient in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu so there aren't many faults in his skills. If that was a real fight, he'd probably be dead right now. Moving on, the third and final RoE is the most vital. When you've pegged the opponent at a specific skill level, you move in with the big guns. Usually I just off them with a multi-layered Genjutsu because not many people can escape from them anyway, but if you go up against a superior fighter....don't waste your time...."
"Pull out the most powerful Jutsu right away and pray that it's enough to get them..."
Naruto rubbed at his eyes; they were stinging but he refused to think they were tears. He shook his head and smiled widely. There was no way that he'd be depressed now! Too much was at stake! He observed the team of Waterfall Ninja as they approached the southern edge of the forest. It was closest to the start of the river and it seemed like they had the sense to follow the body of water till they hit the tower at the centre. It was a good plan and probably would have worked...
If Naruto hadn't been there.
One of the Genin, a fragile-looking boy with a large pack on his back stepped on the trip wire hidden underneath a root poking above the surface of the ground. His teammates froze at the noise but he wasn't so lucky.
"What the-"
With a 'TWANG!' a loop of wire swung out from the treetops and wrapped around his bicep neatly. The struggling Shinobi was pulled bodily off his feet and swung three hundred and sixty degrees around the tree before the wire snapped like a whip-crack. The unfortunate youth was sent flying above the canopy as easily as a bird.
Naruto burst out laughing from his vantage point; that was too good! The looks on his teammates' faces were just gold!
The female of the group, a green-haired, graceful Kunoichi, whipped around at the noise. With a signal, the two fled into the water of the river approaching from one of the entrances of the Training Ground.
Naruto couldn't stop laughing! They thought the water would help them?! Oh God! This was too much!
He was laughing so hard that he could barely form the seal required to activate the characters etched into the river bank. With a hiss, the water cooled to frigid temperatures within seconds. There was a loud scream followed by two thumps; those two wouldn't be getting up for a while and they wouldn't be able to proceed without their third teammate anyway. He'd tortured them enough for now.
Still laughing like a hyena on crack, he jumped off to find his next target.
XXXXXXX
"OSSSU! TenTen! How does it look up there?"
TenTen's eyes bugged out of her head as a body came flying above the trees, missing her head by inches. Her panda-buns whipped around from the breakneck wind that followed in the person's wake. That was definitely the TSS! She'd had a strange foreboding thought in her head when the proctor had mentioned a 'blond-haired, blue-eyed' someone in the forest but this just answered her question.
'W-Whoa....'
Naruto had modified one of the craziest amusement rides in the history of mankind for a....trap. In a way, she thought, it settled an age-old question that she'd been dying to answer. If Naruto ever had the motivation to become a Konoha Shinobi, he'd take the world by storm.
Then again, he was already doing that wasn't he?
"TENTEN?!"
The weapons-mistress slid down the rough bark with a far-off look on her face. Her two teammates glanced at each other curiously before Lee stepped up beside her.
"TenTen, how was i-"
"Naruto's in the forest."
Lee paused mid-question.
"Lee, Neji, I'd advise you to watch your step VERY CAREFULLY from now on."
Lee grinned and pushed his right leg forward, smacking the fist of his left hand into the tree and raising his right in a one-handed salute.
"How bad can it be? WITH THE FLAMES OF YOUTH WE SHALL OVERCOME ANY OBSTA-"
CRACK!
Lee was sent airborne by a particularly vicious tree log that just happened to swing from the overhanging branches. TenTen froze and glanced around slowly; the whole place was infested with traps and if she knew Naruto, they were hidden in just the places that you would think they weren't. You had to place yourself in a weird opposite perspective to have a chance of getting out unscathed and so TenTen began looking for places she would usually consider as safe. Neji simply frowned and walked away. That idiot was going to get himself caught up in something because of his debilitating arrogance.
How the hell did he modify the TSS for that purpose anyway?! She really hoped he didn't have any of his other...amusement rides hidden away in this place; it was scary enough with all the massive bugs around.
They'd scouted around for a team to hunt, one that would preferably hold the scroll that they needed to end the exam. It had been about three hours since the start of the exam and so they still had nearly all of the five days allotted to them. TenTen glanced over as Neji groaned and palmed his face.
"That idiot...alright, since Lee decided to act up at the most inopportune of moments, we'll split up and see if we can find a scroll ourselves. Meet back here before midnight."
Neji tossed a Kunai into the ground to mark their position and then jumped off. TenTen's eyes widened as she looked in the direction he was heading in.
"Neji! Watch out-"
SPLAT!
"...for the trap wire..."
Neji slammed head-first into a wall of goo suspended in the air by two thin pieces of Shinobi wire. The wobbling mass of grey glowed slightly before sucking the proud Hyuuga into its slimy clutches. Neji struggled, but only managed to pull his head from the deluge.
"This was Uzumaki's fault wasn't it?! THIS WAS THAT TRASH'S FAULT!"
"Neji, I don't think this is the time...uh oh."
The monster jelly began to glow again and TenTen had a sinking feeling in her stomach. This wouldn't end well! Before anything could happen, she turned and dashed away. There was no way in hell that she'd stay to be caught in one of her friend's dastardly repulsive pranks.
"TENTEN HOW DARE YOU ABANDON MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....."
The proud Hyuuga was left red-faced with his hair on fire once again. How was he meant to know that this....this tower of jelly was capable of setting itself alight?! He was going to murder that blond when he saw him next!
Naruto cackled high up in the trees. He didn't even need to intervene this time! Team 9 were a bunch of practical jokers....apart from TenTen of course. He slipped away quietly, looking for his next set of victims.
XXXXXXX
A certain Hebi-Sannin was not having a good day. He'd infiltrated the Chuunin Exams so smoothly, murdering a team of Genin without lifting a finger, that it had given him a false sense of victory before he'd even begun the real mission. He thought ruefully that maybe his arrogance wasn't such a good thing after all even if he actually deserved the higher position than the other disposable incompetents that swarmed the Ninja ranks these days.
It had been smooth sailing and it wasn't even as if the security was tight. When he'd hit the Forest of Death though...things went from good to bad to worse. His hair was in tatters, his tongue coated with dried blood and his clothes ripped and damaged all over. He snarled under his breath; this stunk of a certain blond twerp and if he even caught a hint of him being here...
