Hello, and welcome to the next chapter!
danielsnow; Anko could eventually get her rage, I've got some huge plans with Orochimaru. Yeah, Sakura and the others stepped up and managed to keep the Sound at bay, even managing to edge out a victory. Thanks very much!
ShadowUzumaki55; Sakura did yeah, she managed to take down her opponent. Team Ten did come to assist yeah~ Orochimaru is still definitely dangerous, and Anko's gotta watch her step~ Shisui did yeah, even in passing he's still able to help his little brother the best that he can do.
Anime PJ; Yeah, there's a lot of things going on with Ryouta, both in the real world and within himself. Orochimaru's still definitely a threat, Ryouta's eyes still drain a lot of power, and due to not being aware, he was caught by surprise, the next time they encounter one another, the snake might have some tricks up his sleeve~ I've got some stuff coming up between Ryouta and Gaara~
Silver crow; Thanks! Yeah, he's awake this chapter. They did yeah. I guess she is kinda like that here huh. Yeah, Lee's quite happy to help out. Sakura is yeah, she managed to beat back the Sound Genin with a little help from Team Ten. Shikamaru is very smart, so he saw the signs. Kabuto was quite a bit drained yeah. Glad you liked the Sakura moment! We'll see if Ino does or not. Tobi did yeah, he protected Ryouta. Haku, even tired is pretty strong so she handled Kin easily enough. Kabuto might not turn up at the end of the forest part of the arc~ You never know, she might have given some power over. Orochimaru got a little bit from it, not all that much. Ryouta did yeah, a nice moment between him and Shisui. Yamato could do yeah. Those girls would be cool. Yeah, he could beat Byakuya. One way or another he'll regain all of his memories. Takumi and Aizen will have some moments. They'd probably offer it to Takumi yeah. Yeah, they could come together. Salamander would be cool, if not him there is a Devil that has some pretty cool fire magic as well. I could see that about Light Magic, overcoming those weaknesses would be fun to explore. The Devils I've thought of could be intriguing to join him. Charlotte is pretty adorable with what she does. I do quite like Sol so yeah she could do. Vanessa and the oc would have some fun banter between them. Yeah, he'd be pretty built, not overly so. Moon magic would be cool for a Dragon Slayer. They could join the guild. If I did have him have three magic's I'd probably have one be focused more on support/defense, the other two would be different kind of attacking types for Black Clover. He could know Rebecca. Trihexa is certainly possible with being a Sensei. They'd definitely know who he is. He will do yeah. Ryouta will look at it. He might be able to do that in the near future. Anko will try her best. Thanks for the harem suggestions. He'll have some romantic scenes with the girls soon enough.
GuoYaohui; Yeah, I'm gonna try my best.
Skull Flame; Tobi definitely is, we'll discover more as the story goes on. It's a character from the Boruto series.
MDM11; He could do yeah. Those Jutsu's would be awesome for Ryouta to use. Sakura and Ino might be fighting different people in this story. Those are some pretty awesome match ups, and thanks for the harem suggestions!
War Sage; Thanks! Yeah, whatever he was, Ryouta managed to have a good conversation with his brother. I'm glad you're enjoying Sakura. Karin kinda is yeah~ Indeed, Tobi seems to have Ryouta's best interests at heart. Glad you enjoyed those scenes. Mikoto will do in this chapter. Maybe Kaguya has done. Ino did yeah~ Garaga's doing his best. Yeah, something like that might happen~ Thanks for the harem suggestions!
Guest 1; Sakura did yeah, she managed to beat back Zaku and gain the scroll for her team. Ryouta did yeah, that will become clear if that was truly Shisui or not. Hehe, during those moments, I'm sure they'll turn away from that. Anko and Orochimaru will meet and things will get intense. Thanks for the harem suggestions! Thanks for the votes!
TheGreatGodzilla; I don't know about that yet. Ryouta is there so he'd support Satsuki in anyway that he can. Fu might be, it isn't a 100 percent yet. There's plenty of ways they could meet up with one another. Tayuya and Kin, perhaps they could be. I could see Orochimaru doing something like that. Yeah, when Shippuden comes about it will be discussed about such things. Samui's around the same age as Ryouta here, and Hayate's fate, will be revealed in the future~
Andrew123456; Thanks for the votes!
makotoxvalerie; Yeah, they'd have some fun interactions. We'll have to wait and see how Koneko and he would come together. Sona and he would be friends. The peerage hasn't been set in stone so anything is possible. I've got a few ideas in mind for who could be in the peerage. He'd help Koneko in many ways. Yeah, his name would begin with R to go along with the other Phenex's. Thanks for the suggestion. He'd be quite strong. The Sacred Gear could be like that yeah. That would be a fun dynamic between the two of them.
Hundred; Thanks for the votes.
Jet Fire; Thank you for the votes.
fan of stories; Yes, it will still continue.
GuoYaohui; Yeah, I guess she could do.
AlphaOmega; Sakura is yeah, she's stepping up and becoming stronger. Team Ten managed to back them up and they came out on top. The woman's intentions will become more clear as the story goes on, at least for now Shisui helped Ryouta get away from her before she could do some real damage. Thanks for the votes.
Redwing; Thank you for the votes.
Zagor; Thanks for the votes!
Any of one; Thanks for the votes!
Hinata fan; Thanks for the votes! And thanks!
Darkwubs; That looks pretty cool. I think it could transfer on its own, it's mentioned to have a consciousness so I don't see why it couldn't work similar to that.
Dark Kaiser; Thanks for the votes.
GreyGhost; Thanks for the vote.
Death Rapture; Thanks for the votes.
Shepard; Thank you for voting.
Star Killer; Thanks for voting.
Guest 2; He'd use his magic in some cool ways. He might gain another element like that later on in the story. If he is a Devil Slayer, he'd have things going on with the demons. Natsu would grow as the story would do. It did seem weird END didn't really have much I agree. Thanks for the suggestions.
Guest 3; He'll have his own kind of goals, with the amount of Phenex's there are he probably wouldn't need to worry about being the heir. Maybe he could be like that for Diehauser's spot. Thanks for the suggestions.
Guest 4; Yeah, maybe he could have chaos magic. Thanks for the suggestions!
Brainstorm Sorcerer; Yeah, he's finally awake now, after his little trip inside of himself. Team Ten are gonna be with them now to the end of the forest, and doing their part. Yeah, they'll show how they come together. Yeah, it would be a cool moment if the pair of brothers had a moment where they used Susanoo. Yeah, maybe a fic like that would be pretty cool. Anko does know who the last partner of Garaga was yeah. I could see Kaguya thinking like that. Sakura showed her stuff huh~? Yeah, Ryou finally got to spend a little time with his brother after all the years they've been apart. Hmm, maybe that's what Shisui did, whatever the case, Tobi is quite invested in making sure that he is safe. Shisui will do yeah. It's going to be quite the shock to his system.
Well, with those reviews out of the way, it's time to start the chapter!
