Naruto swallowed and they nodded to each other. "Alright then, let's open them now."

Sakura and Naruto slowly unrolled the scroll, millimeter by millimeter, until finally opening it completely in a single, fluid motion as Sasuke watched carefully. Their eyes widened at the seals and Naruto squinted and leaned closer to look.

"Huh? What's this?"

"A man? A person?" Sakura blinked and read the kanji within the seal.

Sasuke's eyes widened further when the kanji bubbled and swelled, then emitted smoke. "This is... a Summoning Jutsu!" He stepped back. "Naruto! Sakura! Drop the scrolls, quickly!"

"Huh?"

"Right!"

They tossed the scrolls across the room and the smoke continued to billow out and fill the area. As it cleared, a figure could be seen through the cloud and they narrowed their eyes to see.

"W-What?!" Naruto's eyes widened and the corners of his gaping mouth lifted in a small smile.

"Y-You...?" Sasuke blinked in recognition and Sakura stared.

"I-Iruka-sensei?!"

"Hello, you three." Iruka's eyes opened up and he smiled at them and crossed his arms. "It's been a long time."

"What's going on?" Sakura stepped forward and asked.

"Judging by your appearance, you guys have had a rough time, right?"

"What?!" Naruto shook his head quickly. "Why did you get summoned when we opened the scrolls, ya know?"

"At the end of this second part of the exam, we Chunin are to welcome the test-takers. I just happened to be given the important task of being the messenger for you guys." He walked towards them several steps and Sakura blinked.

"Messenger?" She repeated.

Iruka reached into his pocket to take out a pocket watch and flipped it open to look at the time before sighing. "Just in time." He closed the watch and then smiled at them. "Listen up, everyone. Congratulations on making it through the second stage of the Chunin Exam."

"We... passed?" Naruto mumbled under his breath as he thought.

"To celebrate your passing, I'd like to treat you to some Ichiraku ramen, but..."

"Hooray!" Naruto grinned and jumped up to hug Iruka tightly. "I did it!"

"H-Hey, Naruto!" Iruka looked down at him as he was squeezed tightly. "Listen to the rest of what I have to say!"

"Hooray! Hooray!" Naruto cheered and continued to squeeze him tightly. He released Iruka and pumped his fists into the air. "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen, ya know! I haven't had it in so long!" His eyes widened and he beamed at Iruka. "Say, say! Natsumi can join us, right?! I can't wait to see her again and tell her everything that happened! I did a great job! I'm the greatest! I'm on my way to be a Chunin! I can't wait to have some ramen with Natsumi again, ya know!"

Iruka sighed quietly and only smiled as he watched the blond, and Sakura suddenly dropped to the floor with a heavy sigh.

"It's over... we can finally rest."

Sasuke sat down heavily, closing his eyes as he sighed. "He's got too much energy, after all that."

Naruto leaped into the air and looked at them. "Yay! We did it, guys! Show more enthusiasm!"

"Quiet!" Sakura groaned. "We're too exhausted to celebrate."

"Man, you're still the same as ever, Naruto." Iruka chuckled and rubbed his head.

"Hmph." Sasuke smirked slightly and tilted his head down. "I see."

"What?" Sakura looked over to him, and Sasuke looked back up at Iruka.

"So, if we had looked at the scroll in the middle of the exam, what were you going to do, Iruka-sensei?"

"Huh?" Naruto scratched his head and turned to look at him.

"Sasuke, you're as sharp as ever." Iruka smiled and picked up the scrolls from the ground, then held It up for them to see the blank seal. "You're right. The rules of the exam were to test your conclusive mission execution ability. To put it in simple terms, in the case of the scrolls being opened prematurely..."

"What would have happened?" Sakura asked. -

"Heh." Iruka's mouth twitched in a smirk. "I was ordered to knock the rule-breaking test-takers out and ensure they remained incapacitated until the exam concluded."

"Good thing you didn't open the scroll." Sasuke smirked and looked over at Naruto and Sakura, who both paled and grimaced.

"Kabuto, thank you!" Naruto gulped and clasped his hands together in prayer as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"That was so close." Sakura wiped her forehead with her arm. She let out a short breath and then looked back at Iruka.

"Oh, yeah. Sensei?"

"What is it?"

"By the way, what does that message on the wall mean?" She pointed to the cryptic writing. "They're kind of vermiculated we I don't understand the meaning at all."

"Nevermind that, Sakura!" Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "We passed, ya know!"

Her eye twitched slightly and Iruka scratched his cheek.

"Actually, explaining that is yet another of my duties."

"Really?" Naruto crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side.

"Really." Iruka nodded and placed his hands in his pockets before looking over his shoulder at the writing. "Give it another read. This is the Chunin creed that the Second Hokage has passed down."

"Creed?" Naruto squinted and their eyes rose to it.

"That's right!" Iruka explained. "'Heaven' In this text refers to the human mind, while 'Earth' is the human body."

"Hm..." Naruto tilted his head to the other side and Iruka let out a breath. "If 'Heaven' does not exist, enrich your knowledge, and prepare for the chance. In other words," He smiled and turned to the blond. "If your weaknesses are inside your head, Naruto, you must learn various logic and strategy in preparing for your missions."

Sakura covered her mouth to stifle a small laugh and Naruto made a face.

"Hmph. So annoying."

