Naruto opened the door to his room to find Rin sitting at the table and writing something.
"Report," she said.
"The second round will be taking place in the mountains that are to the west of the city. Only proctors have been allowed to enter for almost two weeks from what I've heard," Naruto said as he lay down on his bed.
"A survival test?"
"Yes. It's the best way to cut down the number of participants. I'm pretty sure it'll be longer than five days and that all teams will be required to stay in the enclosure for the duration of the test."
"Because that'll result in more skirmishes and teams that may have secured whatever object that they are required to secure must also protect it," Rin said as she set her pen down and swiveled towards him.
"Yeah, meaning that it's more tiring and no one knows if they pulled through until the test ends for everyone. This will probably mean more mistakes and fewer participants making it to the finals," Naruto said.
"And?"
Naruto got up and handed Rin three photographs.
"Who are they?"
"The kid with the gourd is Sabaku no Gaara. Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi. He was pretty crazy the last time I saw him five years ago. We kept track of him since then and he's only gotten crazier. And stronger."
"Ranking?"
"Everyone in the photos is most probably A-rank. Gaara has killed his teammates on a few occasions. Anyone who gets in his way will die," Naruto said as he looked out of the window that was next to the Rin's table.
"Can you kill him?" Rin asked. Naruto sighed.
"Maybe. But I can't do it here. Not without prior approval. The girl with the green hair is Fuu. The Nanabi jinchuuriki. We don't have any information on her at all but, it's best to stay away from her."
"Because we and Taki aren't on the best of terms. And even if we were, that really won't matter during the exams. And this girl?"
"The Tsuchikage's granddaughter. Proficient in Yoton. Any Konoha genin she encounters will be melted," Naruto said.
"I want you to keep an eye over the rookies," Rin said with a slight frown, as she let go of the photographs, causing them to fall on the tabletop, and joined her hands under her chin.
"I already have a mission I'm afraid," Naruto said.
"Naruto, I've known those kids since the day they were born and I don't want them to die here," Rin said as she stood up and turned to him again.
"They've been genin for a few months by now and most of them are from reputed clans meaning that they've been training most of their lives for this. If they can't even survive this, what makes you think they should even be on the field?" Naruto asked.
"This was supposed to be a competition between genin. They can probably survive against any genin in the elemental nations but these," she said while pointing to the photographs, "are not genin. Neither are you. They're A ranked shinobi for god's sake."
And yes. I know that there may be some situation in the future where I might not be able to help them out in any way but now, I can. Please, Naruto."
Naruto let out a sigh. How am I supposed to say no to that?
"Fine. You'll either pull rank on me or say that I must protect Konoha's future if I say no," Naruto said as he opened the window.
"You know no one likes a smart ass right?" Rin asked as she kissed him on the cheek.
"In that case, I'm doomed," Naruto said as he gave her a small smile and jumped out of the window.
He let himself fall for a few floors before sticking to the wall channeling chakra to his hands and feet.
Since there were no training grounds that were offered to the participants for security reasons, Naruto scaled one of the many peaks that bordered the city. It was the best way he could think of to kill the six hours to the start of the second round of the exams since it would help him get further acclimated to the weather of the Land of Iron.
And the view was simply breathtaking.
Since the sun had risen a few hours ago, the fog that was present in the mornings had vanished. Which left the city, bustling with life on one side and a large expanse of frosty forests, mountains, and flatlands on the other sides. Snow dusted everything he saw.
He stayed there for around ten minutes, taking deep breaths of the thin cold air until his lungs had stopped burning and he had absolutely no difficulty in breathing. Once he was done with that, he began the trek downwards and headed to the site of the second round after eating a few ration bars.
The proctors stood between the candidates and gates. However, all the candidates were not there.
Probably getting briefed at another place.
Naruto, who reached close to the front of the crowd noticed Gaara getting nervous glances from most of the Konoha genin. But Konohamaru was openly glaring at him, which was thankfully ignored by him and his siblings.
Naruto hoped that the ignorance was real and not a pretense. He already had his hands full. Sasuke on the other hand was assessing them, with his Sharingan activated and thinking he was being very subtle about it. He also hoped that he would not try to pick any fights with them in the hopes of finding a worthy opponent to Konoha's Number Rookie.
The Hyuuga prodigy activated his byakugan, intending to do the same and the way he recoiled was almost funny enough to make him laugh. Team Ten was making an active effort to not be seen by the whole squad.