Anko's pain!
Anko had run into the forest, moving as fast as she could.
While she was initially being chased by Mikoto, she saw that she was being attacked.
But seeing the level of those attacking her, Anko could see Mikoto had them pretty easily, so she continued on.
All she could think of was what Orochimaru could have done to her students, to those that she was feeling close to.
Shaking her head strongly, she happened to come across a peculiar sight.
It was a white snake that was dead on the ground.
She focused her eyes onto the snake, before realizing that it was one of Orochimaru's.
"So he's been here...and the way the trees are parted, it seems that, Garaga was most likely the one that chased after Orochimaru...got to get him quickly."
Having decided that, Anko turned her body and shot through the forest as fast as she could, ready to enact the pain she felt on the man that she truly despised more than anything in the world.
After the battle with the Sound Ninja, the others regrouped, and relaxed for a little while. Satsuki caught Ino, Shikamaru and Choji up on what was going on, while Haku checked over Ryouta and Naruko, making sure they'd be alright.
"Damn, it seems like you've been through quite a bit."
Shikamaru started with his usual lazy attitude, yet was intrigued by what was being said.
Choji, placing a hand to his face, exhaled slowly.
"Seems so yeah. Still, looks like you guys managed to get away from the snake guy, whatever his name is."
Sakura was resting since she fought quite a bit, as Lee over watched them all together with Karin.
While resting, Ino came over to Sakura, and looked at her hair.
"Geez, you actually cut it."
"Cut it or it be something that stopped me. I didn't have a choice. Though I don't mind."
Ino tilted her head curiously.
"Well, at least let me straighten it out."
Sakura lightly smiled, nodding slowly.
Ino got behind her, and took a kunai, brought it to Sakura's hair, and began to cut it in a few places so it appeared even.
"Sakura, what you did then for your team, you've really improved."
"I've been training. I don't want to fall behind the others, and I want to show everyone that I can be strong too."
Ino let out a small laugh.
"I don't think you have to prove anything after what happened, you protected everyone, and even managed to beat that Sound guy, and thanks to you, you've passed the exam with the scroll."
"What about you guys?"
Ino giggled.
"We've got one. We managed to find a team and we got the drop on them! We were kinda lucky I guess like that. But we did get ours, and you've got yours..."
"Ino, thanks for coming."
Sakura said with a true smile on her face.
"N-No, it's totally fine, I wouldn't worry about it."
"Still, I couldn't have done it without you guys coming to help out, I'm so happy..."
Ino smiled.
She was glad that her friend was happy, and more importantly, she was safe.
Haku continued looking after Ryouta, brushing his face with a wet cloth, and noticed the fact that his hair seemed to have turned more silver. It didn't go past his bangs.
"Ryou-kun...please wake up soon. I'm worried about what's going to happen next..."
Haku murmured.
She continued taking care of him, and then began doing the same thing with Naruko.
She also worried that Naruko wouldn't be able to wake up either.
She remembered that Naruko had something done to her, via what Sakura had told then all. But they didn't know what it was, Haku wasn't the best with any kind of seals, and while Karin had a look, she also wasn't truly familiar with it either so she couldn't help her out so they didn't know if the seal was keeping Naruko asleep or not...
"Aaah!"
Just then, Ryouta's eyes shoot open.
Haku gasps, as he looks towards her.
Confusion came over him at first, his mind cast back to what had happened within his dream world. Seeing the woman chasing him, seeing Shisui come for him, and now he was seeing Haku, and could hear the others speaking nearby as well.
"Ugh...Haku-chan...this is real right?"
Because he was groggy and couldn't think completely straight, he had to question it.
Haku couldn't help but smile at the young boy, before she embraced him tightly.
"Ryou-kun, you're awake. I'm so happy..."
Haku gently caressed his lips with her own, as a few tears ran down her face.
Ryouta placed his hand on the side of her face as they kissed, brushing under her eyes gently.
"It's alright, I'm okay Haku-chan."
Haku brushed lips with him once more, before placing her head on his shoulder.
"I was really worried about you..."
Ryouta stroked the back of her head, as he sat up.
He saw the eyes of the others, seeing Ino's team as well as his own, he could see by the surroundings that the area had been devastated, so he wondered what kind of battle had truly gone on while he was unconscious.
He also saw Naruko still being asleep, wondering how she was doing and what Orochimaru had done to her.
After receiving word from Satsuki, Mikoto delivered it to Hiruzen with Kakashi stood close by. Due to it concerning his team, Hiruzen thought it would be best if Kakashi was there. So he read the notes to himself, and both of them, while remembering about Anko and what could be happening with her.
"Orochimaru's infiltrated the exams. And it seems he targeted both Ryouta and Satsuki Uchiha. From what the note says, and what Satsuki's separate note adds, is that Ryouta managed to use his Mangekyou Sharingan to fight Orochimaru off, and they came together to escape him. They also speak of a red snake, so I can only presume it was Garaga who was interacting with them."
Because Kakashi who wielded a Sharingan himself, and Mikoto who already knew about Ryouta's Mangekyou, only those two could hear the entire message.
Even the usual Anbu that Hiruzen had around had been dismissed so they could have a private conversation.
The pair of adults had some strong reactions, even if they were kept hidden from the elderly Hokage.
Kakashi thought about his students and Anko's students safety.
Mikoto was downright angry at her daughter being targeted, and Ryouta as well, two people she loved and cared for.
"Mikoto, I can see the anger on your face, with what Orochimaru has done. But, they survived and got away from him, to do that is a huge achievement."
"Orochimaru is a very strong opponent so I am happy that they could get away, but also feel this deep anger inside of me, that he went after my daughter…"
"I know you wish to confirm her safety, but right now I need you."
Mikoto nodded.
Even though she wished to go and slay Orochimaru for targeting her child, Naruko, Ryouta, and the others, she was still a Ninja, she had to remain calm or she wouldn't be able to make the best decisions that they could.
"Yes, of course. I know. I'm just...I don't want Orochimaru to get his hands on my daughter, Ryou-kun or anyone..."
The more Mikoto thought about it, the more worried she became.
For her daughter, for Naruko, for Ryouta, and the others.
She knew Orochimaru wouldn't stop until he got what he wished for.
"First of all, Mikoto your suspicions about what was going on with Zosui have been founded. He wasn't the one that you disposed of, according to what's written here, he attacked Ryouta, Haku and Karin in the forest."
Mikoto nodded slowly, and showed an expression that held a mixture of her anger, and heart ache.
"I thought there was something off."
"Orochimaru making that clone so real, I wouldn't put it past him. To think that he went so far, it shows that he truly is intent on getting what he desires."
Kakashi added, his mind thinking of his and Anko's teams.
"Neither would I. That's why Mikoto, I need you to locate, and secure the people that aren't native to Konoha. Also, make sure to not bring about suspicion either. This is time critical, and the less that know about this the easier it will be for us for the moment. We can't rule out anything, Orochimaru has an intimate knowledge of Konoha, we have to act as if we are being extremely cautious while also remaining mostly unaware and as normal as possible. We also need to retrieve Zosui from the forest, and see what he knows."