"If 'Earth' does not exist," Iruka turned to Sakura. "run through the fields in search of an advantage. If your weaknesses are in your physical strength, Sakura, it means you must harden your body and not slack off in your daily training."

"R-Right..." She laughed sheepishly and averted her eyes.

"And, if you then combine 'Heaven' and 'Earth,' any perilous mission is sure to be met with success. In conclusion, what can also be called a creed, will also be the recipe for a safe mission."

"Then, what about that spot with the missing letter?" Sakura pointed again.

"That letter refers to Chunin." He smiled and held up the scroll again. "The one letter for 'person' that was on this Seal goes there. These past five days of survival were to test the candidates' fundamental abilities as Chunin, and you three managed to clear it in your own way." Iruka lowered the scroll and looked between them. "A Chunin is of unit-leader class, and, as such, they have the responsibility of leading a team. Be more deeply aware of the necessity of both physical strength and also knowledge. I want you to take the next step and move forward without forgetting this important creed." He paused and smiled again. "That is all that I was supposed to tell you."

"I got it!" Naruto straightened and gave the teacher a salute as he beamed, but his expression fell as Iruka frowned slightly.

"As for the final part of the exam, don't push yourselves too hard. Especially you, Naruto. You're the one that I worry about the most."

"Iruka-sensei." Naruto lowered his arm and interrupted, then smirked and thumbed at himself. "From the moment I received his headband from you, I was no longer your student, ya know? There's nothing to worry about!" He tapped the forehead protector. "This is proof that I'm a full-fledged Ninja, right? I might still be reckless and a knucklehead and haven't changed much, but I'm not a kid anymore! I'm now... a Ninja!"

They stared at each other unblinkingly for several moments until Iruka smiled again.

"I see. I'm sorry for doubting you, Naruto." He scratched his head. "In truth, I requested to be the one to give you this message, thinking that I knew you best since you were all my students and that you weren't yet ready for this exam, so I was prepared to try to break it to you gently. However..." He lowered his arm and it rested at his side. "I see now that you have grown a lot and that I underestimated you."

"Heh." Naruto rubbed his nose with a grin. "It's as I said, ya know! We've all come this far together, and become great Ninja, and an even better team. There's nothing to worry about."

Iruka watched them with a soft expression and nodded to himself. "The one who might truly understand the strength of these kids might actually be you, Kakashi."

Anko sat on the sofa in front of the security monitors with her coat slid off of her left shoulder as she kept a hand over the mark on the base of her neck. She gritted her teeth and massaged it as pain pulsed through. Izumo and Kotetsu stood at either side behind the sofa, and Hiruzen stood in front of her, blocking part of the monitor from view with his body.

She winced as he watched her and lowered her eyes to rest on the floor.

"How is it now?" Hiruzen frowned with his pipe between his teeth. "Does the Curse Mark still hurt as it did before?"

"Not as much." Anko sat straighter and lifted her gaze as she slid her coat over her shoulder once more. "Thanks to you, it's gotten quite a bit better."

"Anyway, Orochimaru is one of the Leaf's Sannin." Kotetsu glanced towards Anko's mark. "He's an S-ranked rogue Shinobi in the bingo book who even our best ANBU can't touch. I'd heard rumor that he had already died, but..." He paused and looked back at the Hokage as Izumo spoke up.

"Why would he come back to the village now?"

Anko's hand balled into a fist as a memory surfaced in her mind and she clenched her jaw and furrowed her brows. "It's..."

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back and Anko quickly looked up at him.

"Huh? How did you—?"

"Anko!" A man's voice came through security and they all turned to view the monitors, where a Chunin stood in the center. "Twenty-one examinees have completed the second-stage of the exam. As for the third exam, according to the regulations of the Chunin Exams, preliminaries are being planned for the first time in five years. Thus concludes the second exam."

Anko's eyes widened and Hiruzen looked over at her from the corner of his eye before turning to face her. "For the time being, we continue the exams as-is while keeping a careful eye on his movements."

"Right." Anko nodded.

Natsumi groaned as she rubbed her eyes and sipped the tea before it cooled, ignoring the way it burned her tongue. Sena sat beside her, healing what scrapes and cuts remained in silence. Hasu sat nearby, a book open on the table in front of him, though his attention was on the redhead instead.

"Thanks, Sena." Natsumi smiled faintly and looked at her over her shoulder. "I'm sorry that we woke you up so early."

"Oh, don't say that." Sena returned the smile and tilted her head slightly. "I love early mornings." She rested her hands in her lap and patted the younger girl's shoulder. "Besides, I am always here for a friend in need."

Kiri slid open the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her as she sat with a heavy breath.

"Well, that's that."

"How's Ena doing?" Natsumi asked. "Is she alright?"

Kiri nodded and poured herself a cup of tea, then drank it down in a single gulp as Sena frowned.

"Hey, that's medicinal tea for Natsumi."

"But it smelled so good." Kiri set the cup down and winked. "Ena's in good health, and one of the Yamanaka already looked at her mind. There are gaps in her memory, but there doesn't seem to be any permanent harm. She'll be back to normal in a few days, they think."

"What a relief." Sena sighed.

"It's still a concern that we have no information on who attacked you or targeted Ena, but at least you're both okay." Kiri nodded. "All that's left is to repair the damage done and make up a story about demolition work to mask the disturbance."

