Underlined italics are Team Eight's wordless communication
Disclaimer: PandoraBoxx777 Does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
The forest area was intimidating to say the least. Everyone was hesitant to approach the gate which blocked them out, or maybe, kept things in.
All teams were separated from each other, suspiciously glancing around to the other contenders in case of a fight.
Team Eight stayed in the back, away from everyone else. They noticed Team Ten doing the same thing, and weren't surprised when they saw Team Seven standing in the middle.
"Wow," Sakura said, loud enough for most to hear, "This place really gives me the creeps."
Anko gave her a sadistic grin, "I would think so. This is the Forest of Death. You'll find out why soon enough."
Naruto scoffed at the answer, putting his hands on his hips and wiggling them, mocking Anko's words, "Do your worst lady, you can't scare me away."
Anko's sadistic grin turned to a cheerful smile, "Oh boy," She said, "It looks like we got a tough guy."
Shino nearly flinched, having to deal with such a personality change before. Anko would become sweet as sugar when she was about to teach someone a lesson, and it looks like Naruto was going to get a thorough schooling.
Without warning, she suddenly flung a kunai knife at the loudmouth, the deadly accuracy giving Team Eight a sort of flashback to having met her in the first place. The knife cut Naruto's cheek and landed in the dirt behind him. Anko shushined behind him, leaning in and whispering, "What's the matter tough guy? Can't you handle this?"
Naruto was still in shock, shaking from the sudden assault.
Anko leaned in and licked the blood from his cheek, "Loud mouths like you usually leave the most blood around here."
She turned then, drawing another knife out to defend herself from the attack that was coming up right behind her. A ninja from the Grass held the first kunai Anko threw, but instead of using her hands, she used her extremely long tongue. The ninja didn't seem surprised or threatened in the slightest, "Your knife, ma'am." She smiled.
Anko smiled back, an underlying threat in her eyes, "Why, thank you, Grass Ninja; though, I must warn you: the only people who come this close to me usually meet the end of my blade. I would promptly get the fuck out of my space if I were you."
She snached her knife back, standing straight and asserting her authority.
The ninja slithered back, "Of course," She bowed her head, "I guess with all of the commotion, I was just a little too excited. I didn't mean any harm." She walked back to her team without another word.
Anko chuckled to herself, "Seems like everyone here is pretty jumpy today."
She walked back to her spot in the front, "Alright Maggots," She yelled loudly enough to be heard, "Shows over, now listen up. Before we get the shit show started, I have some consent forms for you to read over and then sign."
"Consent forms?" Naruto asked, "What for?"
"Well, let's say that some of you may not come back from this test." Anko shrugged, "There's multiple ninja from different countries here for the exam, and this form lets everyone know that you knew the risks in taking this portion of the test, so there are no wars or unnecessary trouble if you happen to… disappear. Get it?"
There was an uncertain silence to follow, but no one disagreed.
"Good." Anko sighed as she handed the stack of forms to Naruto, "Here, Big Mouth, pass these out. Now let me tell you what you'll be doing:
"The first thing you need to know is that this will test your survival skills. You'll get a brief layout of the forest and then we'll set you loose. Then…" She paused dramatically for effect, "It's going to be a complete and total free for all to get your hands on these scrolls."
She pulled out a white and dark green scroll from her jacket, presenting them to the genin. The white read Heaven and the dark green read Earth
"You're going to need both. Seeing as how there are twenty-six teams, half will be going for the Heaven scroll, and the others will be going for the Earth scroll. This is what the free for all is about. Your entire teams need to present both of these at the tower."
"That means at least half of us will fail." Sakura deduced, "Maybe even more if not everyone is able to get the scrolls."
Anko nearly chuckled, "Well, no one said this was going to be easy." She responded lightly. She tapped her chin in thought, "Well, I suppose the only easy thing would be the time limit. You have no more than five days to complete."
Choji sputtered incoherently for a second, "What the hell?" He finally managed, "What are we supposed to do for food?"
"Well, take a look around," Anko deadpanned, "There's plenty of things to eat in there."
"Just be wary of the man-eating beasts and poisonous plants." Kabuto added.
"Oh man, this is a nightmare!" Choji held his head in his hands, nearly in tears at the thought of no food.
Ino rolled her eyes in disgust, "Shut up, and quit whining!" She scolded, "This is meant to be a survival challenge for a reason, you know."
Neji frowned in thought, "That must mean, with all of the circumstances in our way, there's no way that half of the teams will pass."
"Certainly, it will be a worthy challenge!" Lee grinned.
Sasuke frowned in thought as well, "With enemies all around us," He muttered, "There will be no resting. We'll likely have to keep a constant watch."
"No shit," Anko said, getting irritated with the interruptions now, "This test was meant to be grueling and difficult. I'm more than sure some of you won't be able to handle this."
Shikamaru raised his hand, waiting to be noticed. Anko, appreciating the gesture, nodded in his direction, "What's up Pineapple Head?" She asked.
"Troublesome woman," Shika muttered under his breath, "So, mid-exam; can we quit?" He asked.
Anko rolled her eyes, "Of course you can't, Dipshit." She rebuked, "You can't just say sorry and quit in the middle of a battle. I mean, not unless you want to die."
Shikamaru muttered cursed under his breath, earning a stink eye from Ino.
"You can't quit mid battle, but there are some ways you can be disqualified." Anko continued, "The first way is if all three members can't make it with both scrolls under the time limit, you're out. Secondly, if one of you is missing or unable to continue, your whole team is out. And finally, no one, under any circumstances, is allowed to read the scrolls."
