The Shadow Wars
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Chapter 11
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The next day, the three members of Team 7 arrived at the exam area. Once again, they were the last people to arrive, though they went straight there.
"I will announce each examiner in turn. He or she will face you for thirty seconds and then go into the forest. This time is for you to study his face, so use this time wisely and memorize what he looks like. If you bring back the wrong scroll..." the head examiner began. "You will fail."
"Maito Gai." The examiner said. Gai arrived at the podium, stood there for thirty seconds, and back flipped into the forest. "Hatake Kakashi."
He continued through the list, until he reached Team 7's examiner, Yataka Kararu.
Kararu was a tall, thin fighter. His build was not impressive, but he held himself regally. He had red, long hair. But the worst thing was his face. It was covered with scars and blisters. He also seemed to only have one eye. The other eye socket was filled with a whitish liquid that seemed useless to see.
When Kararu arrived at the podium, he glared directly at Naruto, his white eye strangely in focus. Sasuke noticed that Kararu was performing hand seals.
---
Finally, Kararu simply vanished into the forest. Unlike the other Jounins, who leaped from tree to tree constantly, he simply sat down on the ground and waited.
---
"Now that the examiners are done, you move out into the forest." The examiner said. No sooner had he said "forest" when the teams leaped into the forest.
"Sakura, Naruto, I think I know where he is." Sasuke said.
"Where?" the couple inquired.
"The clearing up ahead. I read about him, and his jutsus are too powerful to confine to an area with lots of trees. That means a clearing, and this forest only has one clearing." Sasuke said.
"Hmm... That is logical, but, on the other hand, not everything is logical." Sakura said.
"Let's check it out." Naruto said.
---
Three hours later, they found Kararu, who was still sitting, meditating on his chakra. Soon as they reached him, an explosion went off.
"Watch out!" Sasuke yelled, pushing Naruto and Sakura away. The explosion hit him full force in the chest. He was blasted back several feet, his eyes closed.
"Damn it..." thought Naruto. "There must be some chakra strings here..."
"That is correct, Naruto." Kararu said, his globule eye sharpening it's gaze. It suddenly transformed into a black globule, which allows him to see the chakra of everything around him. "You are strong, but not strong enough."
"That's what you think. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto said, as he was surrounded by red chakra. Suddenly, one hundred clones appeared.
"Whoa... That's too strong..." thought Kararu. "I'm going to have to end this now."
Suddenly, Kararu vanished. A second later, he was back in place, and all the clones burst into smoke. The real Naruto was blown back, a large cut on his chest.
"What the..." thought Sakura. "I guess... I have no choice."
Sakura began performing the hand seals for the fire kunai. One she reached the last seal, she flared her chakra all around her.
"Katon: Ho Kunai no Jutsu!" Sakura said. Her chakra started to form into many kunai, as the chakra converted into fire.
"Uh-oh... If I get hit with that, I'm in trouble. Where did the girl get all this chakra?" thought Kararu.
Suddenly, Sakura sent all the kunai at Kararu. He dodged two of them, but the rest him them in his chest.
"Ah!" Kararu shouted as he was blasted back. Sakura then teleported behind him and performed a move similar to the ending of Sasuke's Lion Rendan. Kararu was knocked into the ground.
At that moment, Naruto came too, the large cut opening wider and wider.
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Watch out!" Naruto yelled.
"Don't worry, he's dow-"Sakura started to say. However, she was interrupted as Kararu kicked her in the stomach, sending her into a nearby tree. She was knocked unconscious.
"You'll... Pay... For... That!" Naruto said, as red chakra flared around him again. This time, however, it was primal rage that caused it to erupt around him.
Suddenly, Naruto vanished and reappeared behind Kararu. He then hit Kararu in his back.
"This is bad... If he keeps this up, I can die..." Kararu thought. He then said "I give up. Your team passes. Naruto, you and the girl get full marks. Sasuke has one point deducted because he only contributed once, when he saved you two from my trap."
"Arigatoo, Kararu-sensei." Naruto said.
---
Did the rest of the Rookie Nine pass? And will Team 7 be able to finish the exam with the team intact?
---
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. However, I'm sitting on a dilemma for the future chapters. To make the NaruSaku pairing more obvious, I'm probably going to put them against each other in the one-on-one section, and have one forfeit to the other. However, I am unsure who it should be.