Natsumi snorted. "It can't really be that easy to fool everyone."

Kiri laughed under her breath and Sena shrugged.

"It works more than you would think."

"Isn't it wrong to lie to the villagers?" Hasu frowned.

Kiri shrugged. "I'm not one for lying, but there are times when it's better to keep secrets. We don't even know fully what happened or who that enemy that Natsumi fought was, so getting people in a panic without answers would only cause more harm than good."

"Perhaps that's true, but it still seems deceptive." Hasu sighed and Natsumi pressed her lips together.

I wonder if he'd think less of me if he knew just how much I was hiding.

Kiri rested her elbows on the table and her cheek in her hand. "So, Hasu, you're really into all things Ninja, right?"

He blinked, glancing down at his book, and then closed it slowly. "...I do find the Shinobi lifestyle intriguing. Why do you ask?"

Kiri's lips twitched in a smirk and she looked at Natsumi from the corner of her eye. "...The old man told me that the exam is officially over now. A certain blond kid made it to the tower just in time."

Natsumi's eyes widened. "Naruto passed?"

Kiri laughed loudly and prodded the girl's cheek. "He's your bother; of course he did. Did you think that he wouldn't?"

"No, of course I knew he could." Natsumi gently swatted her hand away as she smiled. "I'm just glad he's okay." She sighed and leaned back, smiling at the ceiling. "I bet he's jumping around for joy right now and talking about ramen."

"Probably." Sena laughed softly. "Maybe I should make him something as congratulations for passed the second stage. Surviving that long in the Forest of Death is not an easy thing to do." She paused again and then snapped her fingers. "I know! I'll make you guys some homemade ramen. I'm sure he'd enjoy that after all of his efforts."

Natsumi's stomach growled and she touched her stomach. "That does sound good."

"Anyway..." Kiri smirked wryly and leaned closer to Natsumi. "A little bird also told me that a large number of candidates made it through, so they're holding a round of preliminary fights to determine who gets to go on to the final stage."

"Preliminaries?" Natsumi bit her lip and shifted. "When?"

"The old man decided to give everyone a few hours to rest while everything was prepared." Kiri paused and chuckled, then pointed at her girl. "...You're itching to go see your brother, huh?"

Natsumi's cheeks warmed and she cleared her throat. "U-Uh..."

Kiri laughed again and waved her hand. "Aw, don't be embarrassed! Brothers are the best thing in the world." Her smiled faltered and she rested her hand in her chin. "It so happens that a wonderful friend of yours negotiated with the Hokage to let you go watch the prelims."

Natsumi froze in place with her eyes wide and her mouth gaping and Kiri grinned.

"And, I also negotiated that Hasu gets to go, too."

Hasu froze with the same expression, and a quiet sound came from Natsumi, starting out quietly and then quickly growing into a loud squeal as she leaped up and hugged her tightly.

"Kiri, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You mean, I get to witness preliminary matches in the Chunin Exam with my own eyes?" Hasu glanced between his book— The Legacy of the Second Hokage— and scooted closer to the table. "May I really?"

"Of course." Kiri nodded and crossed her arms. "I'm that great, after all." She paused and held up a hand. "Of course, getting to the tower is dangerous, so I'm supposed to escort you—"

"I've gotta go get ready!" Natsumi hurried out of the room, and Kiri stared blankly at where she had been.

"I wasn't even done explaining yet."

"She's just excited." Sena smiled and nudged Kiri. "She's been so worried about her brother, so of course she's jumping at the opportunity to see him."

"Yeah." Kiri nodded and rested her arms on the table. "I remember dropping everything like that whenever my brother came back from a mission." She smiled down at her arms. "He usually brought me back little souvenirs."

Sena watched her quietly, then sighed and rested her own elbows on the table. "Seeing them together makes me a little jealous. It'd be nice to have someone at home to greet me when I get back."

"Hey!" Kiri stuck out her tongue. "I'm there almost every day."

"Yes, you are." Sena laughed. "Taking up all the space on my bed, eating all my food..."

"Jerk." Kiri laughed and mussed her hair. "But you're adorable, so I'll forgive you."

"If you'll excuse me, I'll go get ready as well."

Hasu stood, taking his book with him, and then bowing his head before he hurried out, and Kiri snorted.

"He's a nerd."

"Kiri, be nice." Sena smiled. "It's good to have an outsider like him around, especially as a friend for Natsumi. It gives her an opportunity to get a break from the usual."

Kiri nodded. "I know, I know."

"Um..."

The sliding door behind them opened and Kanna stepped inside, lacing her fingers together nervously.

"Oh, hey Kanna." Kiri waved.

"I overheard you talking about watching the matches, and..." She sucked in a breath. "I want to go, too!"

Kiri turned to her and patted her head, frowning. "Sorry, kiddo. The Forest's just too dangerous, and Lord Third wants you to stay here and stay safe."

"But..." Kanna looked down. "I'm going to be a Ninja someday, too, and that place is where Anko is. Can't I come, too?"

Kiri shook her head. "I'm sorry. Maybe next time."

Kanna sighed and Sena stood, then bent at the waist to meet her eyes.

"I know it might not be as fun as watching matches, but wouldn't you like to bake something with me? I have the best snickerdoodle recipe."

Kanna's eyes widened, nearly sparkling, and she smiled. "Really? I love those!"

