READ IT. NOW I say, ya hear?
Kishomi still struggled to break free. Nothing would hold her back, except for Nagare's unbreakable water spell. Team 9 watched with worried expressions painted on their faces. At this rate, Kishomi looked dead. Kiba's pained face and Hinata's timid look wouldn't leave Kishomi's pale face. Their everlasting glance was of no effect to the unconscious girl.
Kishomi shivered in the coldness of her own mind. She stared around in the blackness and wondered endlessly of what to do. Even if she ran, the stretching distance in her would just go on for infinite miles.
:Flashback:
Kishomi sat with her mother and other members of her clan at the long, ebony table where her family often gathered. She tried hard to endure the hard wood floor and the blind numbness in her legs. It had been two hours since they had assembled, waiting for the head of the clan, Kishomi's father.
It was a secret meeting. Their clan branches had all come and erased their presence in the village nearby. The house that stood on the outskirts of the city was almost deserted looking, for it was always so quiet and seemed as if it never existed. No one knew. The Village of Waterfall was one dead looking village, like nothing ever dwelled in the dense city.
But it was winter, and snow caked the entire Takigakure village and all the fruitful trees had died and the greenery had all crumbled and flittered onto the ground. People could have a full view of the Sakada's residence from just the village.
Kishomi nearly cried when the clock struck 5:30 pm. Her father was horribly late. This was unusual, since her father was never tardy, even on some regular meeting. Dosaan was unbelievably strict on time himself, so this strange contradiction was a surprise to all. But before the next thought was sent to Kishomi's memory, her father appeared, already sitting on the wood floor. He looked calm and his sharp grey eyes eyed everyone in the room. Several 'weak' members gasped in shock, while other 'stronger' members reacted with a grunt in reply and gave Kishomi's father a cynical look.
"We Sakada clansmen have gathered here today…" Kishomi's father began as he poured a hot kettle of green tea for himself. "To flee in fear that the government will have us all killed for our kekkai genkai.
Some faces were taken back by his sharp statement. Kishomi's father sipped his tea silently, allowing other clan members to argue with the statement. These were complaints of time and punishments.
"But…we don't have time!" someone protested, setting his tea cup down on the polished black table with a loud clang. "It's winter! The children will freeze!" Kishomi's father said nothing. Other clansmen looked around for someone to speak.
Kishomi's Okachan bent her head down in fear. The members had to run away, or their high-supremacy clan would soon be wiped out. The Sakada clan was in danger, for a war tore regular ninjas and bloodline limit ninjas apart in the Land of the Wave.
But something was wrong. Nobody from the government, until up to this point, knew that the Sakada's were more 'special' than others in their ninja history.
Kishomi's father gazed at everyone in the room with a piercing glare. The protesting clan member had shrunk down when he received the irate look. "We have to get out of here! The war is still yet raging in the government's very core! If we stay any longer, no one will last!" Otosan snapped. His arms were crossed, showing his aggravation.
Kishomi felt a shiver. She was only five. Could she possibly make it out of this mess when their clan was in jeopardy?
: End Flashback:
Kishomi's eyes blinked open with a start. She stared around the dark forest, and the mossy smell of the wood greeted her with an uninviting scent. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light.
Kishomi shivered from bitter cold that struck the night air like a knife being pierced into one's heart. She stumbled, for her legs were sore and her arms pained. Her knees shook uncontrollably, as the air around her somehow became colder. Kishomi shook herself off from the coldness and fright. She took off again into the forest and searched attentively for her teammates. Her eyes nearly closed while her endless trek seemed to turn into a failure. The rest of team 7 was nowhere to be seen.
Kishomi stopped suddenly, certain that she heard someone's voice close by. Three genin. One with a cracked gourd. Her memory flashed in her mind. The guy Sasuke was interested in from Kabuto-san's dossier cards! Gaara of Sunagakure. Kishomi slipped closer to observe the scene.
An older boy was arguing with Gaara, while a scared looking girl tried to break them up. The other boy had strange facial make-up. "I wonder how his teammates put up with that stuff…how ugly…" Kishomi thought. Gaara stared at the boy with extremely unpleasant eyes. Kishomi shuddered as his black outlined eyes glared distastefully at his comrades.
"He looks younger than then all…yet he has the power to boss his older siblings around!" Kishomi thought as the three team members walked out of the clearing in the forest. She hesitated for a second, biting her fingers to concentrate.
"If I can't find Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura…they're not gonna pass…and plus…I'd be doomed in this forest!" Kishomi mulled over. She sat cross-legged in deep concentration. "I'd better go look for them fast; the exam still has a day left until its end!"