He cursed as he was forced to leap aside, this time to avoid a beanpole that appeared to have some weird type of liquid dripping off the end. It looked foul, a mixture of bogey-greens and the most off-colour yellow he'd seen short of putrid vomit. His foot twitched and he felt another trip wire give way. He darted away as fast as he could only to run afoul of a puddle of sticky goo. In horror, his head shot upwards to see a massive ball of something descending on his head.
'Not again...'
With an unsatisfying 'PLOP!' the thin material burst all over him releasing a pungent glue all over the top of his head. By this time he'd finally managed to rid himself of the sticky substance below his feet and so he jumped clear before the net of leaves obviously placed to cover the unfortunate victim from head-to-toe, could spread on him. He licked his lips tasting the acidic glue solidifying; someone was going to die as soon as he got out of here and chances were that it'd be a big bunch of leaf-nin.
Snarling in rage, he leapt into the tree-tops to escape the trap-riddled forest floor. His target was the youngest Uchiha, he'd considered marking one of the others but Sasuke was his safest and best bet. Shisui was unconscious, true, but he'd heard from his nation's spying efforts that the teen was paralysed from the arms down.
'Wasteful...'
He caught a tree branch under his palms and swung under it fluidly. His body stretched and twisted, a perfect example of all things snake. Landing quietly, he scanned the forest floor, locating his prey with his slit amber eyes as if searching for his latest tasty morsel. Checking for any traps, he slid to the ground and melted into the mud like a drop of water in a pond.
"...separated next time, even if it's one of us, don't trust them. This could happen again."
Orochimaru mouth stretched slowly into a predatory grin. So cute, little Genin thinking that they're so clever. He couldn't wait to sink his claws into Itachi's little brother! The Sharingan was his ultimate goal, but why not have a little fun at the same time? He might as well indulge himself after having to avoid countless traps that were soaking up his patience like a sponge.
"We'll make a password just in case. Listen, if they get the password wrong, assume that they're the enemy no matter what they look like."
The pale, black haired boy squatting next to his pink-haired counterpart frowned ever so slightly.
"Even if their di-"
"SHUT UP SAI!"
Said Genin was slammed into the ground courtesy of a fist to the head. His female teammate rubbed her sore knuckles as she glared down at him.
"What the hell do you think we're going to be doing you pervert?! Do YOU rip peoples' pants off just to check that?!"
Sai made a sort of squeaking noise from the mud hole he was struggling to raise himself from. Orochimaru felt slightly entertained; he could sit here and watch them make fools of themselves but he didn't want to get caught by a random patrol because of a hasty decision. He'd have to take them out and mark the Uchiha right away. Sighing melodramatically, he began the seals for a Fuuton: Daitoppa.
XXXXXXX
Naruto was having a great time. He'd run into an assortment of teams during his escapades in the Training Ground. His particular favourite was watching the Sand Siblings defeat an older team of Mist-nin before Gaara left them hanging from a tree in their underwear. He'd almost busted a gut when he'd dropped into the clearing to see if he could add anything only to find every hole in their bodies plugged with sand. A mouthful of the dusty granules was enough to leave you feeling sick for a few days. And he would know too, from experience.
Another of his favourites which had caused him to reveal his position but had given him another dastardly idea, was one of the pre-rigged rafts he'd made before hand floating on the surface of the river. He'd inked some seals to mimic his old Chakra-Surfing ride onto the wood and then left them there to see if anyone would be brave enough to try it.
The results had been comical at best.
A trio of Konoha Genin, Team 10 if he could recall correctly, stole onto three of them in an attempt to ambush an opposing team further up the river. He heard something along the lines of 'troublesome' before they'd been sent shooting off downstream with screams tearing from their throats. The fat Akimichi (He'd almost fallen over whilst remembering his first ever prank on the clan of culinary experts) had dropped his packet of crisps on the floor and so Naruto had nabbed it as he watched the antics of the three.
He was sure they didn't mind a free ride though!
He almost fell over as he remembered his latest stunt. He'd gone looking for fights and took to stealing as many scrolls as he could. He'd collected quite a large pile and with the Genin trying to pursue him, he'd sought out a flat clearing and went about building a large pyramid of the precious items. Just as he'd completed his work of art, the myriad of three-man squads from every country on the map had burst into the clearing.
He held his gut as he remembered the looks on their faces as he'd cheerfully lit the pyramid on fire with a quick Karyuu Endan.
He whistled a tune as he sprang from branch-to-branch, his feet barely touching the surface as he soared through the trees. The wind whipped through his hair and buffeted his streamlined form; it was almost as good as flying on his Airboard, but nothing could be truly like the experience of riding on the clouds with the sun shining above a vista of endless swirly white. It was a glorious sight, one that he would never forget. He lived for these days, days when he could forget his troubles simply by doing something fun or stupid. It was the easiest escape and something he treasured above all else.
The Genin would beg to differ.
He paused as a low rumble drifted through the trees followed by a small, localised earthquake. Grinning widely, he sprang to the highest tree in his vicinity to witness another of his traps triggering to the south-western area of the Training Ground. In a spectacular show of smoke, terrified fleeing birds and a storm of leaves, a long row of trees, purposefully rigged with exploding notes and a host of other nefarious contraptions, toppled over in a frightening gauntlet of falling Oaks. Naruto winced as a shrill scream drifted on the wind from that direction. Naruto didn't envy them; it'd be hard to focus on getting the hell out of there whilst fighting a battle and avoiding the falling foliage all over the place. The leaves, smoke and dirt thrown up by the ensuing chaos would create a pretty effective smokescreen and the candidates caught in the crossfire would have a difficult time navigating through the area with that stuff hanging in the air.
He was cunningly devious, if he did say so himself!
XXXXXXXX
Uchiha Sasuke could only look up in shock as the great Oak trees of Konoha's infamous Forest of Death came crashing down upon him. Someone had the stupidest idea to use a wide-area affect Wind Jutsu even though the entire forest was riddled with the most bizarre and dangerous traps he'd ever had the misfortune to encounter. That person was either very arrogant or very very stupid.