Naruto has a bit of a devious smile, "Well," He asked, "What if it just happens to open on its own and you read it by accident?"
Anko smiled sweetly once again, "You. Don't. Want. To. Know." She hissed scarily, "These scrolls are sealed shut, not able to open on their own. It's meant to test your integrity, so don't fucking open it.
"I covered all the bases now, so take your consent forms and exchange them at that booth over there. Once that's done, you'll get a scroll and a gate number. Go to the gate and we'll let you inside. We start in fifteen minutes."
Anko paused for a second before a cheerful smile stretched on her lips, "Oh, before I forget: Don't fucking die!" She nearly laughed at all of the shocked and fearful looks some of the genin gave her.
Gods, she loved fucking with them.
Ino looked over to Team Eight and took a breath, walking over with a strained smile and stiff limbs. She was clearly not comfortable with the situation.
She hated that Shikamaru sent her to talk to them; they were weird and quiet and creepy. However, he was right in them having to create more allies to pass the next part of the exam, as the free for all would put her team as a direct target, considering they were rookies fresh out of school.
She looked over each member carefully, studying their appearance and gauging their attitudes.
Shino was definitely the scariest of all three. He was creepy, he had bugs all over him and he never said anything. Ino remembered once seeing a bug crawl over his face and into his hair and shivered at the thought. He was not going to be the one to talk to.
There was Kiba, but Ino always found him kind of annoying. Sure, his new look was pretty hot, but she knew what kind of jerk he was at the academy. He was a cocky loud mouth, always getting into trouble with his dog and never really taking anything seriously. She wasn't going to talk to him, either.
Finally, there was Hinata. Ino had to admit she was more than pleased with the sudden outfit change, seeing as how Hinata was so shy she only wore baggy clothes in boring colors; but now that she had become a shinobi, she was starting to take her appearance more seriously.
Ino felt a sudden surge of jealousy and worry about Hinata's beauty, wondering if it would catch Sasuke's attention. However, if she remembered correctly, Hinata had a big crush on the number one knuckle-head, Naruto.
She felt more secure then, approaching Hinata with more confidence, who looked at her in confusion.
"Hello Ino." Her soft voice drifted to her ears. She had a pleasant voice, though she was so quiet that Ino almost didn't hear her. Kiba and Shino immediately turned around and stared, wondering why Ino of all people was approaching Hinata.
Ino faltered for a moment before she drew herself up and smiled, less strained this time, "Hey Hinata," She greeted cheerfully, "I came over here on behalf of a proposition."
Hinata softly smiled and tilted her head, "Oh?" She asked.
Ino nodded, relieved to have her attention, "See, Shikamaru was saying that as 'troublesome' as this thing is, we're probably going to have to work together to pass. We don't want to fight with you, and you sure don't want to mess with us, so let's keep it peaceful, okay?"
Hinata looked to Kiba and Shino, who stared back at her. Ino felt a little uncomfortable at the silence, seeing them just staring at each other was also weird. She resisted playing with her hair to ease her nerves.
Team Eight was always this strange.
"An interesting concept," Shino suddenly said, causing Ino to jump, "If you could bring your teammates over to discuss the terms and conditions, we will accept."
"Sure, one second." The blonde could not run fast enough to get Shikamaru and Choji.
"So what you're saying is: We don't actively hunt each other down, we stay out of the way of each other's paths, and if you really need help, we assist you?" Shino wanted to make sure that he had everything covered. He wasn't sure about this sudden alliance, but he knew that it was also smarter this way.
Shino didn't dislike Team Ten, but he didn't know them, didn't trust them. Ino was sneaky, Choji was a sheep, and Shikamaru was too smart for his own good. He wasn't going to follow whatever they simply asked for, not if he was going to keep his team safe.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "That's basically it. We'll oblige by the same rules as well. We'll stay out of your way, and help when you need it."
Kiba crossed his arms almost defensively, "No offence and all, but why should we help you? Who's to say that you won't betray us when we least expect it? This is a free for all." Akamaru barked twice, backing up his master's statement.
Shikamaru wasn't surprised at the question, but by the looks of Ino and Choji, they were almost offended. "You'll just have to trust us I guess. I'm sure you can find ways of keeping tabs on us."
"I noticed you haven't asked Team Seven to assist you." Shino's masked question didn't go unnoticed by Shikamaru.
"I'm sure you all know that Team Seven aren't really the team-player types." He responded, "They go and do their own thing all the time, especially Sasuke. And with Naruto's loud mouth, I doubt anyone would want to be teamed up with them if they're trying to be unnoticed."
Shino considered Shikamaru's words carefully. He knew that Sasuke would rather soon fail than accept anyone's help. Hell, he barely got along with his own team; and it was only because of Sakura's obsession and Naruto's stubbornness that they even worked the slightest bit well together.
"What if you have a scroll we want?" Kiba suddenly asked.
There was a silence. It seems that Shikamaru hadn't thought of it, or maybe, he didn't want to think of it.
"We'll just have to fight for it." Hinata's gentle smile was unnerving suddenly. She was the last person Team Ten would have thought to say that.
Team Eight was definitely not one they wanted to fuck with.
Kiba grinned, nodding along, "You heard her." He said, "We'll be turning in our forms now. Shino is gonna plant some bugs on you. If you need any help, we'll be there." There was a slight pause as his grin turned dangerous, "And if you betray us, we'll find you."