But before Kishomi could think anymore, her eyes closed and she fell into a fruitless sleep. Her shadowy, dreaming mentality sent intense memories into her mind.
:;:;:Flashback:;:
"Uhn…Okachan! It's too much for me! I'm tired!" Kishomi complained as she stopped to rest. The clan had been running all night to escape from the Land of the Wave. Their speed and timing had hit the clock perfectly, making them void to any encounters with the government.
"No Kishomi! We cannot stop! This is a life and death choice you're making to rest!" Okachan said, jerking Kishomi's arm and dragging her behind herself. Kishomi tried hard to keep up with her mother's speed. She stumbled and tripped over a rock. Her face landed flat into the snow.
"Argh…"Kishomi muttered as her mother heaved her up and set Kishomi on her back.
"Now Kishomi, don't be too hasty. I'll carry you on my back instead," Okachan said and once again, she took off towards the Hidden Village of the Stones.
:End Flashback:
Kishomi woke up to find that her eyes were blinded by bright sunlight. Her hand shot up and shielded her from the morning rays.
"Augh…I'd better get something to eat…it's been a while since I last had a bite of food or water to drink…" Kishomi said to herself as she got up to her feet using the tree trunk as support. She stretched and cracked her knuckles with an audible crunch.
Kishomi jumped from her spot over the trees and scanned the forest for some food. Her eyes stopped on a small river that looked pleasing in the morning sun. Kishomi jumped down from the trees. Water was running with a comforting sound. This place was not like the forest, which was like dark moor, but it was the opposite. Tall boulders were around the area for her to sit on and fish were seen swimming plentifully in the stream. Kishomi grinned.
She walked over to the cool water and splashed her face with the refreshing liquid. Kishomi reclined on a warm rock. It was pure tranquil in a place like this. Why did the rest of the forest have to be all dark and scary? Kishomi lazily stared off into the distance while her hands combed through her tangled brunette hair, smoothing it out.
Kishomi drew out flint to start a fire and grabbed a stray stone. She struck the two objects forcefully together until sparks shot out. A fire was set, blazing cheerfully in the afternoon sun. Kishomi then grabbed a kunai knife from her back pocket (or should I say- Kiba's kunai knife…) and succeeded in spearing two fish from the stream.
The blaze crackled as the caught fish sizzled and cooked slowly. Kishomi occasionally turned the fish to cook the raw areas. When she decided that it was ready, her ravenous hands snatched up the fish and dove in. The juicy flesh of her lunch excited her senses and her sullen expression. Kishomi took some drinking water from her back pocket and swallowed the pure liquid in one gulp. She coughed a little from drinking the water too fast, but her hand quickly cupped her mouth to muffle her sounds. If enemies were in their hideout nearby, they'd spot her easily with the racket she was making.
Kishomi walked over to the stream and slipped off her zori. Her feet dipped into the warm flowing water. They drifted weightlessly along with the stream's flowing current. Kishomi propped her elbows on her knees and her chin rested on her sticky hands. She sat deep in thought, worried about the possible outcomes of the exam.
"Its day four… and I still haven't reached the tower! And plus, my teammates are without me…they wouldn't pass if I don't get there in time!" Kishomi thought, eyes staring blatantly at the aquamarine water. It sparkled with pure and soft radiance. The reflection of the midday sun rippled on its perpetual waves. Kishomi kicked her feet weakly to ignite some fun, but that only made things worse. It was noon and by noon tomorrow, they'd all have to arrive at the tower.
Kishomi took her dripping wet feet out of the water with a small splash. She sat on a rock, still barefooted, and waited for her feet to dry. The sun warmed her body and Kishomi flushed with a shudder. She shook off her repentance and put back on her shoes.
Kishomi stood up and cupped a handful of fresh water into her hand and splashed it over her dying fire. It was enough to smother the flames and the fire was out with a loud sizzle. Kishomi filled her bottle up with more water and jumped fast, disappearing into the forest once more.
She whisked out another kunai knife and ran through the trees. Her slate eyes glinted furiously from the light of her blade. Kishomi jumped quickly, her coffee colored hair whipping in the fast pace.
She spotted the tower peeking out overhead and smiled. Bingo. "Now all I have to do is get there by tomorrow," Kishomi thought to herself. She sped up and tore through the woods like a tiger on the prowl for its prey.
It had been two of three hours when she finally could almost walk into the tower instead of jumping a distance. Kishomi's eyes were still burning with resolve like before, but she was clearly exhausted. A small clearing lie empty in front of her.
"Something's up… I don't like it…I sense danger painted all over that clearing. Someone's set traps for me not to reach the tower." Kishomi mumbled, filled with the troublesome thoughts of getting through all those hidden surprises. She carefully crept behind the bushes and spotted a kunai knife in the center stuck into the grass. It was wedged in carefully.