Sakura and Sai had been separated from him in the tumult. Sai had been on the receiving end of most of the gust and Sakura had anchored herself to the leafy floor about a hundred metres south of the clearing. Sasuke had simply ducked and caught the side of a tree with a glowing palm of Chakra. Kakashi may have been the laziest Genin Sensei in the world but at least what he taught was useful.
The youngest Uchiha yelped and sprang hastily into a forward roll as a HUGE tree-trunk slammed down directly behind him. He physically felt his bones vibrating from the force and his teeth chattered in the thundering boom of heavy wood impacting with solid earth. Wood splinters and mud was thrown upwards, coating every inch of his body and he was forced to shield his face with his arms as a variety of projectiles, both solid and semi-solid bounced off his torso. He held his breath as he sprinted through the cloud of muck; that crazy proctor wasn't joking when she'd told them that they'd find out why Training Arena 44 had gained the nickname it had. This place was crazy! He just hoped his two teammates had the sense to avoid the hazardous environment throughout the ordeal as it wouldn't do to set something else off whilst struggling to get through their current predicament.
Sasuke dived to his right to avoid a falling branch, his midnight-blue T-Shirt snagging on the side of a rosemary bush. He dropped flat on the ground as something whizzed over his head in a shower of vegetation. He was about to stand once more in his attempt to get out of the exploding scenery when he heard a gruff curse and the sound of bark splintering under a fist. His eyes widened as a long-haired Grass-nin stumbled out of a bush, his hair sticking up at odd angles and his face covered in what looked like dried glue. Sasuke would have laughed if the world wasn't a traumatic experience at that point; he could hardly think with his senses blaring under the sheer pandemonium that was erupting all around him.
Unfortunately, the tree behind him chose that moment to explode in a fiery tornado of flaming fuel. Sasuke couldn't hold the scream in his throat this time, and so he ditched all effort to remain hidden and unabashedly dashed as fast as he could through the clearing to avoid the falling limb. The top of the tree barely missed his head and he was pelted with the embers and ash as the gigantic plant thundered into the ground. A shout tore from his throat as he threw himself to the ground once more, this time to put out the small fire that had started at the hem of his shirt.
When he eventually pushed himself to his feet, the Taki-nin was glaring at him strangely.
"Well....I suppose the situation is....suitable, is it not....Sasuke-kun?"
Said Uchiha's eyes widened in shock. How did this guy know what his name was? His voice came out in a scratchy, drawling rasp and the male's tongue flicked out to wet his lips in the sweltering flames burning around them. Sasuke almost retched at the oral extremity; it was long and slimy, the very picture of a reptile just without the fork in the middle. The man reached up and pulled down the lower lid of his right eye.
"Because prey should always run from the predator!"
It hit him like a sledgehammer. A feeling so rapidly focused that it only took a moment to reduce him to a husk of the proud Genin he was. The rage and madness, the intent to kill, the murderous objective; it was then that he realised just how strong this man was. He wasn't a Genin, he was far beyond that level and had been for a long time. Sasuke's blood froze in his veins by that small glance; his iris dilated and contracted three, four, five times within the span of a few seconds. His eyeballs shook, the pressure too great to withstand.
And then he saw it.
At first it had been a feeling, an emotion, a fear so primal that he could only cower from it. But in that instant, it grew and formed something so different. With a flash of colour he felt himself kneeling before the long-haired Taki-nin, his head bowed and the man's fist raised above his neck with a Kunai clenched firmly within his curled fingers. He suddenly felt clammy, sweaty and grimy, yet he was cold, so very cold, as if he'd been plunged into a fire and then into a block of ice in quick succession. The image flashed again, this time the edge of the Kunai slipped through solid bone at the front of his Cranium, rippling through the soft muscle like a hot knife through butter. Lodging into the grey matter of his brain, the end of his life-
'NO! Genjutsu?!....No....it's something else....He just wants to kill me, that's all!'
The world warped around him, stretching into an abstract medley of colours and shapes before returning to reality. His mind reeled from the sensation; he felt nauseous, the bile lodging at the back of his throat but not quite enough for him to throw out. He slowly looked up to find the Taki-nin scrutinising him, his left hand held up with a Kunai prepped to throw against a backdrop of burning forest. He was suffocating under the pressure of this man-no, this monster's killing intent, all the while standing within a raging inferno of overpowering smoke and smog.
"Oh? So you can fight a little? I would expect no less from Itachi's little brother."
Sasuke snarled within his mind. Who cared about that murdering traitor anyway?! He was going to live and he was going to show the world that the Uchiha would regain their name and prestige in the laurels of Hi no Kuni once again.
"Unfortunate. It seems as though your life ends here, little Uchiha."
Sasuke watched in slow motion as the Grass-nin's hand flicked in his direction. The Kunai flew forth, its aim true.
'....no.....I won't die here, I can't....For Shisui and for Kaa-san....'
His hand twitched, the rest of his body unmoving.
'Move.'
It began to move, inching ever so slowly towards his utility pouch strapped to his right hip.
'Move!'
His hand shuddered and he almost stopped forcing against the Jutsu that was binding him.
'MOVE!'
In one jerky movement, he ripped a Kunai from his pouch and slammed it into his thigh. He almost screamed in pain but he knew he didn't have that luxury. Liquid fire ripped through his body as he ducked, pivoted and jumped for the safety of the trees, the knife barely missing the side of his neck.
The Grass-nin humphed as he tossed his hair. How disappointing. It seemed as though the youngest Uchiha didn't even have the Sharingan. What use was he then? He scowled heavily. This would damage his plans badly. Without Sasuke, the Sharingan was practically out of his reach. He would have to kill the boy now that he'd gone to so much trouble to obtain something that wasn't even there. Sighing, he took a step forward to make after his escaping prey. His stomach sank as he felt another tripwire give way beneath the soles of his feet. There was a slight fizzing sound and his neck twisted one hundred and eighty degrees to look at the sparking Explosive Note stuck to the ground directly beneath his feet. Worse yet was the Chakra Sticker Seal anchoring him to the ground. It was designed to incapacitate and the Sticker Seal was the permanent sort. He cursed as he crossed his arms and rolled himself into a ball to minimise the damage.