The cocky grin was back as he looked to his team, "Come on guys, I'm ready to get this thing started. It's time to show off my awesome skills!" Shino and Hinata followed behind him at an easy, comfortable pace.
"Maybe we could take you more seriously if you weren't so overconfident all of the time." Shino replied.
Team Ten flinched at the harshness of his tone but Kiba didn't seem offended in the slightest, "I could say the same of you." He laughed, "You're always so sure about those creepy crawlies you have."
"They are reliable. You're clumsy."
"Hey, I'm graceful as fuck! Hinata, tell him!"
Hinata giggled behind her hand, "You do have a tendency to stumble here and there Kiba."
Kiba's head fell comically as his shoulders sagged and Akamaru barked out a laugh. He sulked behind his team as they continued to tease him.
Team Ten stood back and watched in confusion and fear. They didn't know what to make of the situation, especially with how hostile and aggressive they had been just a few moments ago.
Ino looked at Shikamaru, "They're…" She trailed off, suddenly unsure.
Choji nodded, understanding completely, "I'm just glad they teamed up with us," He muttered, "They're strange but scary."
Shikamaru nodded, thinking long and had about what was to come, and thanking himself for being a genius.
Team Eight was not someone he wanted to fuck with.
Naruto was practically bouncing in excitement. He couldn't wait to get inside and kick some ass. He wasn't totally sure about what lay in store for him and his team, but he was sure that it was going to be fun.
"Naruto," Sakura growled, "Stop jumping around. Sasuke is gonna be back with our scroll any second, so calm down."
"I can't help it, Sakura," Naruto whined, "I'm just so pumped. I want to get in there and show everyone what I'm made of. Becoming a chunin is the next step to becoming Hokage." Sakura rolled her eyes and turned away from him.
Naruto watched as other teams were filling out their forms and turning them in. There was Kabuto and his team, the Sound ninja jerks and that creepy Grass ninja lady, too.
He wasn't sure how many people would pass, but he was going to make sure that his team was one of them.
He noticed Hinata in the fray, alongside her was Kiba, pulling on her hair and poking her cheeks. Hinata blushed lightly as she laughed, swatting his hands away.
It wasn't anything romantic, that much Naruto could tell, but it was something deep and personal and loving. He sighed silently to himself, briefly wishing he had that sort of relationship with someone.
He didn't see Shino, though, and wondered where he could have gone. He looked for the mess of brown hair in the crowd. Shino was always super quiet, therefore the best at hiding and being unnoticed.
He finally found him, and was surprised that he was having a calm, friendly chat with Anko. Wait, with Anko?
Without taking his eyes off the duo, Naruto nudged Sakura, who glared back at the blonde boy, "What is it now, Naruto?" She groaned. She noticed his sudden stillness and became curious, not even noticing Sasuke approaching.
"What's someone like Shino talking to that crazy lady for?" Naruto asked, staring harder now.
The two were obviously having a friendly conversation, one that had Anko laughing and grinning about. How did they know each other so well?
Sakura turned to Sasuke, unsure of this discovery. He simply watched, thinking and wondering further about Team Eight.
First the Hyuga and Ibiki and now the Aburame and Anko. They were supposed to be the weakest team, so why do they know these proctors?
Shino looked over his shoulder to his team and nodded, bidding Anko farewell as she wished him luck. She walked over to the gate and waited, checking her watch.
Sasuke's eyes followed team eight once again, watching as they chatted quietly to each other and laughed.
He finally forced himself to look away, "Forget about them," He told Sakura and Naruto, who stared back in confusion, "They're not important to us unless they have our scroll. Let's get ready."
Naruto and Sakura exchanged a glance but ultimately followed his instructions. They let the thought of Team Eight leave their minds as they walked to their gate to start.
"Get ready, Maggots." Anko called, looking at her watch, "We'll be starting in exactly one minute."
Team Eight stretched as they waited, going over their plans. "The best thing to do is get a pin point on the scroll we need." Kiba said, scratching Akamaru behind his ear, "Opal, I'm sure you've got that covered, right?"
Hinata nodded, "Of course."
"I think it would be best to set up traps in our area." Shino added, "We never know who might be hunting us."
Kiba grinned deviously, "Who knows, Spider," He chuckled, "Maybe we'll be hunting them."
"Attention!" Anko yelled out, "The second part of the Chunin Exams starts... NOW."
The gates opened and Team Eight darted in, wanting to get a good head start.
"We should hurry," Kiba said, "There might be some people heading straight to the tower so they can pick off people one by one and steal their scrolls. Opal, we need the Earth scroll. Do you see it?"
Hinata activated her Byakugan and searched, finding a team close by with the scroll they needed, "There's a team from the Rain south-west of our location. They don't seem to have spotted us just yet."
Shino smirked to himself, " Ah, those ones. From what my spy bugs have told me, they're not very smart, but they have above average chakra reserves. They're a bit scrappy, so no doubt they'll want to fight the first team they encounter; lucky for them, they'll get one.
Opal, watch for my chakra flare. Make sure it's not too big. Beastie, run ahead and find an open area for us to bait ourselves in. There are some friends not too far from here that are hungry."
Hinata felt a tinge of vicious excitement that surprised herself.
Luring and trapping foreign enemy ninja and watching their expressions as she takes their scroll right in front of them? She didn't know why, but it sounded so enticing and awakened a dark feeling from deep inside her.
Shino flared his chakra, trying to catch the enemy's attention. Hinata watched carefully, shifting back and forth between the other team and Shino and Kiba. She noticed one of them turn in her direction and smiled in victory, "Spider," She whispered, "We have their attention. One is spreading out his chakra to find us."