One less thing to worry about, I hope.
Naruto then began searching for the other guys that did not belong there. Purple eyes fell on a trio of Iwa genin, who were dressed casually, like Konoha's genin.
They could not have been more than sixteen years old which was the usual age genin made chunin. However, they were standing a little away from the Iwa contingent and looking at most of the other participants without a tiny bit of apprehension. Chins held high. Posture very relaxed. As they were no threat. As if they were a class apart.
One of the boys was quite tall. Maybe around six feet and carried a zanbatou on his back. He also had black hair and striking blue eyes.
Let's see what we have here.
Naruto made eye contact with the girl, a brunette with large dark green eyes and she instantly stiffened. But she did not scowl like the rest of the Iwa nin that had made eye contact with him.
Bingo. So, the intel was good after all.
The last member of their team, a boy with dark purple hair and black eyes, put a hand on the girl's shoulder. She looked at him while his gaze met Naruto's. Killing intent radiated off of him in waves. His face and eyes, however, were perfectly still. Calm even.
The captain huh? He's been doing this for a while. Interesting.
Almost all the participants had noticed instantly. The Tsuchikage's granddaughter smirked at the sight. Most of the genin were beginning to pale when the killing intent vanished as a smoke bomb landed near the Rock nin's feet. The smoke that followed obscured him from view.
When it cleared, Mitarashi Anko had a kunai over his throat and whispered something in his ear that made his eyes widen ever so slightly before turning his head and staring at her.
Naruto let out a sigh. Why is it the same damn thing every single time?
A more apt question would be why it worked all the time, but he also knew the answer to that. Jiraiya had taken great pains to make him understand. And understand he did.
She had the attention of all the boys the moment the smoke cleared. Some were much more discreet than others. However, none were discreet enough for the kunoichi on their team to not notice the glances they were sending the snake summoner. And soon, she had the attention of all the girls too. Complete with frowns and scowls.
Anko only grinned harder.
"Listen up, losers! This," Anko said while pointing to the fence behind her," hellhole is going to be the place you call home for the next ten days."
There was a collective groan from all the participants before Anko continued.
"Each team will be given a specific location that they will have to go to after twenty-four hours of entering where they will receive further instructions. The instructions will only be handed out one day after the commencement of the round, not before.
They will only be given on the second day, however. If a squad can't make it in time, they'll have to find it out on their own."
But they won't be disqualified. They want us to stay in for as long as possible.
"Is killing allowed?" a boy from Kiri who was around fifteen asked. Naruto's focus shifted from him to the strange sword his teammate, a boy with light blue hair and spectacles, seemed to be carrying around. The shape was certainly familiar. It was unlikely that it was one of the original seven.
A replica perhaps?
"Why yes, it is," Anko said with a grin, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness.
There's never anything good behind that grin.
"If any of your team members are not able to continue at any point, that results in disqualification, and all surviving members will be escorted out of the forest."
Anko produced a red fifteen-centimeter-long tube from her trench coat. "This is a signal that produces orange smoke when struck against a rough surface like this," she said as he stuck one end of the tube against the bark of a tree. Thick orange smoke came out of the tube.
"One of these will be given to each participant. However, remember that this is only to be used when either you or your teammates are in no position to continue. Any inappropriate usage will disqualify your team," Anko said as her grin disappeared.
"So, we can't quit if we want to. That's great. Just great," Shikamaru said while thrusting his hands in pockets.
"There's still a chance to back off now. If you want," Anko said.
"Not for me," Shikamaru said with a deep sigh, not bothering to look at Ino, who was glaring daggers at him. The Akimichi was definitely terrified and trying his hardest to cover it up.
Naruto wondered not for the first time in the few days since the first exams just where the tenacity of the blond girl came from.
It'll either serve her well or get her killed.
"The coordinates and signals will be given in the booth to my right," Anko said while pointing to the wooden booth that stood next to one of what he knew were many entrances.
Teams lined up to receive the coordinates. Naruto opted to wait for all the other squads to finish and leaned against a snow-covered pine.
"Are you alright, brat? You don't look gung-ho about this," Anko said, appearing next to him almost noiselessly.
"How does it make a difference? I'm going to win regardless," Naruto said, turning towards the snake summoner.
"I know you're good kid but, not everyone here is a pushover. Arrogance-"
"Has been the downfall of even the greatest of shinobi," Naruto completed.