The explosion threw him bodily into the air and he was forced to do a sort of ungainly backward roll to absorb the force behind the contraption. The ends of his black locks were smoking and he looked beaten and battered. Uzumaki Naruto was going to die, even if he wasn't involved in all of this. The fact that the forest was bringing back those accursed memories of how his base was turned upside down by a mere 9 year old. Cursing, he hopped over a burning log and jumped into the trees after the youngest Uchiha.
Trees flashed by as he zipped through the air, his hands already flying through seals. His thumb dripped with blood as he finished the sequence, pausing on a branch to slap the rough surface to complete his Jutsu. In a great puff of smoke, a deep purple snake, almost the size of the tree it was curled around, appeared from within the fog, saliva dripping from gleaming fangs set in the gaping maw. Orochimaru's lips curled up in a cruel smile; death as food for a snake would be a fitting end for this wasted endeavour. His form melted into the snake's body seamlessly as the reptile shot forward.
XXXXXXX
"Sakura!"
Sasuke balanced on the side of a tree perilously as he searched for his female teammate. Sai could look after himself but if Sakura was caught...
No matter how much he hated her doting personality, she was still his teammate and he'd be damned if he didn't make sure she was alright.
Sasuke cursed under his breath when there was no reply from the pink-haired girl. The Second Exam had gone from bad to catastrophic. He'd had a buzzing feeling at the back of his mind ever since he'd set foot in the forest, yet he'd pushed onwards, shunting the doubts to the back of his brain until the adrenaline had worn off. That Taki-nin was far beyond a Genin's level; that Jutsu he had used...there hadn't been any handseals and it had been so powerful....powerful enough to keep him in place for almost a minute.
"So what do you do when you fight an opponent who's far stronger than you?"
Sasuke shook his head as he slid into a small depression high up in the trees. He eased himself into a sitting position before yanking the Kunai from his thigh harshly.
"Sasuke, you haven't got the Sharingan yet, but I think you'll definitely activate it at some point. Itachi's was probably the strongest in the clan so I don't think it's a question of whether or not it will manifest. For the time being, we'll have to focus on compensating for it..."
Sasuke tried to convince himself that the two tears running down his face were because of the pain from his wound and not because of his memories of his cousin.
"That's right! You got it in one! Nice goin' Sasuke!"
His smile...it was so radiant then, as if he were truly proud of his cousin's achievement. His memories of Itachi had become foggy, but he was sure that his brother had never looked at him like that. He vaguely wondered whether he should feel guilty for choosing his cousin over his brother. His mind became foggy, as if a veil had slipped over his eyes and he could feel the warmth of the sun bathing his closed eyelids in its glow. He could hear the wildlife screaming around him and he never stopped to think why they were so restless.
"...suke! SASUKE-KUN!"
He jerked back, startled, his arm snapping up in a defensive position. He sighed warily as he found Sakura leaning over his form albeit looking all the worse for wear.
"What happened to you?"
She shuffled her feet idly, rubbing an angry red mark on her chin that wasn't there the last time they'd seen each other. Her left arm hung slightly limp as if it had been hit with some amount of force but Sasuke didn't comment.
"The Wind Jutsu pushed me in this direction even though I tried my hardest to stop it. What's wrong with your leg? How did you get cut so bad?"
Sasuke stared at her blankly before answering in a dull voice.
"I stabbed myself."
"You- wait, what?!"
Sasuke sighed.
"Listen Sakura. We have to find Sai and get out of here as fast as we can. The Shinobi that did that Jutsu is way too strong for any of us to take on."
Sasuke glanced up toward the canopy, stray strands of light pushing their way through and striking his eyes when the breeze pushed the leaves in just the right way. He frowned when Sakura didn't answer and looked back down to see her covering her mouth, her eyes wide with terror.
"Sakura! What-"
"SASUKE-KUN! SNAKE!"
He wasted no time. He rolled to the side, pushing Sakura off the branch with his free hand whilst whipping under the bough. Flowing with the momentum, he let go and allowed the wind to take him as he sailed through the air. The snake, and it was the largest Boa Constrictor he'd seen in his life, changed direction mid-air and lunged for his airborne form. With a scream of terror, he reached into his two shuriken pouches and threw two braces directly into the vile creature's mouth.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
His aim was true and the oversized reptile keeled over dead, yellow-green blood pooling around its head as it lay awkwardly on the floor. Sasuke landed hastily, stumbling from his exertion. He panted as he looked back at the Snake; it was impossibly large, even for the Forest of Death's standards.
"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?"
He nodded sharply without taking his eyes from the beast. A human-shaped blob began to take form as it pushed itself from the skin of the snake. It stood, and Sasuke realised that they were in deep trouble.
"You run well, my dear Sasuke-kun! Maybe there is more to you than I previously thought!"
With a strangled cry, the youngest Uchiha leapt forward, fists cocked back to deliver a deadly blow to the smug man's face. Just as he was about to strike, a black blur shot in front of him, pushing him bodily away.
"Ahhh, so you survived, young ROOT..."
Sasuke gripped his bleeding thigh to staunch the wound, aggravated by pushing himself to fight. Sai appeared haggard as if he'd already been through a battle before arriving here.
"You fool."
"W-What?"
"Do you know who this is? Do you understand with whom you were attempting to fight?"
He was so uncharacteristically serious, but there was an emotion there, something that shocked Sasuke beyond what he could express. He'd never once seen a feeling displayed by the pale Genin, he was a mysterious person and nobody had known who he was until he'd joined team 7. But then he'd become just another Genin.
"This is Orochimaru, the S-Ranked Missing-nin of Konoha."
The man grinned, his face twisting in a hideous expression of cruel glee. His eyes flashed purple, a gold, reptilian slit at the centre of his irises. He laughed a scratchy laugh, the sound like scraping fingernails through wood.
"I see that someone knows who I am! Well, what will you do now, pitiful pet of an old fool?"
Sai was already moving, a scroll unfurled and a paintbrush flickering over its surface.
"Ninpou: Choujuu Giga."
Orochimaru hopped backwards, one hand swiped in front of his torso, destroying the ink Swallow before it could hit him. It was a bluff though, designed to give Sai enough time to make something bigger. This time a large bird flew from the page and Sai jumped onto its back, pulling his Jitte from its sheathe. Orochimaru ducked the first strike, his arm flashing upwards to catch the Genin's wrist.