"We should hurry then." He responded, moving faster.
They Hyuga dutifully followed, watching to make sure the other team was following.
They finally caught up to Kiba who was putting the finishing touches on his trap. He stood straight and smiled at his team, "What took you so long?" He joked.
"We caught their attention," Hinata smiled, "They should be here any second."
"Good!" Kiba grinned, "Shino, are your friends nearby?"
Shino nodded, smirk still in place, "I've called them to this spot. They should be right above your trap."
"Perfect," Kiba pumped his fist in victory, "This'll be easy. With the desperation of getting a scroll, and us being the youngest set of teams, no one can resist coming to fight us. All we have to do is play it safe until we get to the tower, and it's home free."
Akamaru growled and sniffed, alerting Kiba and the rest of the team, "Well, well," Kiba grinned maliciously, "It looks like company has arrived, and just in time for lunch."
Hinata felt her adrenaline kick in. While the thought of hurting someone was unpleasant, she couldn't deny a rush of power or excitement when she was in battle. There was something soothing about a fight, something that relieved all of her built up tension and fed the dark voice in her head.
Shino nodded, "It's begun." He chuckled.
Leeches began to rain down, sticking to the enemy and feeding. Team Eight watched in satisfaction as the three ninja dropped one by one to the floor, screaming and stabbing the giant blood suckers.
"What the fuck are these things!" The leader screamed,
"Get them off!" Cried the second one.
The third member lay on the floor, having passed out from blood loss and fear.
"These are giant leeches, obviously," Kiba laughed, "They sense body heat and perspiration, then as a group, they attack their prey. After five minutes of feeding, it's all over, but you all seemed to get a bunch of them, so I wonder how long it'll really take."
"Get them off, please." The leader begged, moving to sit up. He felt a tug on his wrist, noticing the ninja wife too late. With one last desperate look to Kiba, he and his teammates went into the air, screaming as they hung from a net with the leeches still feeding from them.
Kiba couldn't feel more proud of him and his team. "There's one less problem." He smirked, "Hinata, which one has the scroll?"
Hinata looked carefully with her dojutsu and pointed. "This one, with the light brown hair," She tilted her head as she studied him with a soft smile, "He died; and so quickly, too."
The other two surviving teammates screamed louder until finally they stopped. Small drops of blood dripped down from the net.
Kiba chuckled to himself, "That's one team down. Let's get going. Hopefully no one is stupid enough to investigate, but you never know."
With that, Team Eight left, proud that they managed a scroll within the first hour. At the rate they were going, they were going to be the first team at the tower.
They hadn't stopped to take a break yet, wanting to reach the tower before they could be ambushed. With Hinata's eye sight, Shino's bugs and Kiba and Akamaru's sense of smell and hearing, they were able to avoid most, if not all unnecessary conflict.
Kiba stopped suddenly, sniffing the air and frowning.
Shino and Hinata stopped as well, looking back at him in confusion.
Hinata frowned and took a half step forward, "What's wrong?"
Kiba's eyes darted around as he continued to smell, "There's someone coming to our area."
Shino looked around as well, shoulders tensing and forehead creasing, "Are they close?"
Kiba turned slightly to the right and pointed, glancing at Hinata, "Opal, check over there."
Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked in the direction that Kiba was pointing to. After a moment she looked to her teammates and bit her lip in worry, "They're too close to run."
Kiba sucked his teeth and eyed the area. His gaze caught on a large patch of bushes, too thick for anyone to really see through. He jerked his chin in the direction, "There. That should be safe." He then jumped down, knowing his teammates would follow. They suppressed their chakra as best as they could and waited.
"I swear I sensed someone over here not long ago," A voice said, "They must be hiding somewhere."
There were three of them, all big in height and build with large hats on their heads except for one, who, instead, had bandages around his forehead, two stitches on the left side of his mouth and two large scars on the left side of his face. They carried multiple umbrellas on their backs and Hinata noticed the headbands that had the Rain symbol on it.
Kiba noticed Akamaru suddenly tensing up, hiding further in his master's hood and beginning to tremble in fear. He let out a small whimper, causing the rest of Team Eight to freeze.
"Wait," Another voice said, "Did you hear something?"
There was a rustle in the bushes to the left, three strangers coming out from the brush. They were foreign, that much Hinata could tell. It was a blond female, a male in what looked to be a cat suit and a boy around their ages with blood red hair.
"Who the hell are these guys?" The first voice asked.
"Hey look," Said a new third voice from the first enemy team, "They're from the Sand."
The girl looked bored, "It'd be best not to fight with us," She said, "I don't feel like cleaning up a mess." Hinata recognized her voice as the girl yelling from the back of the class during the first part of the exam.
The taller of the two hat-wearers scoffed, "Can you believe the nerve?" He asked, offended, "These Sand ninja are practically challenging us head on."
"What a bunch of fools." The shorter hat-wearer added.
The leader grinned cruelly, "You should have known better kiddos," He mocked, "Now you're going to die!"
"I've just about heard enough from you." The red haired boy said boredly, "Let's hurry this up; I don't want to waste any more time on you."
Akamaru whimpered again, hiding as much as he could within the hood. Hinata and Shino looked over in worry for the poor dog.
Kiba stared heavily at the boy and then turned to Hinata and Shino, eyes narrowed and brows pulled tightly together, "This guy is bad news."
"Hey, Gaara," The cat-suit boy intervened, "We don't even know if these guys have our scroll. Why waste time fighting instead of gathering information to get the one we need?"
