CHAPTER 3

Kai shot more webbing in front of them, stopping the needles inches from his face.

'Aaaaaaaaah!' cried Kroans the kunais struck him all over.

'That was Kroan!' exclaimed Akari.

'We're so screwed' said Kai.

They leapt from the tree branch and ran to Kroan, who could barely stand.

'Lets get out of here Kroan!' cried Kai.

'...No... I'm not running away...'

'You'll get killed' warned Akari.

'No... they will... pay.' He took out the bag he carried that contained his soldier pills. He poured the entire bag into his mouth.

'What the hell are you doing!'

'You'll get killed. No one can live after taking that many soldier pills.'

'Shut up Kai. You've always been weak.' Kroan stood up straight and plucked every kunai from his body. 'I feel more powerful than I ever have before!' he exclaimed. He threw himself at Haru, throwing the kunai as he went. 'Aaaaar!' he shouted.

Ralfe, sitting at the top of a tree, scanned the area. He saw a bloody battle going on about a kilometre away from them. He could only just make out the figures fighting, but it looked like two or three cells were involved. He looked towards the tower.

'We must get there.' he said to himself.

Back on the ground, Kyo and Rina collected their equipment.

'Kyo, do you think we'll get to the tower?' asked Rina.

'Of course, we will. We already have the scrolls and we're only a few hours into the exam.'

'Do you think we'll pass the exam and become chuunin?'

'I know I will,' Kyo replied arrogantly.

'How can you be so confident Kyo? Don't you ever get worried about anything, or get intimidated when you see someone who seems so strong?'

'No, because if you think that you're weaker then them, then you will be. You have to believe in yourself to succeed.'

Rina was silent. She again felt out-classed by her team-mates. They had got them their second scroll. She hadn't done much except stand in a tree.

Ralfe descended the tree and watched his comrades from a lower branch. Kyo looked calm. Rina looked scared. He knew that she wasn't confident in her abilities, and that she thought herself weaker than everyone else, but Ralfe also knew that if she tried, she could become stronger than both him and Kyo.

…………………………………………..

Haru jumped up and landed in the sand and sank himself into it along with Soni and Shadow.

Kroan charged after them, striking the sand as hard as he could with his fists.

Haru and his team mates meanwhile travelled underground towards the tower.

Kenpachi watched the Sand-nins disappear in the direction of the tower, then looked back at the Grass-nins.

'They forgot about me...now is a good time to attack...'

At that moment, he noticed Rukia standing in a tree on the other side of the clearing from him. She finished doing hand seals, and the air was suddenly heavy with a thick fog. Kenpachi was soon unable to see her, and he heard the Grass nins below him scrambling to set up a defenesive position.

Kroan then noticed the other nins. Still enraged, and bursting with energy and bloodlust, he charged towards Kenpachi recklessly, despite hardly being able to see through the fog. Every muscle in his body rippled with unbelievable power. Kai and Akari were aware that he could not stay in this state for long.

Kai shot webbing through the mist in an effort to slow Kenpachi down, giving Kroan a bigger chance at hitting him. Akari used her grass needles to fire at Rukia.

Kenpachi stared as the monster of a man tore through the forest towards him and as the netting soared at him.

Now would be a good time for Kira to show up... He thought. At that very instant he heard a familiar voice ring through the forest.

"Suiton-Bakusui Shouha!" Water element-Explosive Water Shockwave

A veritable torrent of water suddenly poured into the area, sweeping both Kenpachi and his assailant away. Kira leapt from his hiding place, water still dripping from his mouth. He looked slightly winded, but that didn't appear to hinder him as he jumped onto the wave of flowing water, using chakra to stay afloat.

Kenpachi stared at him.

That's a Jounin level technique...It isn't at full power, but the fact that he can use it at all is astounding...I need to step up my training...

He collected chakra in his feet, using it to rise up to the surface and stand up. He leapt away from Kroan, and threw several Kunai at him.

Rukia created several water clones of herself and leapt into the forest. The clones were quickly demolished by the grass needles. She quickly disappeared into the heavy fog, and shuriken buzzed from where she had disappeared, swinging in straight at Akari.

Akari and Kai leapt into a tree to avoid the flow of water. Kroan was knocked back by the torrent, but got up again and charged through it, completely regardless of his own safety. He had literally lost his mind: the only thing that he thought about was inflicting pain on his enemies.

'This is bad', said Akari. 'At this rate his body will completely break down. No one can sustain that much power for long.'

'But what can we do? If we try and stop him ourselves he'll kill us. Lets just hope he comes to his senses before he kills himself.'