"Pitiful."
Sai was thrown backwards from the force of the knife-hand strike to his Adam's apple. He slammed into a tree and rolled down onto one of its branches. He coughed before falling still.
"Weak. But then again, you did no better, did you Sasuke-kun?"
XXXXXXXX
It was a war-torn city. The buildings were in ruins, the streets shattered and pockmarked as if explosions had been a common occurrence in the not-so-distant past. The walls were crumbling, the sandstone and concrete barely holding up against the wind. Yet they still fought, two opposing countries that were in the shadows but still managed to devastate the area by their presence.
The Villagers were caught in the crossfire, not a single person was spared. Families were torn apart; fathers and brothers killed, mothers and sisters left without their beloved siblings and spouses. It was a sign of things to come and things that could have been.
Imada Yoichi stared out from his hiding place, a run-down shack that used to house the city's important government memos. He snorted belligerently; the only memo in the place was probably buried under three feet of dust, dirt and ash by now. A gentle breeze was blowing outside, the sun beaming down on the streets causing the area to glow a bright gold-ish yellow. It was the one disadvantage of having sandstone buildings in Fire Country. You'd likely blind yourself in the midday sun. The wind blew up a storm of the yellow granules causing the 8 year old to close his eyes and shield them with his arm.
"Psst, Yocchan!"
Yoichi paused until the battering of dust and dirt had passed before turning to the one who had hailed him. He was met with the grinning visage of a blue-haired youth not that much older than himself.
"Oh, Mattaru, what'cha doin here?"
Said boy gave his friend a conspiratorial grin and slipped beneath the rickety wooden table that was somehow in a better condition than the building housing it.
"They goin' at it out thar! Is gettin' real scorchin'!"
Yoichi ignored the weird speech patterns his fellow orphan possessed; they all had their problems, some just manifested in different ways.
"Ya' mean the sun or the fight?"
"The fight obveesly!"
Yoichi grunted and peeked through a hole in the concrete. Just as he did so, two figures appeared about three metres from the building, the one with the strange headband managing to skewer the other with one of his Sai. Yoichi winced; it was nothing new, but still, didn't they have any idea of what a life was worth?
"I can't stand this."
"What'cha mean Yocchan?"
"Didn't I tell ya' to stop callin' me that?!"
Mattaru grinned, yellowing teeth glinting slightly from beneath his parched lips.
"We can't live here Mattaru! There ain't nuffin to do! We'll be killed if we don't do sumfing!"
Mattaru's grin died on his lips as he contemplated what his friend had said.
"We go'n die anyway Yocchan."
"Yeah, but not like this!"
Mattaru scratched his head idly.
"Li' what?"
Yoichi sighed exasperatedly and waved his hands around the crumbling shack.
"Like this! We're gonna end up killed by one of those idjits! It's bad enough that everyone else is dead!"
Mattaru looked as if he wanted to say something, but was prevented from doing so when the ailing wooden door was blown clear of its hinges. The two boys cowered in terror as a body followed the piece of furniture into the wall bringing the whole thing down on him.
"Yocchan! We gotta get outta 'ere! Is fallin, see?"
Yoichi had only a second to stare up at the roof that began to groan and pitch inwards. With startled cries, the two youths sprinted for the doorway as fast as they could. Yoichi jumped forward as the last support snapped and the concrete dropped under the force of gravity, scraping the heel of his right foot. He landed with a thump on the veranda of the downed building, his heart racing a mile a minute.
"T'was close, eh Yocchan?"
"Shut up Mattaru!"
He wiped his sweaty brow with the heel of his hand and squinted from the shadowed porch to the empty streets of Bassai. The quiet lumber-town on the outskirts of Hi no Kuni had been reduced to a barren wasteland within the space of a few weeks. It was so intense that he was sure the surrounding areas hadn't even caught word of what was going on yet. With prospects of reinforcements from Konoha or the capital bleak, the residents had holed up and waited for it to finish. Nobody had an idea of whom or what was fighting, just that things had turned so bad for them so quickly. In a place so dedicated to capitalism, everyone had become worried for themselves, not caring if their neighbour or their friends lost their lives.
He couldn't stand it. It was just him and Mattaru left from the band of orphans that had grouped together to find some sort of safety. They couldn't fight, they were far too young, and every single one of their sanctuaries had been destroyed slowly but surely. Initially they'd tried to help whoever would get injured, but when Soichiro had been beheaded by a Shinobi who'd thought he was helping the enemy....
Yoichi swore to repay every single innocent death someday. Someday, when he was strong enough to do so.
XXXXXXX
The Snake of the Sannin paused as he spun neatly around his prey, backhanding him in the jaw as he did so. His eyes seemed to be tracking him even if they didn't have the Sharingan in them.
'That shouldn't be possible. I'm moving too fast for the naked eye to pick up.'
Sasuke regained his balance a few metres away, one hand planted firmly on the tree trunk beneath him. He could see the guy and slowly he was becoming accustomed to his movements. The youngest Uchiha allowed himself a small smile; if this Orochimaru kept on toying with him, Sasuke would be the last one to laugh.
His opponent exploded into action, racing towards him in a zig-zagging motion. Sasuke stood his ground, his arms raised in the defensive stance of the Uchiha's Taijutsu style that Shisui had trained him in for so long. He'd modified it slightly to focus more on the physics of the battle rather than relying on predicting where his opponent would strike. He didn't have the Sharingan and so there was no point trying to fight in a way designed around the user perceiving the world with one.
A dust cloud blew up around him as the Missing-nin suddenly diverted his course and started circling him at the same speed. His head whipped around and around, tracking the man with his eyes.
'I can see him!'
A shot of elation raced through his veins and he subtly changed his pose ever so slightly. He didn't even realise what had happened before his fist whipped out and around, slamming with a sickening crack into the snake-like man's nose. The appendage gave under his fist and Orochimaru was thrown back, startled.
"You-"
He breathed out slowly. A gleeful grin spread wide across his face.
"So you do have the Sharingan, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke gasped.
"What?!"
Orochimaru chuckled lightly.