"I don't care if they have our scroll," Gaara bit out, "I don't like the way they looked at me, so now they have to die."
"Yeah?" The leader taunted angrily, "Go ahead and try it!" He pulled off his umbrellas, opening them and throwing them in the air. He made a symbol with his hand and focused his chakra, "Ninja art: Senbon Storm!" Suddenly, a rain of senbon needles came out of the umbrellas, circling Gaara specifically.
"No matter where you go," The leader said, "Left, right, forward, or backwards, my senbon will get you. There's no escape!"
Gaara slowly blinked, not having any reaction in the slightest. He seemed even more bored than before, if even possible. The senbon suddenly closed in and struck, stabbing him from all angles. Dirt and dust kicked up, covering Gaara in a thick cloud.
The leader smirked, seeing his victory as an easy one, until the smoke cleared and he stared on in shock. Gaara was surrounded by a barrier, needles sticking out of it. He was completely unharmed.
"Is that the best you could do?" He taunted.
"That's impossible!" The leader shouted, "You don't even have a scratch on you!" He formed the hand signs again, sending more senbon out to hit Gaara who was still protected by the barrier around him. Needles began to fall as they hit the surface, simply bouncing off or getting stuck with the rest.
"I have an idea," Gaara glowered, "Let's make it rain blood instead."
"How are you doing it?" The leader screamed, becoming fearful and angry.
"It's that gourd he has on his back," The cat-suit boy replied, "It's full of sand and Gaara uses his chakra to control and harden it, a jutsu that only he knows.
"Somehow, it happens automatically, completely on its own without him even doing anything. It's an ultimate, impenetrable defence. All of your attacks are doomed to fail."
"Oh yeah?" The leader growled. He ran towards Gaara, kunai in his hand and a snarl on his face, "Try to block this, twerp!"
Gaara lifted his hands and calmly formed a triangle-like sign, aiming at his oncoming target. He thrust his right hand forward, "Sand Coffin!" He called out.
A thick hand made of sand wound its way up the enemy's leg, wrapping around his shoulders and covering his body. Soon enough, he was completely trapped, unable to move, much less escape.
The umbrellas he threw fell one by one onto the forest floor in front of Gaara who picked one up, "All I would have to do is cover your big mouth, and you'd be dead." He opened the umbrella with a quick flick of his wrist and positioned it over his shoulder, shielding himself, "However, that would be too easy and way too boring."
Gaara lifted his hand, lifting the sand pile and taking the boy with it. He screamed in terror as he ascended and his teammates looked on helplessly.
The red haired boy ignored the screams, staring on emotionlessly until he stopped him at a certain height. He looked the boy in the eyes and crushed his fist tightly, "Sand Burial!"
The leader managed a short scream in terror and pain as the sand suddenly crushed his body, spraying his blood everywhere. Temari and Kankuro moved out of the splash zone but the other enemies were not so lucky, quickly becoming soaked in it all.
Team Eight were grateful that the bushes they were under were so thick, otherwise they would be covered in the sticky mess as well.
Gaara stood still, almost peaceful-looking with the umbrella covering his face and body from the rain of blood.
He suddenly looked up, "I used more force than necessary, so it was over quickly." He announced, gathering his sand once more, "The corpse's bitter crimson tears flow and mingle with the endless sand, feeding the chaos within me and making me stronger."
The enemies were near tears, trembling before Gaara, "Please," The taller of the two begged, "Have our scroll, have anything you want, just please spare us!"
Gaara discarded the umbrella, aiming his hands at the other two ninjas who went running; but Gaara's sand was too quick, too efficient, and soon caught them, consuming their bodies. He didn't say anything, only clenching his fists and making them explode in a mass of blood and screams.
Team Eight looked on with bated breath, thanking whatever gods that were there, that they hadn't been the first to encounter this team. He didn't scare them as much as Anko had, but they knew that the threat was there and that he would actually kill them.
Kiba wiggled around and caught the other two's attention. He had an urgent look on his face and jerked his head over his shoulder, "We need to go. Now!"
Hinata and Shino nodded, making their way from under the bush silently.
The cat-suit boy moved forward, picking up a discarded scroll that was thankfully unharmed and free of blood.
He smirked to himself and held it up for his team to see, "Look Temari," He called to the girl, "We're pretty lucky that they had a heaven scroll, right?" He pocketed the scroll and stretched, "Alright, let's move on to the next area."
"Kankuro," Gaara called, "Just shut up. It's- it's still not enough for me. I need more."
Team Eight froze again, hearts racing in anticipation.
Kiba closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner panic.
Kankuro managed to keep a cool head and attempted to reason with his teammate, "Come on Gaara," He smirked slightly, "Let's just go. We have all we need."
"Coward," Gaara spat, sparking an irritated look from Kankuro, "What are you scared or something?"
Temari watched in silence and fear as Kankuro approached Gaara, speaking a bit more aggressively this time, "Look, Gaara, this may be a piece of cake for you, but it's still dangerous for Temari and me. We have our set of scrolls, so we have all we need to pass."
Gaara lifted his hand in a familiar pose out to his side, "Losers like you can't tell me what to do." He dead-panned.
Kankuro finally lost his patience. He stormed up and grabbed Gaara by the front strap holding the gourd to his back, pulling him close and into his face, "Alright I've had it." He growled out, "Sometimes, you have to listen to what your big brother says, got it?"
Kiba's wide eyes stared back at Shino and Hinata who were equally surprised, "That's his big brother?"