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Chapter 11
---
The next day, the three members of Team 7 arrived at the exam area. Once again, they were the last people to arrive, though they went straight there.
"I will announce each examiner in turn. He or she will face you for thirty seconds and then go into the forest. This time is for you to study his face, so use this time wisely and memorize what he looks like. If you bring back the wrong scroll..." the head examiner began. "You will fail."
"Maito Gai." The examiner said. Gai arrived at the podium, stood there for thirty seconds, and back flipped into the forest. "Hatake Kakashi."
He continued through the list, until he reached Team 7's examiner, Yataka Kararu.
Kararu was a tall, thin fighter. His build was not impressive, but he held himself regally. He had red, long hair. But the worst thing was his face. It was covered with scars and blisters. He also seemed to only have one eye. The other eye socket was filled with a whitish liquid that seemed useless to see.
When Kararu arrived at the podium, he glared directly at Naruto, his white eye strangely in focus. Sasuke noticed that Kararu was performing hand seals.
---
Finally, Kararu simply vanished into the forest. Unlike the other Jounins, who leaped from tree to tree constantly, he simply sat down on the ground and waited.
---
"Now that the examiners are done, you move out into the forest." The examiner said. No sooner had he said "forest" when the teams leaped into the forest.
"Sakura, Naruto, I think I know where he is." Sasuke said.
"Where?" the couple inquired.
"The clearing up ahead. I read about him, and his jutsus are too powerful to confine to an area with lots of trees. That means a clearing, and this forest only has one clearing." Sasuke said.
"Hmm... That is logical, but, on the other hand, not everything is logical." Sakura said.
"Let's check it out." Naruto said.
---
Three hours later, they found Kararu, who was still sitting, meditating on his chakra. Soon as they reached him, an explosion went off.
"Watch out!" Sasuke yelled, pushing Naruto and Sakura away. The explosion hit him full force in the chest. He was blasted back several feet, his eyes closed.
"Damn it..." thought Naruto. "There must be some chakra strings here..."
"That is correct, Naruto." Kararu said, his globule eye sharpening it's gaze. It suddenly transformed into a black globule, which allows him to see the chakra of everything around him. "You are strong, but not strong enough."
"That's what you think. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto said, as he was surrounded by red chakra. Suddenly, one hundred clones appeared.
"Whoa... That's too strong..." thought Kararu. "I'm going to have to end this now."
Suddenly, Kararu vanished. A second later, he was back in place, and all the clones burst into smoke. The real Naruto was blown back, a large cut on his chest.
"What the..." thought Sakura. "I guess... I have no choice."
Sakura began performing the hand seals for the fire kunai. One she reached the last seal, she flared her chakra all around her.
"Katon: Ho Kunai no Jutsu!" Sakura said. Her chakra started to form into many kunai, as the chakra converted into fire.
"Uh-oh... If I get hit with that, I'm in trouble. Where did the girl get all this chakra?" thought Kararu.
Suddenly, Sakura sent all the kunai at Kararu. He dodged two of them, but the rest him them in his chest.
"Ah!" Kararu shouted as he was blasted back. Sakura then teleported behind him and performed a move similar to the ending of Sasuke's Lion Rendan. Kararu was knocked into the ground.
At that moment, Naruto came too, the large cut opening wider and wider.
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Watch out!" Naruto yelled.
"Don't worry, he's dow-"Sakura started to say. However, she was interrupted as Kararu kicked her in the stomach, sending her into a nearby tree. She was knocked unconscious.
"You'll... Pay... For... That!" Naruto said, as red chakra flared around him again. This time, however, it was primal rage that caused it to erupt around him.
Suddenly, Naruto vanished and reappeared behind Kararu. He then hit Kararu in his back.
"This is bad... If he keeps this up, I can die..." Kararu thought. He then said "I give up. Your team passes. Naruto, you and the girl get full marks. Sasuke has one point deducted because he only contributed once, when he saved you two from my trap."
"Arigatoo, Kararu-sensei." Naruto said.
---
Did the rest of the Rookie Nine pass? And will Team 7 be able to finish the exam with the team intact?
---
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. However, I'm sitting on a dilemma for the future chapters. To make the NaruSaku pairing more obvious, I'm probably going to put them against each other in the one-on-one section, and have one forfeit to the other. However, I am unsure who it should be.