"I see...so the Uchiha has to be in a state of high concentration to encourage the reaction. Truly the Uchiha are most...withdrawn with their secrets."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Orochimaru stared at him with a calculating look in his eyes.
"But this makes things so much easier! This is wonderful Sasuke-kun, just wonderful!"
His hands whipped up into a single seal and Sasuke was forced to witness the most disgusting thing he'd had to see in his life. The Shinobi's neck extended grossly, twisting and turning, the bones in the appendage poking within the skin as muscles tensed irregularly. His head shot forward, teeth clamping onto his neck like a vice. Sasuke screamed in pain as something creeped into his blood. He immediately felt clammy and cold, the world falling away from him in an instant. He could hear someone shouting in the distance, probably Sakura, but he couldn't make out anything beyond that. He was just too tired...too far...
Orochimaru's grin remained on his lips, even though his head was so far from his body. His mark fell to his knees and then flopped sideways as the Snake of the Sannin released the boy's neck.
"W-WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SASUKE-KUN?!"
Orochimaru turned a bemused face to the girl. What a waste for the Shinobi forces of Konoha! That they'd allowed such a weak Kunoichi to graduate....
"This? Oh this is just a small gift for our young Uchiha friend."
He began to melt into the tree beneath him, his grin so wide that it almost matched the animal it looked like.
"You see, Sasuke-kun will seek me out for power. Of that, I have no doubt..."
Sakura was left staring at a bare patch of bark, her body trembling and exhausted. With her two teammates incapacitated, she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
XXXXXXXXXX
"SHIKAMARU!"
"YEAH?"
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE?!"
The lazy Nara closed his eyes against the incredible rush of air and water pounding against his prone form. He laid prone on the makeshift rafts as they shot down the river at breakneck speed. He had absolutely no idea what kind of absolute madman would set up a trap so complex just for the sake of it. It couldn't have been the examiners; they were too busy with the preparations to even think about touching the forest. No, it was most probably that troublesome person the crazy purple-haired woman had mentioned before they'd been let in. It was kind of nice though, to simply lay there and stare up at the sky with the wind and water running through your hair....
"SHIKAMARU!"
"WHAT INO?!"
"GET US OUT OF THIS!"
With a muttered 'Mendokusai' Shikamaru signalled to Chouji who had his mouth opened wide at the front of his own vessel, his gaping maw collecting fish and water at a rapid pace.
"CHOUJI!"
"MFMMHMM!"
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EATING AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!"
Shikamaru sighed at the stupidity of it all. Couldn't she see that he was collecting food for later? Actually, scratch that, knowing Chouji, he was probably eating and passing it off as following the plan...
"ALRIGHT CHOUJI LET'S DO THIS!"
He dropped his fist and leapt from the raft, his hands already forming the seal for the Kage Mane no Jutsu. Ino's form froze and she screeched as she was pulled from the back of the boat when Shikamaru's shadow connected with her own. The lazy genius heard his best friend shout his body-sizing technique and suddenly the whole world stopped. Shikamaru and Ino landed in the water with a satisfying plop.
"Nice one Chouji!"
The Akimichi rubbed a finger under his nose in embarrassment from his position blocking off the river from pulling them further downstream. Ino surfaced with a cough as Shikamaru disengaged his technique. He placed his fingers in his ears to block out the impending tirade.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?! AT LEAST TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"
Shikamaru sighed exasperatedly. What did he do to deserve something like this? And who was that kid in the trees a moment ago?
Sighing again, he leaned back to float on the surface of the river.
'The clouds are nice today...'
XXXXXXXX
Naruto raced towards the location his latest trap had been sprung all the while grinning like a loon. He really couldn't wait to see which team had been unfortunate – and stupid enough, to walk right into something like that. He reached the first few trees that were burning from the explosions that had set them alight. He didn't know if he was actually allowed to tear the Training Ground up like he had done but he supposed he'd have to let Anko deal with that. After all, she was the one who wanted him here, right?
He glanced around in awe at the damage that had been done to the foliage in the surrounding area. This couldn't have been all done by explosive notes; some trees had been totally uprooted and thrown on their sides. Many of the fallen Oaks didn't even have burn marks on them and it seemed as if a Wind Jutsu had been thrown about from all the leaves strewn on the forest floor. Naruto frowned as he realised the significance of their states; an area-effect Wind technique had to have been a powerful one to achieve such a result. He didn't think a Genin would be able to do something like that. Maybe he was underestimating them?
He flipped over a smouldering heap of branches that had broken off when one of the trees had hit another as it was falling. The two stems were lying side-by-side about five metres to his right, both burning ferociously. He coughed into his hand and pulled the top of his black muscle shirt over his mouth; the swirling smoke was getting thicker as he moved further in, the smog stinging his eyes and causing a toxic stench to pervade throughout the area. He could hardly see through his watery gaze and it was hard to navigate whilst tree-jumping. Wasn't it standard procedure to stay close to the ground when in a fire?
Naruto hopped from the surface of a fallen log, bouncing once on a blackened tree that was surprisingly upright, to land on the leafy floor of the forest. Dry leaves crunched under his sandals as he took stock of his surroundings, wiping a grimy hand across his eyes to try and clear them. His senses blared as he felt a large Chakra source rapidly approaching. Ducking low, he pulled a brace of Shuriken from his Utility Pouch and flung them at the speeding Shinobi just hard enough to warn them of what they would be getting themselves into. He flared his Chakra and then activated his Invisibility technique, melding into the surroundings like a Chameleon. The ninja paused but then swerved to continue, this time aiming directly for him. Naruto peered through the burning leaves; what the hell was going on here? Did the guy want to pick a fight or something?
Not many people would be capable of pin-pointing him whilst his Invisibility Jutsu was activated. It was very hard to locate someone based on their Chakra output and yet there were Shinobi who were able to do so. It shouldn't be much of a problem in a forest full of Genin though; that was a skill he was sure no Genin would be capable of!
And so it came as a big shock when two Kunai almost sunk into the back of his head whilst he was looking around the area. If he hadn't turned his head at that exact moment...
Startled, he dropped his Jutsu and stared up into the surrounding trees that hadn't fallen in the chaos. His heart leapt into his throat.
'No way....'
"You.....so it was you all along, you despicable piece of trash!"
"Orochimaru."