Anko smiled. "Be careful, Naruto. It would be a shame if you died here of all places," she said before taking off in a Shunshin.
Naruto entered the booth thirty minutes later. A Kiri shinobi with an eye patch and graying hair handed him a map that had the location marked after checking his ID. Naruto folded the map and kept it in one of his pouches as he was leaving the booth.
"I didn't think Konoha would send someone like you. Eyes like that have no business in a place like this," the proctor-Ao- said.
"I'm not the only one now, am I? And that eye behind your eyepatch has no business being where it is either, considering who it belonged to," Naruto said and stepped out.
The Iwa nin that had threatened him with his killing intent was now focused on Team seven as all the participants were guided to one of the many gates that lined the fence of the enclosure.
The proctor who was guiding him to the gate he was assigned told him that there were five spots on the edge of the site where candidates were being briefed as only one team was supposed to enter through one gate and they would waste too much time taking each team to its allotted gate if they had all been briefed at the same spot.
It also made managing the participants easier and reduced the chances of any scuffles before the round started. The proctor opened the gate after a siren went off, signaling the start of the round.
The trees began within a few meters of the gate, but they were too far apart to be of any use as a means of transport. They were good for cover, however. Moreover, many of them were pines and other species with large trucks and small branches. The snow that covered them did not help matters.
It also made the ground, which alternated between rock and mud more slippery and made it much more difficult to not leave a trail. The standard Anbu issue sandals Naruto wore were made to offer maximum grip on slippery surfaces. And while it was possible to prevent leaving a trail by channeling chakra to his feet and walking on the snow, he decided against it. No one here would be capable of sneaking up on him.
Rocks and large boulders also littered the landscape and there were five mountains inside the enclosure, all of them close to the center. They offered little tactical advantage as it would only get colder the higher one went. Just because he could withstand the weather did not mean that he should. And if a storm hit the peak he was on, he would get buried.
And I don't look forward to digging myself out.
Naruto also saw a lot of hills from the top of one of the trees he climbed. Three rivers flowed through the area, but they would all be frozen, making fishing more difficult. He was also sure that there would be a good number of caves scattered throughout the place.
Naruto checked his map. A red dot, indicating his position appeared on the map when he channeled some chakra into it.
That's some high-level fuuinjutsu. Konoha's or Kiri's?
He was supposed to head nearly twenty kilometers to the north. Only an hour's travel at a comfortable pace. The memory of a clone appeared in his mind, causing him to head east in a Shunshin.
XxX
Sugimori Kyoujurou regarded Team seven from behind their cover. If the frail tree that he was behind could even be called that. The Uchiha was going over the map while the other two were keeping watch. And doing an extremely poor job at that. Which was why he had not bothered to find a better vantage spot. Something he would have done if he was on a mission.
Konoha genin are pathetic.
Kyoujurou did not think they were even worth killing. However, Iwa's top brass had decided that this was the perfect opportunity to strike down Uchiha Itachi's brother and the Third Hokage's grandson and any other promising Konoha genin before they could become threats.
His grip on the tree's bark grew painfully tight at the thought of the captain of Konoha Anbu's alpha squad. They had slaughtered a squad of Iwa jounin only a week ago. One of them had been his classmate in the Academy.
Kyoujurou was one of the many Rock nin who believed that Konoha was creating and spreading rumors about the Uchiha's prowess.
The Uchiha was a prodigy no doubt. Anyone who was drafted into the Anbu at age twelve would certainly have been one. But even Kyoujurou had done that. He too had risen to the position of a squad captain. His team, however, consisted of rookies who had just been drafted.
He must've been made the captain of the Alpha squad cause the other members were veterans or something.
Kyoujurou was not sure if he would ever run into Itachi to extract his pound of flesh but killing his little brother would suffice. For now.
He snapped his fingers and his teammates, Fukunaga Narutoshi and Nagashima Keichigo revealed themselves from behind two rocks that were nearby. They would definitely have been spotted if they had been on a mission.
He brought his fingers to his face and was about to give them the order to eliminate the members of Team seven when he felt the chakra trail left by a flicker. While it was not fast by Anbu standards, it was much faster than genin standards. He signed to Fukunaga and Nagashima in the standard Anbu code.
Something's coming, stay alert.