Mikoto nodded, but then she exhales slowly.
"What about Anko? I tried following her, but I was ambushed by some enemies from Kusa, and while not really troubling, by the time I was done, she was gone. I've also brought those Kusa Ninja back with me, and are being interrogated as we speak. I've also had a team of Anbu search for Anko, but so far little luck."
"That was a good move on both fronts."
Hiruzen praised, with Mikoto slowly nodding.
"Considering it is Orochimaru...someone that she has a deep connection with as well...I am worried she might make a mistake and then...something unthinkable would happen. Plus her Curse Mark, if anyone could make it harm her...then it is him."
"Yes...because it is Orochimaru, I'm worried about her also. I've decided that Kakashi you'll go quickly along with the team Mikoto-san deployed while I prepare a team composed of myself and a few others. I am hoping that we can catch him while he is weakened, from what these notes say it should be possible."
While Hiruzen hoped for that, he also knew how slippery Orochimaru was, and what he could be truly doing in the forest at that moment in time. He hoped that Ryouta and the others had wounded him, though he did also have to wonder how Orochimaru was going to go after Ryouta now, as he would know Ryouta would have the Mangekyou Sharingan.
Back with Ryouta and the others, as soon as they saw him, Sakura, Ino and Karin all rushed and pinned him down to the ground as they hugged him tightly.
"Aah Ryou-kun you're okay!"
"I knew you would be, everyone was worrying for nothing~"
"Hahaha, now it's time for you to bite me Ryou-kun, you need your strength after all."
Sakura, Ino and Karin expressed their joy at him being awakened now, and couldn't hide how happy they truly were.
"Aah! H-Hey, I'm okay, I'm sorry for worrying you all."
Ryouta replied while Ino, Sakura and Karin didn't let go, instead they continued to hug him tightly.
Satsuki wouldn't have any of it however, as she moved closer, and stood before the girls.
"Off, now."
The girls winced, and looked to Satsuki.
She shoved them off Ryouta, collapsing down onto her knees, and then peered into his eyes.
She looked to see if there was anything different, to see if he had lost some vision because he used his eyes a few times.
Ryouta smiled gently, moving closer, and took her hand. The others watched as they walked away from the others, with Karin narrowing her brows.
"She's going to go and make out with him. Damn it, why didn't I drag him off like that?"
Both Ino and Sakura scowled, while Haku gave bemused eyes. Shikamaru murmured "Troublesome." while Choji didn't even know what he was supposed to say as a response.
Getting to a secluded area so they could speak without having to worry about information being brought up to the others, with Ryouta resting his head on her shoulder, he spoke to her in a gentle voice.
"You're worried about my eyes, aren't you?"
It was written on her face.
He had to speak to her about it so she didn't become saddened.
"Yeah...did they lose any light?"
Ryouta looked around the area, and saw that his vision had indeed changed a little bit. It was slightly more blurry, but nothing too detrimental, he could still see very well, and when he activated his Sharingan, he could still see with his eyes, he could see very well, though Ryouta still knew that he did in fact lose some of the light from his eyes.
"Yes, I've lost some light from my eyes...that's the price of using these eyes after all."
Satsuki's face turned into a scowl, burying her head against his shoulder to hide her face from Ryouta.
"Ryou..."
He took her hand, and then brought it up to her face.
His eyes met with her own as she looked up.
"Hey, don't look so worried. I chose to do it. Even if I went blind, if I could protect you and the others Satsuki-chan from someone like Orochimaru. If there was another way for me to fight him, then I would have. But, I didn't have much of a choice, that Orochimaru would have been able to do dangerous things if I didn't unleash these eyes. And if he came back now..."
"Yeah, we'd probably not be able to hold our own against him. Still, the fact that you've lost some light in your eyes, for that damn snake bastard. I don't even know what his true deal was..."
Seeing the regret on her face, Ryouta knew that she was feeling deeply about what was going on.
Probably because Orochimaru was incredibly strong and she couldn't fight him, he also felt the same and was glad that he did have the Mangekyou to use and protect those that he immensely cared for and loved.
"These eyes come from the pain of loss, but they are also tools that can be used to protect those you care for so they aren't lost either. That's how I see it, Shi-chan gave me the power to protect those I care for that still live."
Satsuki hadn't really thought about it like that before.
But she did like the sound of it, definitely.
"I can still see quite well out of them, it wasn't to the point that it is completely blurry and my Sharingan is as good as ever. It's only a little bit. Besides I chose to do it because I wanted to protect you Satsuki-chan."
Speaking from his heart, Satsuki felt a pulse coming from her own.
It felt nice to hear that from Ryouta.
She wished that he didn't lose his eyesight, but she also knew that he'd not have it any other way if he could help it.
"Ryou...it's been crazy while you've been asleep, what took you so damn long to wake up huh?"
Ryouta didn't know if he could even begin to tell her what had happened during the time he was asleep. What happened with his brother, with that woman.
"It's been quite hectic for me...I saw Shi-chan again, he came and spoke to me."
"You dreamed of him? It's only natural considering what was going on."
Ryouta knew he couldn't explain it fully, he didn't even know how he was going to talk about the woman. What she wanted, who she was, he didn't know anything, and explaining about her, he simply couldn't do without knowing more himself, and he didn't think that anyone around would know anything about her either.
He presumed the Hokage could know something since he was so wise, but even then the woman that he met, he felt as if she was beyond such things, and that she was a being that transcended normal things.
"Shi-chan was there, and he gave me the courage to continue on. It's hard to explain...but, I know that he was there for me and he'd always be there for me, no matter what was going to happen next."
Satsuki adopted a light smile.
"Still, it's good that you've come back to the waking world."
Ryouta nodded slowly, he also was happy to be back.
"Yeah...I'm glad I'm back too. So what happened while I was asleep? Did Orochimaru come back?"
"All sorts of crap has happened. We also sent word to the Hokage about it, and I also told them secretly about your eyes and what you did with them. The others don't know about that right now. I questioned them discreetly to see if they know and from what I could tell, they didn't seem to know about anything out of the ordinary happening with your eyes."
"That's good...though Orochimaru knows...I can only think that he might try and come back again. Whatever he's after, it's clear at least he wishes for the Sharingan, and with us being some of the only Uchiha that can fight left, shared with your Mom, it's clear he thought it would be easier for us to be his targets."
"No doubt, he wasn't expecting your Mangekyou though."
Ryouta nodded.
That was a small blessing that they had, and he was glad he also kept back his right eyes ability. In case they needed to surprise Orochimaru again, Ryouta thought that it would be able to change the tide of a battle with the snake like human.
"We need to be ready Satsuki-chan. If he comes back...no, when he comes back."
Ryouta spoke with kindness, yet at the same time with a straight forward nature.