"Hmph… a trap- what's so unobvious about that?" Kishomi thought stupidly. Her mind didn't seem to uncover the hidden meaning. She walked absentmindedly past the kunai knife, and into another set trap. A fake rock had been stepped on by her sandal and it triggered dozens of kunais to come at Kishomi.
"What the!" Kishomi gasped as the flurry of blades shot out at her from every direction. They pierced her flesh menacingly and stabbed her to death. Scarlet blood littered the floor generously.
But it wasn't to last. "Heh… still an amateur aren't you? To underestimate me like that… is a mistake!" Kishomi whispered loudly and the other dead girl turned into a block of wood. Kishomi had used the art of substitution to fool her enemies.
She leaped over the small clearing with chakra focused into her feet for an extra boost. Kishomi sailed through the air gracefully and arched her back in a flip. She landed on the treetops and gazed around her. Her stare stopped at a giant spider below her that hissed threateningly.
Kishomi went numb. A spider. A giant spider was below her, wanting to eat her flesh. She hesitated, then screamed loudly. "EAUGHH! EWWWW! A SPIDER!" Kishomi shrieked and spun the other way. Her face paled as the spider's murderous sounds came nearer.
Kishomi found that the only way to exterminate this bug was to attack it with all she was. She drew out three knives at the repulsive insect. "EAT THIS…YOU DISGUSTING BUG! BLEAAHHH!" Kishomi yelled presumably loud. The knives pierced the spider with a sickening squish. The guts of the spider splattered and plastered the area with disturbing greenish yellow goo that gave off a horrid stench.
Kishomi quivered as she landed on a tree top. "Whoa…" she stammered out, tittering with the breeze. She slowly stumbled to her feet and balanced with the tree. Kishomi sighed in relief and calmed herself. Her grey eyes glowed in the moonlight, like the moon against darkness. Her expression grew cold, and Kishomi wore a displeasing frown.
She stared at the tower from her view on the treetop. Kishomi's sharp gaze narrowed with a burning desire for a chance to grasp the opportunity of passing this exam. Eerie cries of unlucky ninjas were heard in the background of the driving breeze. "They must've fallen for a hidden trap. What mindless people…don't they know that during the exam's end… the intent of killing reaches its climax and the situation grows more severe than before?" Kishomi thought, hair lustrous in the radiant lunar display.
She hesitated for a second, making sure no one would be there waiting for her to fall into a trap. Kishomi wouldn't be that stupid. But maybe she was, just not in the amateur ninja way. Kishomi shook herself off with a hard jolt of her head. She took off towards the tower with vigorous speed. Her face only glued onto the straight scenery of trees and bushes. Night changed to day. Kishomi stood exhausted. She had been fighting off insects and gruesome looking animals all night. They had all gotten in her way and she slaughtered them all quickly with her agility and kunai blade, but the annoying obstacles tired her out.
"Uhn…"Kishomi muttered, half standing. Her eyes shut a bit, but she forced them open with a blink. Her hands were red and scratched from all those encounters, and she was sweating. The morning sun soon grew high in the sky as Kishomi rested.
"The time's almost up! Fifth day…wonder if Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are there yet…" Kishomi said as the tower lay right in front of her. She pushed through the bushes. To her surprise, the rest of team 7 was already at the door, waiting for her arrival.
"NARUTO-KUN! SAKURA! SASUKE-KUN!" Kishomi called out as she ran to once again greet her team. They smiled and Naruto slapped her back. He gave Kishomi a thumbs up and grinned.
"We thought we wouldn't pass because of you! You put ME in such a tight position! We were worried to death!" Naruto stated, smile growing wider. His sapphire blue eyes glowed contently in the sunlight.
"Well, shall we?" Sakura asked, pointing at the 'kai' (meaning open in Chinese, but release in Japanese…but you get it, right?) sign on the door that stood before them. Kishomi's eye caught the glance of Kabuto, but she shifted her view back. That guy was some strange person. He didn't seem like the real self you'd think he was. But Kishomi would have to put that matter aside, as for part 2 of the Chuunin exams was now officially over.
PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: Kishomi and her teammates are faced with the dreadful pre-matches, right after they've been spent in the forest! Will Kishomi handle this, especially with no strength at this point? And who will fight her? The situation gets tighter as Kishomi waits for her turn!
R&R! You know you want to! Please? –smile- Or I'll use my shuriken on you little readers! And plus Gamabunta will be summoned by none else, but Naruto himself and he will gobble your weak bodies up! WAHAHAHAHAHA!