Roger that, captain. Both of them had now turned towards whatever was coming their way. Fukunaga removed the bandages around his massive zanbatou and held it in his right hand, ready to slice anything in front of him in half. He held a kunai in reverse grip while Nagashima brought her hands together for ninjutsu.
Just as whatever was coming their way was a hundred meters away, it vanished. His eyes widened as something crashed into Fukunaga, and he disappeared. The trunk of the tree broke with a loud snap.
Did that get faster?
He sensed the trial once more, and he realized that it felt like it had vanished because it had gotten faster. Much faster. He gave chase, stepping into a Shunshin of his own.
Kyoujurou was gaining on it for a few seconds before it accelerated once more.
Come on!
The Anbu captain grimaced as he pushed more chakra into his coils than he knew was safe. His surroundings faded from vague shapes to botches of color. His eyes began to water and sting. It still was not enough to catch up. White-hot pain made itself known in his chakra coils.
A few of them are going to blow.
However, the trail stopped a little further ahead and he did too, upon reaching the spot. The pain receded into the background but did not completely go away as he wiped the tears on the back of his hand.
He blinked, the stinging in his eyes was gone and he concentrated on the black form in front of him.
It was the punk who he had threatened with his killing intent. Keichigo stopped a few feet behind him. He held a kunai that was drenched in blood.
His entire hand and forearm were covered by blood as well.
Fukunaga's blood? Who else's would it be?
However, Keichigo was not able to resist the urge to ask him the obvious.
"What did you do to him?" she spat out.
"What you were planning on doing to Team seven. Before we begin, there is something I want to ask you," the Leaf nin said as the blood-coated kunai spun.
Kyoujurou unsheathed his katana.
"Were you going to spare the girl?" he asked.
"No, we weren't. And once we're done with you, tree hugger, I will personally rip them apart from limb to limb while you watch. Only then will you die. And then, I'll slaughter every one of you damned Konoha shinobi I find," Kyoujurou said as rage boiled in his chest, and it burned like a furnace as he gathered his chakra.
Focus.
Kyoujurou fell into a pattern breathing exercise as he dropped into a stance. He would have scoffed at the thought of him even being shaken enough to consider needing the breathing exercise a few hours ago.
No matter.
The blond dashed toward Keichigo but Kyoujurou intercepted him first, his blade aimed at his opponent's chest. The Leaf nin leaned back and brought his kunai to deflect the strike even though his legs took him forward.
His katana, hardened by Doton chakra, split the kunai into two. The blond dug his heels and let his momentum carry him forward. Kyoujurou was expecting Keichigo's heel to dig into his face.
But the blond brought up his hands a fraction of a second before his teammate's kick made contact, sending him back a few feet, to Kyoujurou's side. The block was a blur to Kyoujurou.
His feet didn't even leave the ground.
He pushed off the ground and stabbed at his opponent's head. He bent his knees and lifted his arms to grab Kyoujurou as his blade pierced the air above him. He failed to notice Keichigo's sweep at his feet from behind him.
Kyoujurou elbowed the Leaf nin in the face just as he began to lose his balance. Keichigo secured her arms around his torso and threw him into a rock nearby, chakra enhancing her muscles. The blond's impact filled the air around him with dust.
He stuck his sword in the ground and held the rat seal.
Doton: Ganban Kyū!
Large slabs of earth rose from the ground around the blond and slammed into him, obscuring their sight further. Kyoujurou took a deep breath and yanked his katana out.
That would be enough damage to slow him down at least.
Even before he could take a step towards the dome that he knew his opponent was trapped in, it exploded. His eyes widened as he saw dark blue tendrils of lightning in the resulting cloud of dust.
What?
A cold wind cleared the air a few seconds later and the Leaf nin was standing with a ninjato in his right hand, electricity crackling in his left. It slammed into the ground and the lightning cracked the ground as it made its way to where Keichigo was.
The bland lashed out towards Kyoujurou with an overhead slash that he barely had time to parry. He was expecting his sword to break but it held, and he let out a grunt as his opponent's power was making it a struggle just to hold his katana in that position.
"I want to see how my swordsmanship compares to yours, Sugimori Kyoujurou. Don't hold back," the Leaf nin said. His tone was once again curiously neutral for someone his age. He was speaking as if he were under no strain at all.
How the hell does he know my name? We entered the tournament under aliases.