"Really." Sena put her hands on the girl's shoulders, gently leading her out of the room, giving Kiri a wink over her shoulder.

Kiri tapped her fingers on the table in silence before she reached behind her ear, gently revealing the small, hidden braid where the worn red ribbon was woven in. She stared at it a moment before bringing it to her lips gently and closing her eyes. Hiding the braid back in her hair, she eyed the remaining tea in the cup, looked around, and then quickly gulped it down. She set the cup down with a satisfied smirk and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"That's some damn good tea."

"Natsumi, slow down!" Kiri laughed as the girl went ahead.

"No, you catch up!" Natsumi stuck her tongue out over her shoulder and Kiri rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be escorting you!" Kiri let out a short breath and looked at Hasu from the corner of her eyes as she carried him on her back. "How are you doing, your highness?"

"W-Well..." Hasu smiled sheepishly. "Despite the fact that we are dozens of meters off the ground, we narrowly avoided enormous leeches only moments ago, and that I'm being carried as a child would be... I believe I might actually be enjoying this."

Kiri laughed and then exaggerated a pout. "Aw, you didn't get my pun."

"No, I did understand it." He averted his eyes to avoid glancing at the ground rushing by down below. "...I'm simply attempting to ignore how high we are."

She snorted to stifle a laugh and turned ahead. "Don't worry; I've got you. I won't let anything happen."

As she jumped to another branch, a large serpent lashed out and snapped its jaws at them. Hasu's eyes widened, and Kiri's narrowed as she dodged and landed on a higher branch.

"Damn. They're just as big as I remember."

"You mean to say that they're normally that size?" Hasu stared at the reptile as it hissed and turned to look at their new position.

"Here? Yes. Now hold on."

She dodged a second strike and he gripped her shoulders tightly.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

The snake ascended the tree by wrapping its body around the thick trunk of the tree and winding upward and Kiri bent her knees slightly in preparation to jump once again. A seal activated and glowed in front of her feet on the branch, and Natsumi appeared in the empty space with her Ninjato drawn.

"Natsumi?"

The snake reached their level and flicked its tongue at them, hissing low and loudly, and the sound reverberated through the branch. Natsumi shot a glare at the animal and the twisting of her stomach brought acid to her throat.

I sensed it coming, and, now that it's right in front of me, it feels almost as strong as the Resonance.

"Natsumi—"

"Shh." Natsumi remained in place as the serpent lifted its head to look between them all. After a moment, it drew closer— close enough for its tongue to brush the redhead's cheek— and then slowly withdrew away and slithered off to the ground below.

Natsumi clutched at her chest and let out the breath she'd been holding, then looked down at her shaking hands as her heart continued to pound in her ears.

It's gone. Thank goodness.

"Natsumi, how'd you do that?" Kiri walked closer, and the girl blinked and rubbed her head.

"I-I guess it didn't feel like trying to eat someone that could cut it from the inside."

"There was a saying among my people. 'One snake recognizes another.'"

Natsumi shuddered slightly and bit her lips at the words that echoed in her mind.

Is that why it left? Did it recognize me as one of its own?

Kiri frowned slightly and then tapped her head with her fist. "Come on and stop spacing out. I thought you were in a hurry?"

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly and she nodded quickly. "R-Right!"

She turned to move and Kiri touched her shoulder.

"How'd you manage to get a seal here and make it in time?"

Natsumi rubbed the back of her head and averted her eyes. "Hey, you were just reminding me to hurry." She jumped ahead to the next tree with a sigh.

That was close. I don't want to her know that...

Kiri puffed her cheeks and furrowed her brows as she followed the girl and stared at the back of her head.

"...she's been here before."

They reached the tower and Kiri set Hasu down and he stretched, then dusted off his shirt and hair to remove small leaves that had gotten a ride. He bent back slightly to look up at the tower and whistled.

"This is quite an impressive structure. Did you know that the man who was hired by the Second Hokage to design it was Arata Hasegawa? From what I have read, he was so stubborn and persistent about hiring others to assist him with the project, for fear that they would make an error, so he only allowed his two brothers to help him."

"Three men built this whole thing?" Natsumi looked up the tower. "Really?"

"It took them nearly four years to complete it." Hasu nodded. "Additionally—"

A small bell tolled and Kiri cleared her throat, then pointed to the door. "I hate to interrupt this fascinating bit of historical knowledge, but the matches are going to start soon."

"Oh!" Hasu rubbed his head and smiled. "Of course. Let's go inside."

"This way." Kiri waved her hand and they followed her inside. They passed several rooms where the Genin candidates waited, separated according to Village of Origin, and Kiri peered into a room before stepping inside.

The room was small but large enough to fit the three-man squads with adequate space between them as they rested. Most sat on the floor with their back against the wall and their eyes closed in a half-asleep state, while other teammates talked quietly amongst themselves.

Choji clutched at his stomach and looked upward at the ceiling. "I'm so hungry. Can't we have lunch?"

Ino sighed and crossed her arms as she turned to him. "Honestly, how can you even think of eating at a time like this?" She sighed again, this time heavier, and closed her eyes. "And to think... When we reached the tower, I thought that we could finally rest. But now we have to jump into fighting again."

"The proctor was gracious enough to give us a few hours to rest beforehand; what else do you want?" Shikamaru waved his hand slightly and mumbled.