Knowing that they'd have to be prepared in case something was to happen.
Satsuki placed her hands on his face, before casually allowing their lips to meet together in a small but happy kiss between the two. A kiss that expressed their affection for one another, and one that allowed them both to feel a little more relaxed than they were beforehand.
Orochimaru, still running through the forest hadn't been able to rest. Garaga was relentless, he wasn't letting up for even a moment. While he was getting tired as well, he wouldn't stop until he could chase down Orochimaru, and stop him.
Fortunately for Orochimaru, he did manage to finally get away and make sure that he himself was able to relax.
Hiding in a large tree with the sun now rising in the sky, he placed his body against the bark, and routed through the various stuff that he had. Including helpful pills that Kabuto had made with his medical knowledge, he was glad at least Kabuto was useful in that regard, he didn't expect that he'd have to use them like this.
Resting his head against the bark, he began thinking about countermeasures to what happened if he was attacked again.
"From what I saw, it seems that Satsuki-chan didn't have the Mangekyou, at least I don't have to worry about that. But that boy, if he didn't have those eyes I could have gotten the mark on them and left. But with his left eye, he was able to produce that acid that allows him to melt through any substance. And added onto the Susanoo, plus the unknown right eye exclusive ability, whatever that is, I'll have to be extra prepared next time. If I'm to take down the Hokage as well, that boy could be a problem. However, I might have something's that can help me against such an opponent, one of them being a certain woman..."
As Orochimaru thought about it, he felt something coming for him.
He wasn't the best sensor in the world, but he did have enough ability to sense some chakra around him.
He looked around, he hoped it wasn't Garaga that had appeared.
However, what he found it was, was something else entirely.
He saw from up above was a flame shooting down in a stream.
Gritting his teeth, Orochimaru jumped to his feet, and ran forward, avoiding the flames by a few inches.
He looked to see a woman he half expected to see.
"Hmph, so you have come, have you my precious Anko?"
Anko flipped down, taking out a kunai and held it in a reverse grip.
Twirling the kunai in her hand, she stepped forward towards the man aggressively.
"Don't ever call me that again Orochimaru."
Orochimaru ran a hand through his long hair, showing a dismissive attitude.
"You have been chasing after me for so long, but now that you've found me, what are you going to do? Do you think you have the power to kill me?"
"It seems that you're looking terrible, I figure that you've been beaten down hard."
"A temporary set back, I assure you." With his creepy monotone followed by a lick of his lips, Anko felt slightly unnerved. "You came here, without any back up. Without any plan, what do you think you're doing?"
Anko scowled, as she pulled forward.
Looking directly in the eye of Orochimaru, the young woman's face turned more and more angry.
"You targeted my students. How dare you?"
Orochimaru looked at Anko's demeanour, and how she was acting.
He then smirked, finding something he believed he could poke some doubt within her.
"Are you jealous I've found someone new to sink my teeth into? I almost put it on both Uchiha's, you know? A precious Curse Mark that would have been stronger than the one that is on you. Since you're useless to me now, how about I be generous and let you leave without having to dispose of you. I do hate leaving loose ends not tied, but for you Anko, my former student, I'll make an exception this time."
Anko didn't believe him fully.
She felt as if he was bluffing.
He looked tired, his chakra also didn't feel right.
She wished she was Karin so she could know exactly how much chakra Orochimaru had.
But even to her eyes she could see Orochimaru wasn't in the best condition, toppled with what she found out by the letter that the others sent off, she knew that if there was a chance for her to win, then it would be now.
More than that, she felt responsible for what happened, her teammates being targeted, her Genin almost having to suffer the same thing that she had to go through, and how she couldn't guess who Shiore truly was during the time that they had their conversation.
All of it played on Anko's mind, and all of it was causing her to feel more and more guilt, guilt that she wished to get rid of at that moment in time.
"Make an exception, that doesn't sound like you at all. You'd not do that for anyone that you don't find worthy. And more than that, targeting the Uchiha, you are quite low. Considering who that boys Mother is, I'm sickened you'd even try it."
"The past is in the past, this is the future Anko. You've been living in a dream, a fantasy that you wished to have. The Uchiha have eyes that could help my potential reach new heights. A minor set back happened, I'm sure that you're only here because you received word, or did you get the front line knowledge about the boys eyes?"
Anko scowled.
Orochimaru knew too much, and more than that, it was clear that his eyes were set on gaining Ryouta and his eyes.
Something, that she couldn't allow at all.
"What I know, what I don't know, is not your concern. Orochimaru, you've gone too far this time. Those Genin, are my Genin. You might have deemed me as unnecessary, but I'll show you why you don't mess with my Genin, you got that?!"
Anko placed her hands together, while Orochimaru looked on, usually Anko wouldn't be much of an issue to him, but with his weakened state, he knew he'd have to use the mark against her as quickly as possible before Garaga came back.
As that went on, back with the Genin, Ryouta sat down as they began telling him what happened with the Sound Genin and Kabuto, even if they didn't know it was him, and while they spoke, Ryouta looked between each of them.
"Wow...Sakura-chan, you did all that?"
Sakura rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"H-Had to, everyone else pulled their weight, so I pulled my own."
"You did more than that Sakura-chan. You protected us all, and we owe our lives to you, thank you Sakura-chan."
Sakura's cheeks turned slightly red.
"O-Of course, I'd always protect you Ryou-kun!"
Ryouta chuckled lightly.
"That's good, and you got a scroll out of it as well."
Sakura nods.
"It's just what we needed. Though I hope we don't see the Oto guys again."
"I wouldn't worry about that." Satsuki began. "That Zaku was hurt, and with us all here, I doubt that he'd be able to fight again for a good few days, and it would slow down his team, so they wont be able to attack us."
Satsuki's thoughts made sense to Ryouta, and with the Sound not being able to attack anymore, it was clear that they'd be safe for the time being. At least from them, though they did worry about Orochimaru as well but hoped that he was damaged enough.
"Still Sakura-chan, from the sounds of it, you were really awesome. Thank you for protecting us."
Sakura eyes fluttered as she poked her fingers together shyly, mimicking a certain Hyuga.
"N-No, don't worry about it, I just did what I could do..."
While Sakura said it, Ryouta noticed her hair.
"Your hair...it's been cut."
"Oh...you noticed..."
"Yeah, it looks really good on you Sakura-chan."
Sakura's cheeks turned bright red.
"Y-You think?"
"Yeah, definitely. It's cute Sakura-chan."
Sakura giggled lightly as she continued blushing, Karin on the other hand kept thinking about their own time within the forest, and how she believed they didn't have a scroll just yet.
"Haku-chan, Ryou-kun, we also have to think about getting the other scroll or we'll be out of the Chunin Exams and it's been a good while since the exam first started...who knows how many have passed by now. We might have five days, but we also have to think that the others have already gotten their scrolls, and that they'd have to "
Karin murmured, Ryouta blinked.
"You didn't find it on me then?"