Hinata's brows furrowed, "They sure don't act like it."
Shino nodded slowly, "Indeed. There's a strong fear between the two others for Gaara."
"It's almost too bad, considering I don't view you as my big brother at all. If you get in my way, I'll kill you." Gaara's threat hung heavily in the air until he smacked Kankuro's hand away and raised his arm to the side again.
Gaara sensed three other chakra signatures nearby, hiding to his right. He used his own chakra to feel for them, finding that they were weak and felt distant, but he figured they were suppressing or trying to conceal themselves.
"Wait," Temari intervened, voice gentle and pleading. She raised her hands in surrender and smiled shakily, "Let's take a moment to breathe. Gaara, you don't have to treat us like we're your enemy. We wouldn't do anything disrespectful. Why not just do it as a favor for your big sister, please Gaara?"
Kankuro said nothing, still in a staring contest with Gaara who began to gather sand to the palm of his hand.
Team Eight felt the chakra being gathered and tensed, grabbing their weapons and preparing for a fight.
Everyone was now expecting the worst.
"Gaara, please!" Temari begged.
The silence was unbearable.
Kankuro peeked through his eyes to see a cork in Gaara's hand, sand pouring from his fingertips.
"Fine," The red-haired boy relented, "I'll spare you this time." He placed the cork in his gourd and walked off, leaving his siblings behind.
He thought back to the three shinobi hiding and smirked wickedly to himself. He could always kill them in secret; after all, he had their signatures memorised.
Temari and Kankuro sighed in relief, looking to each other in fear and understanding before they followed behind from a safe distance.
Kankuro spared a glance over his shoulder, looking around the area one last time before they walked off completely.
Team Eight were breathing heavily, thankful that they managed to keep their cool. If there had been a fight, it would have been a very painful one, one that may have taken them out of the chunin exams and their shinobi careers for good.
"That was way too close," Kiba breathed, comforting Akamaru in his jacket, "Let's hope we never have to run into those psycho's again."
"Agreed," Shino sighed as he stood, "It would be best if we take a detour; If we go straight to the tower, no doubt we'll see that team again. We can't afford another confrontation like that. It's not as safe for us anymore now that we have both scrolls.
"Let's find the nearest water source, refill our canteens and take a break before we complete the exam. We need our strength if we're going to make it there in one piece."
Hinata and Kiba nodded, dusting themselves off and running with Shino to a stream nearby that Hinata located with her Byakugan.
The journey was tough and stressful. Team Eight did their best to avoid danger and other teams. Though they were tired and wary, their mission of getting to the tower alive and with both scrolls was successful.
After finding their door, Team Eight entered, reading the message on the wall and having a chunin appear from their scrolls. "Congratulations on passing the second part of the exam." He announced, "You are the second team to make it here. Once the time limit ends, we will retrieve you and take you to the next area; until then, you may rest. This building is a neutral and safe place, so there is to be no killing; we have cameras around the building, so don't do anything stupid."
With that, the chunin disappeared in a puff of smoke and Team Eight were left alone once again.
They walked further into the tower, eyeing all of the rooms and picking one that was empty, far away from the entrance. They sat, one by one, with their backs together and rested. They knew that the first team of ninja were the sand siblings they were trying to avoid, and so they were on edge.
None of Team Eight trusted that Gaara would follow the rule of no killing, and his siblings wouldn't stand in his way if it meant they would live. They were very wary indeed.
Kiba offered to take the first watch, which Hinata and Shino were grateful for. Although their stamina improved greatly, they were still second best compared to Kiba, who had a lot of energy despite the long run.
Shino and Hinata lay down, side by side, facing each other and curled close, lightly touching each other in a shy, comforting way as they slept. They craved physical attention, but were still too awkward and reserved to actually cuddle.
Kiba smiled at the sight and vowed to protect them with his round of acting watch.
He paced and paced and paced.
He heard other people enter the building and almost wished for some sort of conflict, if only to keep himself entertained.
He wasn't sure why he was so restless. Maybe it was because of the fighting? Maybe it was his heritage or abilities. All he knew was that he needed to move, he needed to keep active and he was becoming impatient from having to wait for something to happen, but he would never stray from his team, and so he paced.
He walked over and woke up Shino, who stirred lightly. Shino, now aware, slowly moved away from Hinata so as not to scare her awake. He took Kiba's outstretched hand and stood, feeling refreshed from the short nap.
He watched as the wild boy lay next to Hinata, gently resting his hands around her waist and Akamaru curling between them for warmth.
Shino sent out his bugs and began to count.
He wasn't sure when he developed the habit, but it was the only thing keeping him awake and aware. He liked the math, however, as it was a reliable factor, something that comforted him.
Numbers were a big part of life, as you needed to count money or manage time or apply it in sciences and logical situations. When Shino counted, there was harmony and everything made sense suddenly. Arithmancy never lied.
Hinata woke up after the second tap. Shino's glasses were a welcomed sight, and finding Kiba's arms around her made her blush. She untangled herself from the sleeping Dog Boy and stood, smiling at Shino who returned the expression. He lay down with his back to Kiba's, making sure they were close, and continued to rest.
Hinata hummed as she waited, softly singing songs from memory or even coming up with her own. It soothed her, reminding her of better times.
Her mother often sang, another reason why Hiashi banned music from the household, and when she did, it was like the whole world outside was silent, just to listen. Hinata knew she wasn't as good as her mother, but that didn't stop her from trying. She loved music.