They stared at each other, one so badly ruffled, his flawless black hair sticking out at odd angles, his clothes in tatters and his eyes glaring ice-cold daggers at the Konoha Jinchuuriki. Naruto regarded his mortal enemy for a few seconds and then without any warning, burst into raucous laughter.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! W-What happened to you, Oro-chan?! You get caught in one of my traps or somethin'?!"
Orochimaru's face tightened in a snarl even further. A tick appeared on his forehead and his body began to shake with pent up fury.
"You.....you....."
"AHAHAHAHA! Is that all you can say?! You, you....sounds like a cartoon I used to watch when I was little, ehehehehe-"
"YOU WILL DIE-"
It was to this scene that two battling teams of Genin rolled into the makeshift clearing, one side clearly gaining the upper hand in their fight. From their headbands, Naruto gathered that the first one who were the underdogs were from Iwa and the others from Kumo.
'Uh oh...'
A weathered Iwa-nin glanced up and squinted at where Naruto was standing. His eyes widened and he immediately pointed him out to his teammates.
"T-THAT'S...ISN'T THAT KONOHA'S PAINTER?!"
Naruto sweat-dropped. 'Konoha's Painter?! What the hell kinda nickname is that?!'
His teammate gasped.
"Oi Rinji! Shut the hell up! That name's taboo and if Tsuchikage-Sama hears you say it..."
The last of the trio trembled as he tapped his friend on the shoulder.
"K-Koetsuji...h-he...i-it's the P-Painter...."
Koetsuji raised a hand to push his teammate away and in doing so, faced Naruto's perplexed form. He froze.
Meanwhile, the Kumo Shinobi were trembling in anger.
"YOU DAMNED CLOUD RIDER! HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE RAIKAGE LIKE THAT?!"
'Now that's more like it! 'Cloud Rider' hmm? It's got a nice ring to it!'
Naruto took a stance, placing his left hand on his hip and his right pointing at the hapless Genin.
"See you idiots?! That's how you give a nickname! 'Breaking Wind'? 'Konoha's Painter'? What the hell is that?! At least you Cloudies have some style!"
Orochimaru, completely forgotten in the ensuing shouting match, began clenching and releasing his fists. This fool dared to ignore him...he, one of the legendary three and the most infamous Konoha Missing-nin?!
"FOOLS! YOU THINK YOUR COUNTRIES WERE HUMILIATED?! OTO WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND IT TOOK OVER A YEAR TO RESTORE THE VILLAGE!"
Silence reigned for a few moments.
"You've got a point there mister. Alright, we'll take the arms and you guys can take the rest."
"Yeah, yeah! We got dibs on rippin' off his legs!"
The Otokage didn't mince words. A massive ball of fire mixed with a powerful Doryuudan that rose from the ground and ploughed right into the two teams, leaving nothing but burning ash in its wake.
'Aww crap, he's mad!'
"Did they really think I would allow anyone else to kill you?"
Naruto grinned cheekily.
"Hey, it woulda been easier for ya' if it was seven-on-one, neh?"
With a roar of anger, the Snake of the Sannin threw himself at the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, a Kunai already sailing towards his head. Naruto bent backwards, placing his hands on the floor until the dagger had passed harmlessly over his head before pushing off into a front-flip. It was a distraction and he knew it, but he couldn't avoid it with the speed it had been thrown. It was all the time Orochimaru needed to close the distance between them and before he landed, Naruto realised with a sinking feeling in his gut that the incensed Nuke-nin was already in his personal space.
His resolve hardened; he was no longer the small, wet-behind-the-ears child that Orochimaru had fought close to three years ago. He was stronger and faster now and he'd be damned if he didn't fight back. He had a score to settle too.
The assault came hard and fast, Naruto blocked the first jab, his forearms whizzing about his torso as he protected his body from the following three punches. He was being pressured and it wasn't the kind of fight he was used to.
"You'll have to fight opponents who are stronger and better than you. That's the way things work. Kakashi can give a better explanation than me...."
Shisui plopped down beside Anko and ducked as she swiped at his head. The Copy Ninja pushed off from his leaning position and stared at Naruto squarely in the face. He didn't say a word for a while, simply content to study his young friend. After a few seconds, his book snapped shut and he eye-smiled in that irritating way that only he could pull off.
"Na! When it happens, it happens, but the most important thing is to control the fight. Don't let the opposition get the upper hand. Us three favour the quick and quiet technique; when you see an opening, hit them with your best Jutsu and then get the hell out of there...."
Naruto could hardly think, or even breathe for that matter. His Ryu-Zashi lay forgotten on his back, his form twisting and turning to avoid the blows raining down around him.
'There!'
Orochimaru's foot slipped slightly on the burnt floor. Obtaining a solid foothold was hard on the smooth, burnt mud and so when he lost his grip in that moment, Naruto made his move. The Snake of the Sannin had barely any time to understand what had happened. Naruto's body flickered and in a puff of smoke...didn't change. He frowned. What was that?
The blond Jinchuuriki surged forward, his arms brimming in Wind Chakra. The Otokage's hasty block was pulverised under the force of the blow and then he was sent airborne by a devastating right uppercut to the chin. Naruto cursed at the monstrous force on his knuckles, but he had no choice. It was either use the Kazeken or die trying.
'I can't breathe...'
He jumped, electricity sparking between his hands. Orochimaru swerved mid-air; his left leg whipping around to catch the blond 12 year old's side. Naruto caught the appendage, sending the current through it, but the Snake Summoner simply gritted his teeth and ignored the shock. He used his extended leg to force his opponent away. Landing in a roll and springing up immediately. In an instant, he was back in the fight, this time armed with a sword he'd pulled from his throat.
'No time to think...'
Two swipes, one for his neck, the other for his chest. He threw himself backwards, his shirt snagging on the cracking bark. He felt the sing of the sharp edge against his bare skin. It whistled mere millimetres from his nose, almost electrocuting him with the deadly steel that shone in the sunlight. That sword was amazing and beautiful, glowing a bright white in the darkness almost as if an illusion had been draped over it. It had to be special; no wonder the Snake of the Sannin used it as his favoured weapon.