"Find what?"
Haku wondered, as Ryouta fished into his belongings, and pulled out the scroll he got from Orochimaru.
Haku and Karin's eyes widened as did the others.
"E-Eeeeh?! You had it all along?! Where did you get that?!"
"Orochimaru had it, so I took it off of him after I damaged him. It isn't like he's gonna need it."
Haku looked relieved and overjoyed at the same time.
"I'm so glad, I was worried we wouldn't be able to make it to the next round."
"But with this scroll, we're gonna make the next round baby! Yahoo!"
Karin cheered out, while Ino clapped her hands together.
"Aah, Ryou-kun you really got yours! We've got our own as well. Got ours from a group weaker than ours, and we used totally awesome traps to get them down! Though, maybe you should be aware, we came across Neji-san and he seems hell bent on trying to fight you."
Ryouta recalled Neji and hpped they didn't come across one another right away.
"Yeah...I should've guessed. He is quite..."
Lee thrusted his hand forward.
"Neji is strong, but I will always be Ryou-kun's personal rival!"
Ryouta lightly laughed, as Shikamaru spoke up.
"So, with someone like that snake guy out there, what do we do? We are technically enemies aren't we? During the Chunin Exams at least."
Ryouta looked towards the others, while Haku shook her head.
"Each of us have our scroll, there's no reason for us to have to separate. We have informed Hokage-sama, so it is in his, and the others hands now. We should just continue on with the exam, and believe that he is handling it for the moment."
Ryouta had to agree with her, though with someone like Orochimaru, he knew he'd have ways to escape somehow. Even if he wanted to be wrong, Orochimaru was the type to simply pull something out and escape.
"She's right, it would be best if we moved together. Plus with the forest armed with some dangerous people, and with all having suffered some chakra loss, to the point like Satsuki-chan and I being nearly drained..."
Ino smiled, she thought that this would be a good chance to finally make a move on Ryouta, while they were alone within the forest.
"Aah, you've got a point Ryou-kun. Shikamaru, Choji, we're staying with them!"
Shikamaru's eyes went towards Ryouta, then towards Ino.
"Oh I get it. So you want to stay to be closer to him. What a drag, I'm glad I don't have to deal with love."
Ino twitched her eyebrow while Ryouta tilted his head.
"What did you say Shikamaru-kun?"
Ino panicked when Ryouta asked that, shaking her head side to side several times.
"No! No! It's nothing at all! Ignore Shikamaru, he's lazy!" Shikamaru scowled as Ino laughed it off. "An-Anyway, it is turning dark, maybe we should set up camp, we also need food, don't we?!"
"Food!" Choji yelled. "Yes! Lets get some food! I'll go to the stream and get the food!"
Shikamaru looked between the girls, seeing a silent stare off between them all.
"I'll go with you."
"Me too! We should all be prepared in case!"
Lee announced, as the three males left together.
Leaving the girls and Ryouta, he chuckled awkwardly at seeing each of them staring at the other.
"So...what should we all do?"
Ryouta asked, but didn't get a reply.
All he saw was the girls staring at the other, no words needing to be used.
But then, a voice could be heard coming from behind them.
"Ugh...is it morning? Is there any ramen…?"
Naruko's sleepy eyes were rubbed by her fingers.
Ryouta and the others looked on, seeing her looking towards them all.
"Eh? Did I miss something?"
They all tilted their heads towards the young girl who still seemed quite clueless as to what was going on.
As that happened, Anko stared down Orochimaru, who did the same thing right back. Tension in the air was thick, his eyes were cold and unforgiving yet playful at the same time, something that wasn't a normal feeling.
"It's funny, isn't it Anko?"
"What is?"
"The fact that you've come to fight me now. Do you think you can beat me in a fight?"
"I heard what happened to you, and what you did Orochimaru. You've caused a lot of problems, and now I have to take you down. Targeting my Genin..."
"Oh yes, I did hear that you became a Sensei, how sweet, following in my footsteps."
Anko's face built with anger.
Her eyes showed that she wasn't messing around with the anger that was deep within her at that moment in time.
"If I did that, then I'd be targeting people for my experiments, and unlike you, I can't do that. I can't allow you to keep going on, so let me fight you now, and then I'll show you something even you will have to believe is coming for you. And that is death."
Hearing the seriousness in her voice, Orochimaru didn't know if he should laugh or not.
"Anko, you know how this is going to go, so let me get it over with now."
Orochimaru did a hand sign, and Anko suddenly felt pain erupting from her Curse Mark.
It caused her to begin to feel sick, her body trembled, as she was brought down to her knees.
"I'm quite tired after the days I've had, so don't bother trying to attack me now. Though if you really wish to help me out, then there's a few things that I can have you do for me."
Orochimaru looked down on Anko who looked back up.
Feeling the pain coming to her more and more, Anko felt enraged.
She felt like she was going to end him.
But with the pain overcoming her, she couldn't truly move that well.
"With the Uchiha boy, perhaps you could teach him some stuff to do with snakes? I believe that would be a good path. Get him prime and ready for me, for when I finally place my mark on him, and take him for myself."
"T-Take him…?"
Orochimaru laughed as if he found the anger on Anko's face rather funny.
"That's right, that boy will be mine. Those eyes, the power he has, the potential he has. He caught me by surprised, and drained me of a lot of chakra. That's why, I am going to be taking that boy with me."
"N-No..."
Anko began shaking.
Her eyes resolved themselves to fight.
But with the pain of her Curse Mark running through her…
No, she wouldn't allow that to stop her.
She couldn't allow it to stop her.
"What's wrong Anko? You're shaking right now, are you angry? Do you regret the fact that you couldn't do a thing to stop me? The Uchiha's power, and my knowledge, it is the ultimate combination. Sorry Anko, but that's how it is."
Anko panted, and growled.
The fact that she was in this situation…
The fact that Ryouta himself was on his target list…
She couldn't let it happen.
She wouldn't let it happen.
Despite the pain she felt, she pulled herself up further and further.
Orochimaru looked surprised, seeing Anko was fighting through the influence of the Curse Mark.
"Your will is stronger..."
Anko's eyes blazed, as she fully stood up.
Her hands did shake, but her fierce determination was clear.
She wouldn't allow Orochimaru to get his hands on her Genin, she couldn't do it.
Standing tall, she looked down Orochimaru who looked back keenly.
"What's this Anko? Ready show me your power?"
Anko, having her best resolve to fight down the Curse Mark, she turned on Orochimaru.
With his weakened state, Anko knew this was the perfect chance to move, so she weaved through some hand signs, and despite how high they were in the trees, Orochimaru saw her placing her hand downwards.
"Earth Release, Earth Flow Spears!"
From down below, the earth changed shapes, and shot up high, skewering through the trees.
"So you've learned how to use Earth Release?"
Orochimaru scowled as he jumped away from the damaging spears only for Anko to fling her hand out, releasing two snakes to try and bind the snake man.