"A shower would be nice." Ino cracked an eye and looked at him.

"And lunch." Choji's stomach growled and Shikamaru sighed.

"I suppose they could have at least given us a game of some kind while we waited, seeing as there's nothing else to do."

Neji sat with his back against the wall, one knee up with his arm resting on it, with his eyes closed. Tenten sat nearby sitting cross-legged as she spun a Kunai absentmindedly around her index. Lee stood in a rigid stance, stretching and punching the air with his brows furrowed.

"Take it easy, Lee." Tenten looked up at him. "Save your energy for the matches."

"Leave him be." Neji opened his eyes and turned to her. "Knowing him, he'll still have plenty of stamina."

Tenten sighed and stopped spinning the Kunai. "Yeah, you're right. Seeing him train is only adding to my anxiety, though."

Lee ignored their conversation and continued to practice his form. "I won't relax for even a second. If luck is with me, I will be matched with either Sasuke or Neji." He glanced towards his rivals from the corner of his eye. "I'll prove to them all that a genius of hard work can surpass even them and move on to the finals. If I am able to do that, Sakura is sure to accept my affection."

Kiba looked down at the small dog that laid against his chest underneath his jacket and frowned slightly. Akamaru opened his eyes to look up at him, and Kiba patted his head. "Akamaru's still completely spooked. Not that I can blame him at all..." He clenched his jaw. "Damn it. What'll we do if we get paired up with that monster in a fight? We have the pride of the Village to think about, but I'd rather just concede and be a coward than die at his hands." He met the dogs' eyes again and he sighed. "The only hard part about that will be dealing with my mom when she finds out that I gave up."

Shino stood near his teammates with one hand in his pocket and the other out in front of him. A small insect flew in from the doorway and hovered over his palm for a moment before flying in different shapes. "I see. The preparations are complete and our team captains have assembled. It will begin soon, then."

Hinata sat beside Kiba and fidgeted with faux fur of her sleeve cuffs as she looked around the room. "Everyone is so anxious, and poor Akamaru is still so afraid. I hope everything will be okay."

"I wonder how much longer they're going to make us wait." Sakura sat on the floor, hugging her knees as she pressed her lips together. "My nerves are going crazy and I don't see how any of us can fight right now. We're all too worn out." She glanced to where Sasuke sat nearby along the same wall, gritting his teeth as he clutched the mark on his neck. "Then there's Sasuke's condition. It'd be better if someone could look at him right away. He's in no position to fight right now."

Sasuke caught her staring from the corner of his eye, then lowered his arm slightly and unclenched his jaw, averting his eyes. "I'm fine."

"He says that, but it's clearly been bothering him since we've been sitting here waiting. Can't they at least postpone the matches until tomorrow?" She looked at Naruto, who was sitting at her other side, talking to himself under his breath as he polished his headband with his sleeve. "And, Naruto, too. e used up so much Chakra before. I don't know how he's got so much energy now, but he shouldn't fight yet, either." Her eyes rose and she looked around the room. It's the same for everyone. We've all pushed ourselves to the limits these past five days. There's not much else we can do."

"Psst! Naruto!" A whisper projected across the room and Naruto pursed his lips as he buffed out a smudge on his headband and muttered under his breath.

"Not now, Natsumi, I'm trying to—" His eyes widened before he could finish his thought and his head whipped around to stare at the redhead in the doorway. He broke into a grin and jumped to his feet, and called to her loudly.

"Natsumiiii!"

She smiled and ran to him, and then threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and they shared an identical cheesy grin.

"What're you doing here?" Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "Only test-takers can be here, right?"

"Kiri managed to convince Lord Third to let me come." She glanced over her shoulder at Kiri, who smiled and waved, and then she turned back to her brother and looked him over. "I'm just glad that you're in one piece."

He puffed. "Hmph. You didn't think I would make it through, didn't you?"

"No, I knew you could." She shook her head. "I just thought you'd be in worse shape." She put her hands on her hips and let out a sigh. "Honestly, I thought you'd run into more trouble. But, besides smelling like algae, sweat, and dirt, you seem fine."

"Huh? I don't smell that bad. I washed off really well in the river this morning." He lifted his arm and sniff his armpit and Natsumi made a face as she laughed.

"Ew! Why would you do that?"

"I don't smell bad at all." He crossed his arms.

"You smell like when we used to go fishing and camp overnight." Natsumi poked his chest.

"Say, I was just thinking about that the other day, ya know!" He grinned. "We haven't done that in a while, so why don't we go again soon? It'll be loads of fun."

"Okay!" Natsumi nodded quickly and then glanced over at Sakura and Sasuke, frowning slightly and lowering her voice. "Did something happen? Angsty over there seems like he's actually worried."

Naruto's expression fell and he turned to look over his shoulder at Sasuke, who was still covering the mark with his hand. Naruto rubbed the back of his head and frowned slightly, then pulled Natsumi aside and held up his hand to block his face as he leaned closer to whisper.

"We ran into this creepy guy called Orochimaru and he injured Sasuke. Don't tell anyone though."

Natsumi froze with her eyes round and her stomach turned.

No. No. No no no no no. I knew I sensed something was wrong. That guy... he went after Naruto's team...

"Natsumi?" Naruto leaned back and waved his hand in front of her face. "Hello? Are you in there? You're really pale, ya know."