Hinata activated her Byakugan when she noticed three chakra signatures heading her way. She stood tall, grabbing her umbrella and waking her boys, who immediately were on guard.
"Just as I thought," Kankuro complained in the near distance, "There's nowhere else to go."
"How long are they going to make us wait?" Temari's voice added, "Seriously, it's been half a day already."
They suddenly entered the same room as Team Eight, looking bored and unimpressed.
They caught sight of them and stared as they passed, bored gazes turning curious and a little hostile. They didn't miss the way Team Eight tensed up, looking ready to fight.
Temari turned her nose up at them, huffing haughtily. Kankuro eyed Hinata, but otherwise said nothing.
Gaara didn't bother turning his head, but his eyes flickered over, sending a death threat with his gaze. To their credit, Team Eight didn't even flinch, choosing instead to send their own glares, ones that promised a well-worth fight. It was Them.
He stopped then, confusing his siblings as he turned to Team Eight. He studied each and every one of them now, looking over them slowly. Hinata did her best not to tremble, gripping her umbrella tightly in her hands while Gaara's eyes roamed over her.
"You three," He said, "Were in the forest not too long ago."
"What of it?" Kiba asked back, standing to move in front of his team. There was no way in hell that he was going to let this demonic punk intimidate and stare at his pack.
"You were there when I killed those Rain ninja." Gaara stated boredly, "I felt your chakra not too far away. It's almost like fate, since I was going to kill you back there as well."
Shino's bugs buzzed anxiously and threateningly, loud enough for even the Sand ninja to hear, and Akamaru began to growl, hair standing on end. Kiba reacted to the hostility with his companion and teammate and began to growl as well, eyes narrowing.
Kankuro fiddled with the mummy on his back, slowly untying it. Temari was reaching for her fan and Gaara's sand was beginning to stir.
Hinata stood front and center now, staring down Gaara, who stared back blankly. She said nothing but he noticed that her umbrella was resting on her back and her stance was relaxed.
Brave little girl, wasn't she?
"Enough." She said. Her words were strong but her voice shook heavily, belying the fear she had. Her whole body, in fact, was shivering, but she forced herself to stand tall, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "That's-that's enough. We're not trying to cause any trouble or get eliminated. If you want a fight, you won't find it here."
Gaara noticed that the girl's teammates immediately stopped, still tense but no longer threatening to fight. Her words held power over them, despite how afraid she was at the moment. She was a small thing, but despite her size and fear, there was a bravery there, a desire to protect.
Gaara would think back to that one day, and remember that underneath the love and protective aura, there was something darker, something almost as sinister as himself within her.
But that's later on in the story.
"What's your name, girl?" He asked.
Hinata looked surprised, her teammates looked pissed. Gaara knew that his siblings must have been just as shocked as she was, as this would be the second time Gaara asked for a name, and she wasn't even that powerful.
There was a tense silence as she hesitated.
"I asked you a question." Gaara said annoyed, "Do you expect me to wait?"
"Hyuga Hinata," She replied hastily, "My name is Hyuga Hinata."
Gaara nodded slowly and then turned around and walked away, his siblings following as they glanced back at Team Eight.
Hinata waited until their signatures were faint before she stumbled back and fell on her bottom in shock, "Holy shit." She whispered, further surprising her teammates with her cursing.
Kiba laughed in astonishment and nerves, "Holy shit is right. Are you ok Opal?" He and Shino helped her up from the floor.
"I think so." She muttered.
"So," Shino prodded, "What did you see?"
Hinata smiled mysteriously and looked to the door in which the Sand Siblings left, "He's going to be the next ruler of the Sand Village, the next Kazekage."
"Seriously? That psycho?" Kiba exclaimed.
Shino nodded sagely, accepting what Hinata saw, "Did he at least look happy?"
Hinata searched as best as she could, smiling in content at her vision: Gaara was surrounded by the Rookie Nine and Team Gai, Naruto by his side. Temari and Kankuro looked proud and content, showering their little brother with love and praise. He had his Kage hat in his hands and a happy smile on his face.
Hinata nodded, "He's very happy, or rather, he will be. I'm sure Naruto will talk sense into him one day."
Gaara dispelled his Third Eye jutsu and stared at the floor in shock. This girl, this weakling said that he was going to be the next Kazekage. It was absurd, unheard of.
He was a demon, his village feared him, his father was threatened by him. He was unloveable and evil and sick and twisted.
The dog boy called him a psycho, something he agreed with heavily.
But, she was so sure. She seemed happy for him, almost excited even. Who was Naruto? Better yet, who was this girl? He had so many questions he needed the answer to.
"Gaara," Temari shakily called out"Are you alright? You seem… troubled." His eyes met hers and she looked away in fear. "Shut up." He said halfheartedly.
It didn't matter. They didn't matter and she didn't matter. He was going to kill her anyways.
Days passed within the tower, and more and more people were showing up with scrolls in their hands. Team Ten had arrived one day before the test was over, shortly followed by Team Seven.
Hinata sighed in relief seeing that Naruto passed the second exam. She deactivated her Byakugan and watched over her team, who decided to rest before the exam was over.
Hinata had just been woken up a few minutes ago, maybe five, and was happy to see Shino and Kiba and Akamaru resting soundly. They deserved the rest considering the amount of stress and effort they had to endure, and Hinata was more than happy to act as guard.
She hummed softly, organizing her kunai and shuriken. She periodically activated her Byakugan, scanning the area before going back to her task.
She noticed Sasuke wandering around, but decided that it was nothing, seeing as how the Avenger was always looking for reasons to ditch his team. He was probably exploring, looking for some peace and quiet.