Orochimaru saw them coming so he pulled out a kunai, and sliced through them at high speeds, Anko didn't even pause in her movements however as she came up with several senbons, Orochimaru presumed that she was going to release them towards him.
But she didn't and instead she rushed Orochimaru. Using the senbons like claws, she came in from the right, and slashed at him. Orochimaru dodged, but Anko came at him at full force, slashing left and right, Orochimaru moved backwards as if he was dancing out of the way, but one swing of her hand to managed to slice across his chest, drawing a small amount of blood.
"You've gotten faster Anko, and even more precise. Even with the Curse Mark still taking hold of you, you're fighting me this well. Maybe I made a small mistake. Maybe you are still useful to me."
Anko's eyes snapped onto the snake like human and growled as she dashed forward, extending her foot for the man's face. He bent his neck, avoiding the kick, and then reeled his fist back, sending it for the girl at such speeds even Anko was blind sided.
However, she suspected Orochimaru would do that, so she released two snakes from her sleeves, which wrapped around her, to tank the shot from Orochimaru.
But he also suspected she'd do something like that, so he released snakes from his arms, allowing them to wrap around Anko's own, and drag them down into the wood, freeing his fist to hit Anko from behind, slamming into her back so hard that she went flying into the air.
"Unlike the Uchiha's, I don't have to hold back on you. As I'm not trying to brand you again."
Anko went high into the air, but she rebounded, flipping in the air, landing on a tree hanging upside down, before turning her hands towards Orochimaru's form, shooting out two snakes from her sleeves, which went for Orochimaru.
"Good, neither do I!"
He got into a fighting position, and tightened his hand, before jumping up, and swung his leg like a propeller, kicking the snaked down to the trees, hitting them so hard that Orochimaru thought that they'd be taken out.
As he did fight off the snakes, Orochimaru saw that Anko had finished weaving through some hand signs.
"Earth Release, Flying Thrown Stones!"
Though it was a basic Jutsu, Orochimaru saw attached to the stones were some kunai's.
"Smart, she did some preplanning. Now that's a student of mine. Still, this isn't going to be enough to beat me."
Orochimaru secretly enjoyed seeing Anko doing this.
But as they came, Orochimaru weaved through some hand signs himself, before inhaling deeply.
"Wind Release, Great Breakthrough!"
From his mouth, a huge burst of wind shot forward. The stones that came flying for him were blown away. Anko, from the trees she was on, could feel it shaking from the intense winds, the wood was splintering from him releasing the winds, and she knew this was an Orochimaru that had exhausted a lot of his chakra, so seeing one that would be him at full power, she knew the gap between her and him would be too incredible, so she was thankful that she managed to fight him at this time.
Anko then saw him stopping the winds as the flying stones had been all blown away.
"Impressive, Anko. Seeing you using your head and Jutsu, it seems that you've retained what I've taught you. And you also now are teaching the Uchiha, Yuki girl, and even that girl that can sense to a very fine detail." Anko didn't want him talking about Ryouta, Haku or Karin. "I didn't ever expect that Ryou-kun would have the power to fight me, much less be able to use the Mangekyou Sharingan. A mistake that I will not allow myself fall for next time."
"There wont be a next time."
Anko began as she placed her hands through several hand signs.
Orochimaru was intrigued by what she was doing, so he leaned forward expectedly, not seeing the snakes he batted around before all moving onto his location.
"And what are you going to do? You never had the power to defeat me, even in this state you're still below me."
Anko ignored him, and prepared herself.
"Fire Release, Running Fire!"
Anko spews out flames in the form of a ring, and shoots it like a shuriken for Orochimaru.
He laughs and went to jump away, when he noticed the snakes that she released beforehand opened their mouths, and spat out some paper bombs, surprising Orochimaru that she was able to hide that so well.
"So she did plan ahead..."
He went to move as the snakes shot for him, wrapping around his legs.
Orochimaru in full power would be able to break out of this easily, but with all of the chakra that he has used, he was feeling more and more exhausted, it was harder for him to do it, but he did break free of the snakes, only for the flames to hit the paper bombs that the snakes left behind, igniting and erupting all around him.
Anko watched on as Orochimaru came flying out of the flames, with only very minor burns across his flesh. She was glad that she could do that, though she wished to cause him even more harm that she already had done.
"My, I've been burned a little bit. What an interesting feeling to have."
Anko's face turned into anger.
She didn't like this at all.
In fact, she wished to end him there and then.
"Get back here!"
Anko let out a cry as she shot off the tree, launching herself for Orochimaru, and got before him, taking her senbons between her fingers, and stabbed for his chest, Orochimaru blocked with a swing of his arm, and propelled her arm up into the air, before his foot came up to kick her.
She guarded with her own arm, while twisting around so she was upside down, swinging down her leg on top of Orochimaru's head, smashing into his head and shot him for the fire that was burning brightly below him from Anko's precious attack.
Orochimaru coughed slightly as he thrusted his hand right, shooting out several snakes that wrapped around a tree, taking him to safety while Anko landed on the tree near the fire, as she weaved through some hand signs.
She then tossed her senbons for Orochimaru who landed upside down on a tree, only for Anko to move her fingers, showcasing some wires that were running through the fires, and using some chakra control, caused the fires to run up the wires, and came towards Orochimaru at a good speed.
"I'm running dangerously low on chakra...damn Garaga...even with the Curse Mark hurting her, she's fighting through it to just get to me...she must truly hate my guts...but, it is intriguing that she can resist this much..."
Orochimaru bent his body and sent his neck out to unusually long lengths to try and wrap around the young woman.
Anko however, as the neck did wrap around her form, suddenly disappeared into a cluster of snakes, before the real Anko appeared from behind Orochimaru, her foot going down like a guillotine to smash him as much as she could.
Orochimaru turned and blocked with his arm, but the strength behind Anko's attack did send him smashing through the wood, and down towards the ground.
"Not bad Anko, you've been practising."
Orochimaru complimented, but it was so slimy that Anko didn't like it at all.
She instead shot down, cupping her hands together, before unleashing a stream of fire for Orochimaru.
He laughed, and weaved through some hand signs, and then allowed snakes to come out, protecting him from the intense flames. However, while the flames went on, Anko dashed around him, and then she brought out her kunai, coming in and stabbed into the snakes, cutting all the way down to see Orochimaru stood there with his tongue going out, wrapping around Anko's neck, and lifted her off the ground.
"Even with the practice, you haven't been able to beat me. I'm sorry Anko, it seems all your efforts were for nothing."
Anko looked on as she was being straggled…
But then her body turned to a bunch of snakes that began wrapping around him.
Orochimaru blinked, but then heard a noise behind him, so he turned to see Anko coming in hard and heavy.
He, due to being exhausted, barely had time to react, and received a nasty slash across his right hand side while blasting the snakes off of him with some Wind Release, and Anko's attack managed to draw a good deal of blood.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Anko twirled around as he tried to move out of the way, her foot embedding itself into his body, and sent him flying back into a tree.