Natsumi'sheart pounded in her ears and she forced a smile and shook her head. "S-Sorry Iuh... was lost in thought." She laughed sheepishly before pressing her lips together into a hard line and her eyes rested on Sasuke again.

Then... if he's holding his neck like that... She swallowed as a lump formed in her throat. That means... he has one just like Kanna. This is really bad.

"Anyway, the matches should start soon, so be sure you pay attention and see just how cool your brother is." His smile returned and Natsumi nodded.

"Of course." Natsumi nodded. "We'll be rooting for you."

"We?" Naruto repeated and tilted his head, then squinted and looked just beyond the doorway where Kiri and Hasu were standing. He furrowed his brows and stared at Hasu for a moment, who blinked and waved politely, and then he turned back to his sister. "Oh. You brought your boyfriend."

Natsumi's cheeks warmed and she puffed her cheeks. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Hmph." Naruto crossed his arms. "Then why'd you bring him?"

"Because he wanted to watch the matches, too." She crossed her arms. "That's all."

"Hmph." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he looked to Hasu again, and Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"Oh, also." Natsumi poked him again. "Sena wanted me to tell you that she says congratulations on passing the second stage. She said that she's going to make some homemade ramen for us to celebrate."

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned back to her, distracted as his mouth watered. "Homemade... ramen..."

"That's right!" Natsumi smiled and put her hands on her hips. "So, the faster we get through these matches, the sooner we can have ramen." -

"Yahoo!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air and then pointed his thumb at himself. "You just wait! I'll come on top for sure, ya know! And then we can have that ramen."

"Alright everyone, it's time to assemble in the main hall. The preliminary matches are going to start." Kotetsu walked into the room and looked around at all the Leaf Genin. "I hope you all had a nice rest while you waited."

As the Genin collectively sighed and muttered among themselves, Natsumi smiled and waved at the Chunin.

"Hi, Kotetsu."

"Hey, Natsumi." He looked away, then his eyes widened and he looked down at her. "Hold on... Why are you here?"

Kiri laughed and crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway to exaggerate her hips. "It's funny when you're totally oblivious and don't notice people that you've walked right by."

His face flushed slightly and he clenched his teeth and turned to her. "K-Kiri? You're here, too?!" He cleared his throat, averting his eyes as he straightened. "N-Nevermind that. Just don't cause any mischief or interrupt the matches."

"Aw, how cute." The corners of Kiri's mouth twitched in a smirk. "He's trying to be serious."

He flushed darker and Natsumi stifled a laugh and pushed Kiri out of the doorway.

"Come on, we're in the way."

"Fine, fine; I'll give him more shit later." Kiri stepped outside the room with a laugh, and Natsumi sighed as she shared a look with Hasu, who smiled wryly and glanced between the two adults. -

Naruto blinked at their exchange, then slowly smirked and leaned closer to nudge Kotetsu, whispering though his voice projected around the room.

"Say, say... you like her, don't you?"

"W-What?! Don't be ridiculous." A bead of sweat rolled down his face and his ears tinged pink. "I-If anything, she's mostly a pest, so..."

Naruto snickered. "What do you like about her? Is it her—"

"That's enough!" Sakura flicked Naruto's forehead and exhaled sharply. "You're holding things up, anyhow."

"Naruto made a face at her and rubbed his forehead as he muttered. "I was only trying to help this poor guy out, ya know..."

"Poor guy...?" Kotetsu blinked and then slouched slightly with a sigh. "So that's what you think of me? No respect at all..." Kiri snorted from outside and he clenched his fists and huffed. He cleared his throat and waved his hands, glancing at the Genin that eyed him suspiciously. "A-Anyway, follow me to the main hall. Keep to a single-file line."

Kotetsu stepped out of the way as the Genin filed out of the room, then followed behind them to walk in front of them. Other Chunin escorted the candidates from each of the other Villages, and several Leaf Genin glanced nervously at their rivals across the hall. After a while, they entered a large room where other Jonin and Chunin were gathered on an elevated part of the floor in front of a large sculpture of two hands brought together in a sign.

Natsumi stumbled slightly as she walked into the room as she shuddered. The sensation hit her suddenly as if she had walked directly into a wall, and her breath caught in her throat.

It's the same as in the forest.

She closed her eyes briefly to concentrate and the darkness in her mind slowly manifested colored clouds of Chakra that vaguely resembled human forms. The form with the greatest concentration shifted— almost bubbling— in a toxic shade of purple. The other two forms shifted between a sickly yellow and black, contorting in what seemed to be chaotic torture. At the center of these forms was a small, toxic, purple ball— a sludge-like seed. Her eyes burst open and, as her eyes adjusted to the light again, the colored forms were superimposed over the human bodies. Her eyes widened and a chill shot down her spine.

Sasuke, Anko, and...

Her eyes rested on the Oto Jonin standing in line at the right of the Sand Jonin, behind where the Hokage stood in wait. Though his skin had a healthy color to it, his menacing gaze rested on the Uchiha boy as he smirked. His gaze tore from the boy to meet her eyes, and she froze in place. A bead of sweat rolled down her brow as he kept his gaze locked on her own.

One snake recognizes another.

Kiri nudged Natsumi and then pointed towards a set of stairs. "Come on. We'll have a good view from up here."