She felt him come closer and closer, probably wondering what the noise was, and so she stopped, continuing the song in her head.
He was behind her now, but she didn't feel threatened, not at all. Sasuke Uchiha was likely to turn around or continue his journey, especially seeing as how Team Eight occupied the space already.
She froze, feeling the hairs rise on the back of her neck. Her eyes twitched.
Sasuke scanned the room, ignoring the multiple teams that were within view. Ino had already tracked him down, fighting with Sakura the next second. Naruto was trying to calm the pink banshee down, to no avail.
The Uchiha used the opportunity to slip away, searching for the Hyuga.
He walked around, exploring the rooms and checking every corner. There weren't many places for them to hide, but there were many rooms.
He heard a soft noise coming from down the next hall and followed, realizing that it was humming. It was very quiet, but Sasuke followed as best as he could until he found who he was looking for.
She was sitting on her knees, back straight and elegantly poised, a true Hyuga princess. Thankfully, her teammates were asleep not too far away, so this would make the interrogation easier.
He pulled out a kunai and slowly approached, hoping to get the drop on her. Didn't she hear him or feel his chakra? He scoffed under his breath. She was so weak, she couldn't even sense him about to attack-
Hinata stood suddenly, turning around with a calm, serene look on her face.
Sasuke was surprised at being caught, and so he rushed in, throwing his kunai to distract her.
She moved out of the way, backing up when Sasuke attacked. She parried his strikes almost too easily, however, she stumbled at the amount of strength in each attack, the precision and perfection.
He ran and performed a flying kick to which Hinata spun out of the way, facing him again and keeping her arms up. He threw another kunai which she grabbed and threw to the side leaving Sasuke the opening he was looking for. He drew his arm back and swung a powerful punch before stumbling forward.
Hinata had dropped and slid under Sasuke's legs. Her hands up in a defensive position and her face stone cold.
Sasuke began to attack, growing more frustrated as Hinata bobbed and weaved around him, her stance never dropping. As he threw another flying kick, Hinata dropped down, swerving low and quickly, spinning elegantly away.
Sasuke was angry now.
Hinata, maintaining her composure repeatedly blocked, dodged and even pushed him away, remaining calm and poised. With every kick, every punch, Hinata used her superior flexibility and acrobatic skills to flip away.
Sasuke somehow managed to grab her as she twirled, spinning with her and throwing her body to the side easily.
Hinata twisted, contorting her body and landing gently onto her feet. She lifted her hands in defence again, Byakugan now activated.
As she stood, her teammates ran in, Kiba pulling out a kunai and Shino with his hands in his pockets, though the aura around him was anything but calm.
"What the fuck is your problem you damn Uchiha?" Kiba yelled.
Sasuke scoffed and stood straight, "I don't have to answer to you, Mutt." He glared.
Kiba went to attack, stopping when Shino grabbed his arm.
Sasuke looked over at the bug boy boredly as he began to speak, "Uchiha, you attack and insult my teammates without care. You may be the last of your clan, someone powerful and maybe even revered, but even you are not immune to the punishment of hurting my team. We will be reporting you and your attack, eliminating you and your team from the chunin exams, unless you tell us what you want."
Sasuke stared at Hinata, who had yet to say anything.
She stared back, curious and wary.
"You three have relationships to the proctors of this exam." He said, his silent questioning hanging in the air.
Team Eight looked to each other, seemingly having a conversation with one another before turning back to him, "That is correct." Shino replied.
"How much did the Hyuga pay them then, for you to pass without problems?" He asked more aggressively.
Hinata blushed in surprise before laughing, a pleasant sound that was apparently contagious.
Kiba laughed too, Shino only smirked behind his collar.
Sasuke almost blushed in anger and humiliation, choosing to glower instead. He was going to tear that Hyuga to shreds if she didn't stop laughing at him soon. This was serious business.
"No, no Uchiha," Hinata said, laughter dying down, "You have it all wrong. My family didn't pay anyone for me to pass. I would be an embarrassment if I could not pass by my own skill. Ibiki and Anko know our sensei, therefore they know us and we know them."
Sasuke didn't know whether to believe her or not, as the Hyuga looked like the deceiving type, especially by how she fought: cold and calculated and calm. She was definitely more than she seemed.
"Fine," He bit out, "I'll look into your story, but if you're lying to me, you're the ones getting reported and I'll make sure your clan is ruined for the sleazy, scum-bags they are, Hyuga."
Hinata stared back at Sasuke, unintimidated, "Do whatever you wish, Uchiha." Was all she said.
"ATTENTION ALL CANDIDATES. THE SECOND PART OF THE CHUNIN EXAM IS NOW OVER. REPORT TO YOUR ASSIGNED DOORS AND WAIT FOR A CHUNIN TO RETRIEVE YOU TO THE NEXT AREA."
"Better get back to your team, Sasuke," Kiba taunted, "Wouldn't want to fail the test and let them down, right?"
Sasuke sent Team Eight one more scowl before walking off, hands in his pockets.
"Man that guy is a fucking asshole." Kiba muttered, "Are you okay, Opal?" He asked.
Hinata smiled and nodded, "I'm fine. He didn't get to land a real hit."
"We should stay wary of Team Seven, now, or at the very least, Sasuke." Shino observed.
"Yeah, that guy is bad news." Kiba added, "Anyways, let's get going. Our chunin must be waiting at the doors by now."
Team Eight walked off, unaware of the eyes that had seen everything, staring at them from afar.