Orochimaru grimaced at the feeling, knowing that he usually would have been able to dodge that if he wasn't so fatigued. So now that he did become injured by Anko, he was getting more and more angry.
"Damn it...she managed to cut me...and I know Garaga's coming here, I can feel it...I can't waste time here..."
Placing a hand to his side, Orochimaru saw that Anko was also panting. The effects of the Curse Mark laid heavily on her, so he pushed it even further, and once more activated it, a pulse went through Anko who was brought down to her knees.
Seeing that, he came up, and sent his kick into her upper body, smashing her into a tree.
"Nice effort Anko, you truly did do well. Fighting the Curse Mark that long, it's marvelous. I knew there was a reason why I chose to have you in this experiment of mine. Seeing your potential, perhaps I should have taken you with me when I left after all. You could've been useful to me."
Anko pulled herself out of the tree.
She tried to move, but the pain increased to the point that she wouldn't be able to keep going forward.
She leaned on bended knee before Orochimaru, clutching the area her Curse Mark was.
"I can't give up...I can't stop yet..."
"But you must Anko, give up. Just think, you'll be able to share with Ryou-kun about your Curse Mark. Both of you will be special to me."
Anko shook her head again and again.
She couldn't allow this to continue happening.
She wouldn't allow it.
But with the pain increasing to places that he couldn't fathom it being too much.
"Orochimaru..."
Anko glared hard for the man before her.
Everything he did...she truly hated him.
She then saw Kabuto come to his side, and stand beside him. Though he was cloaked, and she couldn't see his face, she knew if Orochimaru had him with him, he'd be quite talented and with her in her current state, realization came over her that she wasn't going to be able to win this fight.
"Orochimaru-sama, I am sorry but I couldn't get the boy or the girl."
Anko heard what he said, and was relieved.
Because it was the fact that Orochimaru didn't get what he wanted, she could see that he was scowling.
"...It seems that you've failed me."
"I am sorry..."
"It matters not, we will have other chances."
Anko watched as Orochimaru stood together with his comrade Kabuto, and now that he was there, she knew that she'd not win against both, especially with the fact that her body was being brought down by the Curse Mark.
Orochimaru however simply flicked his hand towards her, and showed a mixture of a pleased, yet condescending expression on his face.
His hand placed itself on the right hand side of her face, and lightly stroked her face, making her feel sickened.
"Orochimaru..."
"Listen to me Anko, tell the old man not to stop the Chunin Exams."
Anko found it suspicious that he'd want that.
"Why? What's it got to do with you?"
"Because of what's been going on, I've become interested in the potential growth of a few individuals. So it would be in your best interests if the exams weren't cancelled."
Though he said it in a casual manner, Anko knew deep down that he simply was saying it because he had power, and when he came back, he could cause a lot of damage. Even though she believed in the Third Hokage, she knew Orochimaru was deadly powerful, and if he could cause a lot of problems then he would do.
"...You're disgusting."
"Mehehe...thank you my precious Anko. Remember, don't cancel the exam. Oh yes, tell Ryou-kun that we'll meet again. And next time, I'll be ready for his eyes, then he'll receive my mark, so will Satsuki-chan. Two Uchiha's, I'm spoiled for choice."
With an ominous voice, accomplished by the smirk on his face, Orochimaru went to leave, when Garaga came shooting for him.
His eyes widened, his body reacted slower than normal.
"Shit..."
Orochimaru saw that the path he went to take was blocked with Garaga spewing out his venom in large quantities.
Anko saw the giant snake, and knew she had to do something.
Even if she was in pain...
She placed her shaky hand out, and caused snakes to shoot out.
Kabuto saw them coming, and tried to cut them down, when Anko took a dango stick that she had, infused some chakra into it, and shot it from her mouth like a bullet, Kabuto blocked that, but because he did, the snakes slid by, and grabbed the attempting to jump Orochimaru, who was wrestled down to the ground.
"NO! ANKO!"
Orochimaru yelled, seeing Garaga coming in so fast.
"Have that...you bastard."
Anko panted hard and heavy, as Garaga's teeth came down to bite Orochimaru.
He summoned a sword, and sliced through the snakes, but because of Anko, Garaga's teeth pierced Orochimaru's right shoulder, sinking deeply into his body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Orochimaru let out a howl as he slashed at Garaga with his blade, and ripped his body away from Garaga, Anko saw that Orochimaru was bleeding profusely, while also being unable to move his right arm. The hole in his body couldn't stop bleeding, Orochimaru felt his vision becoming blurry.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
Kabuto grabbed him, and together they shot off, while throwing some smoke bombs towards Garaga, but he yelled "Coward!" while spitting out his venom all through the smoke, but they managed to dodge it albeit with the venom coming inches to them.
"GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD!"
Anko couldn't move as Garaga chased down Orochimaru who Anko knew now wouldn't be able to go after the others, he was too injured to do so.
She did feel frustrated that she couldn't fully stop him.
But at least...she was able to make sure her Genin didn't have to worry about being chased by Orochimaru.
She fell on her face, the pain of the Curse Mark becoming very painful.
But she grit her teeth, and fought it the best she could...
She wouldn't allow Orochimaru to keep hindering her.
Later on, having been told about Naruko's seal, he pulled her to the side, and went into a quieter part of the woods, while staying relatively close enough so they could go back at a moments notice, but also far enough so they could speak together.
He also knew about the Nine Tails, and had to wonder if Orochimaru had done anything to her seal.
"Naruko-chan, this might be an odd request, but could I see the place Orochimaru hit with you that seal please?"
"Eeh! Sure, I don't mind!"
Naruko casually pulled up her jacket, and shirt, exposing her flat stomach.
His eyes went towards her, seeing that she was grinning like a cat.
"What?"
He wondered, Naruko pulled out her tongue.
"I'm just happy, that's all~"
"What about?"
"Hehehe, that we're able to go together!"
Ryouta lightly smiled, as he placed a hand to her stomach.
She shivered at the touch, as he ran his fingers slowly across her torso.
"Yeah, me too. I worried about you Naruko-chan, and this Orochimaru guy did something. I hope he didn't do anything to the Nine Tails seal, maybe make it worse or give the Nine Tails more control over you or something."
Naruko's face paled.
She didn't even think about that.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh! W-Wait, if he did, is the Nine Tails gonna take over?! Ryou! You've got to help me!"
Ryouta placed his hand out, as a seal appeared across the young girls stomach.
Naruko looked down, seeing it and tilted her head in wonder.
"It's alright, I'll do my best to help out." Ryouta pulled out a scroll, and released the contents of it, which was a bigger scroll. "This is a scroll of different seals. As you can see, quite large, so carrying it within a smaller one is best."
"T-That will be able to help me? Would it have the seal thingy in there?"
"I hope so, it's a number of seals Hokage-sama had said that he'd allow me to look over, and learn if I was so interested. Maybe I could find the one that Orochimaru gave you. So until then, you can sit down and relax."