Natsumi blinked and forced a small smile and a short nod as she turned away from him, his gaze still boring into her as she followed Kiri and Hasu up the stairs to the viewing platform on the right of the room.

Kiri stretched at the top of the stairs, drawing in a deep breath as she smiled. "Man, this really takes me back. There were nine teams that passed the Forest of Death, so we had to duke it out in Preliminary matches like this, too." She crossed her arms and let out a short laugh. "I used my Genjutsu to make my opponent think he was a puppy. He even whipped it out and peed with his leg up." She snorted. "Oh, I laughed so hard. The Hokage wasn't happy with me at all, though."

Hasu blinked and turned to her. "Wouldn't such a move disqualify you? That would be indecency, at the very least."

Kiri snorted again and waved her hand. "Pfft. Are you kidding? Anything goes in the Chunin Exams. Surely your books say that."

"They did, however..." He paused. "I expected there to at least be a few restrictions."

"War by proxy, remember?" Kiri shrugged and stood with her back to the wall.

"Come to think of it..." Hasu paused. "Since the deadline for the second exam has expired, what happens to the teams who were not able to make it to the tower in time?"

"Hm? The losers?" Kiri looked up for a moment. "Well, I suppose they get turned down from entering by the proctors and then escorted out of the forest. The ones needing medical care go to the hospital, and the ones who died... well, that's just a matter of recovering whatever body is left and returning it to their Village."

The color drained from his face and he frowned slightly and glanced at Natsumi, who was lost in thought as she gripped the railing.

"The life of a Shinobi is a terribly dangerous one, isn't it?"

"It's not for everyone." Kiri's tone softened. "But, don't worry. We Leaf Shinobi are tough. We live, fight, and die for the Will of Fire that burns inside of us all." She pointed toward the Genin below. "It's why even so many of our rookies can advance this far, even when older, stronger, or more experienced Shinobi from other Villages can't. Even if those kids don't realize it, there's a small fire burning inside of them, moving them forward and inspiring them to push beyond their limits. That's what it is to inherit the Will of Fire." She smiled and put her hands on her hips. "It's passed down to you, whether you're even aware of it or not."

"The Will of Fire..." Hasu repeated quietly under his breath.

Hiruzen looked at each member of the seven teams lined up before him and clasped his hands behind his back as Anko cleared her throat to address them.

"First off, congratulations on finishing the second exam." She smirked faintly and looked at them as she paused. "There were seventy-eight candidates for the second exam. To think that as many as twenty-one have made it this far. I said that I would make it less than half, but I really thought that it would be in the single digits."

Choji touched his stomach and frowned, whispering to Shikamaru. "I'm hungry."

"What do you want me to do about that?" Shikamaru sighed and put a hand on his hip, then turned to look at the other Genin. "There are still these many teams left? This is such a drag."

Ino pressed her hands together and smiled at Sasuke, who stood several columns away. "Sasuke passed, too."

"Of course." Shikamaru muttered. "We went through that much trouble to help them out. It'd be all for nothing if they didn't pass."

"Your team didn't do too badly." Guy chuckled and glanced over at Kakashi. "I guess they just got lucky." He smirked faintly and shut his eyes briefly. "Though, as long as my team is around, they can't progress any further. Because, whether you like it or not, ability talks at the next barrier." He put a hand on his hip and looked at his rival's students. "Well, youth can sometimes be bittersweet and harsh, Kakashi."

"Hm? Did you say something?" Kakashi scratched his ear with his pinky and turned to him.

Guy gaped at him and froze, then clenched his fist and looked away. "Not bad, Kakashi my eternal rival. That cool demeanor part of you is so hip... which is what annoys me!"

Tenten looked at her sensei, and then to the silver-haired Jonin beside him, and smiled as her cheeks warmed. "So, that's Guy sensei's eternal rival, huh? He totally blows Guy sensei out of the water in terms of looks."

"That's Guy sensei's rival!" Lee clenched his fist. "He is nowhere near as youthful or hip as Guy sensei! He shines like no other!" He balled both his fists and his eyes reflected with a burning passion. "Please watch me, Guy-sensei! I'll shine brightly, too!" He glanced toward Sakura and his brows furrowed. "I don't ever want to see tears falling from those dear to me again. So, that's why... I won't ever lose again!"

Neji looked around him and crossed his arms. "Sure enough, only the strongest candidates remain." His eyes rested on Sasuke and he furrowed his brows. "Sasuke Uchiha..."

Zaku glared over at Sasuke. "I'll get you back for my arms, Sasuke Uchiha. At any cost."

Orochimaru kept his smirk as he watched Natsumi standing uncomfortably on the viewing platform, avoiding his gaze. "So, she can sense me now? It seems Oto was right about her ability." He turned his attention to Kabuto, who also was watching the girl from the corner of his eye. "He's noticed that companion of hers as well. I must say, I didn't expect that boy to survive, though he serves no purpose anymore."

"To think only seven teams are left of the twenty-six..." Temari frowned and looked around.

The Sand Jonin furrowed his brows and looked at the emotionless redhaired boy. "Sure enough, Gaara is without a single scratch."

"Akamaru's acting strangely." Kurenai looked at the small dog, who still hid in Kiba's jacket and whimpered.

"Damn those Sand Village monsters." Kiba gritted his teeth and patted Akamaru's head.