He rolled backwards, catching the side of a tree trunk with his arms and swinging around it. In a split-second decision, he pulled the last of his ninja wire from his utility pouch and tied it to a brace of Shuriken before throwing it around the side of the tree. He sped through handseals, one set for a Wind Jutsu followed by another for a tongue of flame. The metal stars careened around the tree, flying at blistering speeds as the flames licked around them. Orochimaru's eyes widened but he was too slow to avoid the perilous projectiles.
'Tch...mud clone.'
The clone melted into the floor and Naruto was left scanning the dark foliage for any sign of his quarry.
'Damnit! I gotta get outta here and tell someone that this freak is here! I dunno how long I'll be able to hold out like this!"
"So you can use clones now?"
The blond Jinchuuriki's head whipped around only to be nailed in the temple with a vicious sword thrust. His clone dispersed in a mound of sludge. Orochimaru regarded him with slight surprise.
'But when did he switch?...That time! When the smoke appeared! Did he perform the Kawarimi without handseals?!'
"It seems my old apprentice has been teaching you a few things Naruto-kun."
Naruto unsheathed his Ryu-Zashi; there was no more time. He had to end this and get the hell out of there before things got ugly. He didn't know what this guy was doing here, but it most probably meant something big to Konoha. With his resolve set, he jumped down from his hiding place.
XXXXXXX
Anko couldn't stop laughing! It was just too funny! Especially the bit where he stole all those teams' scrolls and built a pyramid out of them only to burn them in front of the poor Genin's eyes! She'd doubled over laughing so hard that she'd cracked her head on the side of the wooden bench. She couldn't tell if the tears in her eyes were from the pain of the hit or from her mirth.
God, it was the best idea to have Naruto participate in this! No wonder Kakashi was so eager to get him for his team's exam!
She snorted and wiped a hand across her eyes, turning back to the seeing ball once again.
Her blood turned cold.
She cursed, tucked the ball into her trench coat and smashed through the wall of the shed, sprinting for the forest.
Izumo knocked on the door to Anko's office.
"Anko-san! You need to come and see this! We have an emergency here!"
He frowned when there was no answer.
"Oi Izumo!"
He turned to stare at his friend.
"Anko's just jumped into the forest. What should we do?"
Izumo's eyes widened.
"What?!"
XXXXXXXXX
Their swords clashed in a flurry of blows, sparks flying in every direction. Naruto struck with a wind-powered strike, his reach overextending but throwing his opponents blade wide. He pushed forward, slamming the hilt of his right blade into Orochimaru's stomach whilst swinging his left at his neck. The Otokage grunted in pain but managed to dodge the second blow.
'No time to stop.'
They clashed again, arms trembling from the terrible force behind the blows.
'If I stop, I'll die.'
He dodged, left, right, a slice cut into his right cheek as his enemy's sword whistled past.
'If I breathe, he'll cut me.'
Block, parry, attack, jump back. The process was repeated again and again. He could see the eyes of his opponent, gleaming in triumph as if he knew he would win. Naruto would surprise him. He had a plan.
He surged forward, throwing his left Wakizashi as hard as he could, his trademark Wind Chakra sending it shooting towards the Otokage's gut. Orochimaru blocked with the flat of his blade, a ferocious vibration shaking his body to the core as the flying sword clanged loudly as it collided. Naruto capitalised at once. His right arm shot forward, lunging for his opponent's shoulder, but the Snake of the Sannin was far too experienced to fall for that.
He knew.
Orochimaru shook off the numbness in his limbs, blocking another forceful blow from the annoying whelp. He was forced to stumble backwards and that was his mistake. Naruto swivelled on his heel, his left hand whipping round with a Rasengan primed within his palm. The whirling ball of Delphinium drilled into his chest, throwing him like a javelin into a charred tree. He went right through; the ailing limb groaned and toppled over on its side. Naruto hopped around it, holding his empty left hand to his bleeding cheek. Orochimaru had come to a rest lying awkwardly on his side, his face turned away from the Jinchuuriki. Naruto was surprised that he had taken him out so quickly. The last time they'd fought, every time they'd fought in fact, he'd never been able to so much as touch him.
"Kukukuku....You have improved Naruto-kun."
Naruto's eyes widened. So it hadn't killed him. He was at odds here; should he cut his losses and run or should he try and finish the man off?
"It seems as though I should pay your Uchiha friend a...visit one of these days."
Orochimaru chuckled and wiped a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. The Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki was looking at him with such venom...
It made him laugh even more.
When Naruto spoke, his voice was so low and guttural that it could have been from a growling lion.
"You touch a single hair on Shisui's head and I'll flippin' tear your body apart! YOU FREAKIN' HEAR ME?!"
Orochimaru chuckled again.
"Ah, such friendship!"
He spat a globule of blood at Naruto, the vile mixture of phlegm and life's liquid dripped down his cheek.
"You have improved far beyond anything I could have foreseen, but no matter. You will still die here."
Orochimaru paused in his diatribe. Someone was coming and the Chakra Signature was large, possibly ANBU. He cursed under his breath; he would have to leave the party for now.
"We shall meet again, Kyuubi Child, and make no mistake."
"Next time, you will die."
Sensing what was about to happen, Naruto flipped a coin from his pocket and let loose his Railgun. The circular piece of metal streaked into the ground with a loud boom and Naruto was forced to cover his eyes from the flash of pure white light and the bits of mud and earth that he was pelted with. When the light died down, Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.
'Aww damn! I'd better get out of here! I need to rest up somewhere...'
He turned and limped off in a random direction. He paused and scratched his head.
'Where'd Anko-nee say the tower was again?'
ZZZZZZZZ
And CUT! Yeah, yeah, I know this took so long, but in my defence, I was really, REALLY BUSY! I literally had about 5 hours of typing time in the last three weeks! To tide you over, this was the single most longest chapter I have ever written, so make sure you tell me how you found it!
Anyway, I can't be bothered to get all the translations out today, maybe I'll do it later. The only note that needs to be understood is Sai's weapon. The little sword or whatever it is, is called a 'Jitte'. I don't know what the parallel is in English so if anyone knows, let me know and I'll post it here.
Props go to anothvortex for an idea I used in this chapter; thank you! Also, he's started a story so be sure to check that up!
And this is MegaB, signing out!