"R-Right!"
Naruko sat down and watched as Ryouta took looks at her stomach, and at the scroll as he read his way through it.
Naruko looked at the seals, and she didn't quite understand them all.
"Ugh...how do you understand these things Ryou? I can't at all."
"They are difficult, and using them is also difficult, showing how strong that Orochimaru guy is."
"Yeah...scary guy, he was definitely weird."
Ryouta couldn't agree more, if he didn't come across Orochimaru again then it would be too soon.
Ryoiuta continued looking through the seals, and kept saying things like "No..." or "This isn't it..." while Naruko kept her eyes on the young man himself, seeing how he was dedicated to helping her out the best way that he could do.
About five minutes went by, and nothing came of what he did…
But then, Ryouta clapped his hands together.
"Okay, maybe it's this one..."
"R-Really? You've found it? You can reverse it?"
Ryouta hummed as he read through the seals information.
"Yes, I think it's the Five Elements Seal, adding to your own Four Symbol Seal Hokage-sama taught me about...I think Orochimaru probably did intend to cause you to not have access to the Nine Tails chakra, and it might even effect your current chakra control."
"That snake bastard!"
Ryouta chuckled lightly.
"Yes, he is quite the bastard. But, this seal can be undone."
"Yes! I knew you could!"
Naruko rushed Ryouta, and hugged him around his neck, brushing faces with the young boy again and again. As she did, Ryouta heard her purring, it was a rather cute thing from her, that he began blushing as a result of her doing that.
"However, it is a difficult thing to achieve, the seal is complex."
Naruko hung her head down.
"So...you can't?"
"I'd have to try it before saying yes, but I do know right now I don't have the chakra. And even if I can't, I can show this to Hokage-sama who would be able to unlock the seal on your body. I'm sorry Naruko-chan, I wish I could take it off for you right now. But I promise that it wont cause any permanent damage to your body, it isn't a seal that's designed to do stuff like that."
Naruko blinked, then shook her head.
"No, Ryou! Don't feel like that at all! The fact that you always keep helping me...it means so much to me. You don't know how much it means to me, Ryou...thanks very much."
Ryouta lightly smiled, glad that Naruko was still being as upbeat and positive as she always was.
"No, it's alright, I'll keep looking into it to see if it is possible before we reach the tower, and get as much for Hokage-sama as possible. I don't know fully if he knows of this or not, but he is a very smart man so he'd pick this up way easy."
"Hehehehe, that old man is smart! Still Ryou, I'm..." Ryouta felt her hand enter his own. "...I'm really happy you're here...going through the forest together, with you."
Ryouta was surprised by her sudden emotional speak.
It also caused him to lightly blush as she held onto his hand.
He then looked towards her eyes, seeing Naruko staring back at him with a bright smile.
But he also saw that her own cheeks were slightly red as well.
Later on, settling down for the night, Ryouta looked at the sky, as he mulled over what had happened, with Orochimaru, with Shisui and the woman.
He placed a hand over his eyes, and rubbed them.
"Though I have lost a little light from using Mangekyou, my eyes are still very usable...I need to be prepared for when Orochimaru comes back..." Shaking his head, he looked to the others that were asleep for the moment. "Still, I'm glad that he didn't have the chance to do that Curse Mark...I don't even know what that thing would do..." As he thought about it, his mind drifted to Anko, and he remembered her Curse Mark. "Anko-sensei never did tell us about how she got hers, and she also has a connection to snakes...as did Orochimaru...I can see why she'd not be ready to tell us if that was him that did that to her. I wonder what she'll feel when she learns he's here..."
He thought about Anko and hoped that she was alright.
He presumed she would have been informed about Orochimaru and if they did indeed have a connection...
He then released a breath, and continuing thinking.
"Now with us all here, we'd be safer in a group. I wish we could meet up with Hinata-sans group, Karin-chan said that her group is quite far from us and is also heading for the tower. They must have their second scroll, I'm glad for them. Now we have ours, we all can head towards the tower as well, I hope Hokage-sama can stop Orochimaru..."
As he thought about it, Haku came walking closer, and stood beside him.
"Can't sleep Ryou-kun?"
Ryouta shook his head.
"I should do, but I keep thinking about what happened with Orochimaru, and this forest..."
"It's been quite wild, but Ryou-kun, you protected us."
Ryouta smiled.
"We all pulled together."
"Yes we did...Ryou-kun, I'm glad you're awake. I truly was worried about you when you slept."
"I'm sorry for worrying you."
Haku shook her head several times.
"No, don't worry about that. Ryou-kun, now we've got our scroll, we should head to the tower, right? So we can pass to the next round of the exams."
"Yeah, we'll all discuss it tomorrow. Lee-kun will have to go with his team, Karin-chan said that they were getting close so they could find us tomorrow."
"Right..."
Ryouta saw that something was on her mind so he pulled closer, placing a hand on top of her own.
"What is it Haku-chan? I can tell something is off."
Haku looked towards him, and offered a small smile.
"Ryou-kun, I was thinking about Orochimaru, and what his intentions were with you. With this Curse Mark he wished to give you. I hold your life in the same regard as Zabuza-sama, because of what you've done for me. If Orochimaru had done anything to you..."
Ryouta looked on, seeing how Haku was shaking.
His hand grabbed her own, and held onto it.
Her eyes went towards his own, seeing his comforting smile being brought towards her.
"Don't worry Haku-chan, I wont let the snake guy do anything to me, or anyone if I can help it."
Haku watched on for a few moments, before she pulled in closer.
Her hand brushed his face, before she quietly kissed him.
He smiled into the kiss, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, ending up sitting on his lap.
He stroked the back of her head as their kiss came to an end, and relaxed on his lap.
"I like sitting here...it's so comfortable."
"Hehe...I'm glad Haku-chan."
He watched as she placed her head against his shoulder.
Soon, he could see that her eyes were beginning to close.
Ryouta didn't say anything as Haku drifted off to sleep.
He smiled down at her, and laid her down on the ground, while he himself laid back, closing his eyes.
Finally...he could relax a little bit, before going to the next part of the exam.
End chapter!
This chapter involved a good bit of Anko going after Orochimaru the best she could, and even fighting through the influence of the Curse Mark all so she could stop him. While not completely stopping him, she managed to deliver a good injury together with Garaga. Meanwhile, Ryouta's now awake and catching up with the others. Checking on his eyes, losing some light, but not enough to make him blind or even close to it. Even attempting to help Naruko with the seal that was placed on her, and then having a small moment with Haku at the end, and now are heading for the tower all together!
There's also a poll on my profile for those who wish to check it out and thank you to everyone who already have voted!
Well, until next time, thanks for reading!
Ryouta; Satsuki, Sakura, Naruko, Hinata, Gaara (fem), Ino, Haku (fem), Kurotsuchi, Karin, Konan, Mei, Anko, Samui, Hanabi,