"Naruto, you passed, too." Hinata blushed faintly and poked her index fingers together. "Thank goodness."

"I'm still amazed that all of the Leaf Rookies are here." Sakura mumbled under her breath. "This has got to be breaking some kind of record."

"Say, say!" Naruto turned around slightly to whisper to his teammates. "The Old Man, Iruka-sensei, and even the Even-More-Intense-Bushy-Brow guy are here, ya know! It feels really exciting to have everyone assembled like this!"

Sasuke clenched his jaw and clamped a hand over the base of his neck as he looked around. "I don't know why, but I have an ominous feeling."

"This is surprising, to see this many teams left at this stage. Even more surprising, almost all of them are rookies." Hiruzen glanced back over his shoulder where Kakashi and Asuma stood. "So, that's why they fought so hard to recommend them."

Natsumi clutched at her stomach with one hand, and tightly grasping the railing with her other until her knuckles whitened.

I feel almost sick, being so close to him again. This isn't good at all. I just know that he's going to do something terrible, but I don't know what, and I can't even tell anyone that he's here, much less how I can even tell.

She swallowed and gripped the railing tighter.

And Naruto is here, too. If he does something now, then Naruto could get hurt. Not only that, but he's done the same thing to Sasuke as he did to Kanna, and Anko as well.

She bit her lip and loosened her grip on the rail, then looked down at her hand.

I can't do anything except just watch and wait. I hate this.

"Now, then!" Anko put a hand on her hip and addressed the Genin. "Lord Hokage will now explain the third exam to you all, so shut your mouths and pay attention." She turned to look at the Hokage and lowered her voice. "The floor is yours, Lord Third."

"All right." Hiruzen nodded and stepped forward, clearing his throat as he held the pipe out of his mouth. "Before I explain to you the manner in which the Third Exam will be conducted, there is just one thing that I want to tell you all directly. It's in regards to the true purpose of these exams."

"True purpose?" Sakura blinked.

"You may have wondered, 'why do allied nations conduct the exams in a conjoint manner?' Raising the ranks of the Shinobi and friendship among allied nations. It won't do to have the wrong idea of the true meaning of that statement. These exams are, so to speak..."

"So to speak?" Tenten watched the Hokage as he paused and took a puff from his pipe, then let out a breath and a small cloud of smoke.

"...The microcosm of battle between allied nations."

"What does that mean?" Tenten raised her hand slightly and asked.

"If we look back on history, the allied nations of today were once neighboring nations that were always at odds with each other and battling for power, wealth, dominance, and resources. In order to avoid a futile crushing of each other's military forces, the nations would mutually select a place to battle, which is how the Chunin exams originally began."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "W-Why do we have such a thing? Aren't we doing this to see who gets to become Chunin?"

"There is no question that these exams are to select Shinobi worthy of becoming Chunin. However, this is not the sole reason. On the other hand, these exams also provide a venue for fledgling Shinobi to carry their nation's pride and fight for their lives."

"Carry the pride of our nations?" Sakura repeated under her breath.

"Many feudal lords and those of prominence from many nations who regularly request Shinobi for missions are invited to the third exam as guests. And, the Daimyo and the leader of each of the Ninja Villages will come to watch your battles. If the gap in national power becomes too great, the strongest nations are inundated with mission requests. The requests of nations deemed weaker, on the other hand, decline. And therewithal, we can exert pressure upon each neighboring nation... That is to say, just how much military strength our Village is developing and has."

"Okay, but, why is it necessary for us to fight for our lives?!" Kiba clenched his fist.

"The nation's strength is the Village's strength." The Hokage answered. "The Village's strength is the Shinobi's strength. And the true strength of a Shinobi is created only in a fight for one's life. This exam is a way to see the strength of the home country Shinobi and the opportunity to display this as well. Is it because this is an exam where you truly fight for your life that this has meaning. It is for this reason that your forerunners fought in this exam— a dream worth striving for."

"But...!" Tenten's eyes widened. "Why even use the expression 'friendship?!'"

"I said it in the beginning, didn't I? That it won't do for you to have the wrong idea for the meaning. This is a custom where balance is preserved by fighting and removing life. That is friendship within the Shinobi world. This is a fight for life with the pride of your respective Village and your own dreams on the line."

The room filled with a heavy silence and Hasu's expression fell and he stared downward solemnly. Natsumi bit her lip and gripped the rail again, focusing her gaze now on her bother.

"You foolish old man." Kiri shook her head and sighed softly. "Did you have to lay it out like that in the darkest possible way?"

Naruto... Natsumi swallowed, and her eyes turned toward Orochimaru. Why did you have to do the Exams this year?!

After several moments, Naruto spoke up and crossed his arms with a half-smirk. "Heh. I'm convinced."

"Anything is fine." Gaara narrowed his eyes at the Hokage. "Just tell us what we need to know about the third exam."

"Very well." Hiruzen puffed on his pipe again and nodded. "Now, about what I would like to tell you in regards to the third exam." He cleared his throat, and Hayate flickered in front of him, kneeling on one knee with his head bowed.

"Lord Hokage, please allow me, Hayate Gekkō, who was given the task of judge, to speak first."

"I'll leave it to you, then."

Hayate stood and turned toward the Genin slowly, coughing interrupting his speech. "It's nice to meet you all. There's something that you all need to do before the third exam."