The blond pulled back and stepped to the side, causing Kyoujurou to stumble forward. Keichigo blocked the stab at him with a kunai, only for an uppercut to the chin to send her flying.
Doesn't matter. He's trying to distract you.
Kyoujurou had to dodge another strike at his midsection. He frowned as he heard Keichigo's landing. The Leaf nin bent under the slash at his head and tried to pierce his heart. He managed to deflect it but the sword pierced his right shoulder instead.
Kyoujurou exhaled sharply and fell on his knee. He felt Keichigo molding her chakra for a technique and held the Leaf nin's hand with both of his own. The boy dug his blade deeper.
Kyoujurou yelled out as his grip faltered, but he had succeeded. Keichigo's fist, encased in solid rock, slammed into the blond.
His body cratered into the ground and skidded for twenty meters or so. He also heard a few cracks accompany both his teammate's punch and his opponent's body hitting the ground.
The sword the boy was holding broke near the handle. Kyoujurou pulled the blade out with a grunt. His blood had already stained a good portion of his shirt. He heard a footstep before he could do anything else.
Keichigo rushed at him and tried punching him again. Kyoujurou would not have been surprised if the blond had dodged the blow. He was barely able to follow his movements after all. But the Leaf nin caught the punch. Cracks began originating from where the blond's hand, much smaller than the gauntlet was holding it in place.
"You haven't practiced this technique enough. This is no harder than that of an Akimichi boy using the Partial expansion jutsu," he said, letting go of the earthen fist and kicking Keichigo in the stomach.
Kyoujurou grimaced once more as he felt the power behind the Leaf nin's kick. He managed to catch his teammate, and the pain in his shoulder almost made him scream. Keichigo spat out a large glob of blood.
"Can you move?" Kyoujurou asked as he eyed his opponent, who was standing with his arms folded.
"Yes," she said. The blood flow had reduced.
"The man who trained me will be appalled that I had to use this against the likes of you," the Leaf nin said as he held a gray hilt. A purple blade extended from it.
I guess it's all or nothing.
"How much chakra do you have left?" Kyoujurou asked his teammate.
"Less than a minute's worth against that," she said as she unsheathed her tanto.
"That's all we'll need if we're lucky. I'll slow him down with some genjutsu. Lead him to the cave. Go," he said.
Thank God we're close.
Keichigo went to meet the blond head-on as her tanto glowed a faint blue, wind chakra increasing both its length and sharpness. He gathered his chakra and directed it into the Leaf nin's mind. His triple-layered illusions lacked quality, but they would serve their purpose of buying time.
Keichigo was able to get on the offensive and he held his breath as their swords clashed. His heart sank as the blond's weapon was not damaged by Keichigo's tanto.
It saved her from being electrocuted though.
The seal on her tanto made it easier for her to transform her chakra into wind chakra but the Raijin no Ken was a legendary weapon. And expecting some prototype to break that was utter foolishness.
Kyoujurou cast another illusion as Keichigo backtracked as fast as she could. His genjutsu and her using a significant part of her reserves to enhance her speed were the only things that kept her from being skewered.
The entrance to the cave was finally visible. Kyoujurou gathered all of his remaining chakra.
I guess it's all or nothing.
Keichigo had her back to the cave and her opponent was a few meters in front of her. He sensed her use the last of chakra to move away from the cave in a flicker. He sped through a few hand seals.
Doton: Doryū Taiga!
Large volumes of mud flowed from the ground under the Leaf nin and was swept away into the cave. Kyoujurou thought nothing of the slash that the blond seemed to have done with no one in front of him before his technique had taken him into the cave and made the snake seal with his fingers.
A series of explosive tags that they had set up to kill targets after luring them in went off, destroying the cave.
Kyoujurou turned to where his teammate was supposed to be and realized why the blond had slashed at the air. Keichigo's left arm and a good chunk of her chest were missing.
She must have moved right next to him in her Shunshin.
Keichigo's remaining limbs were spasming as she trashed on the ground. He bent down next to her and put his hands on her cheeks. Green eyes full of desperation looked at him for a few moments before going blank.
Her body became still.
No, no, no!
Something pierced his back a second later.
"Did you know that Doton is the element with the second-most number of techniques in Konoha's archives? Well, you know now," a voice behind him said.
Kyoujurou looked back and saw the blond come out of the ground completely, pushing the Raijin no Ken deeper into him in the process. Blood had splattered on half of his face.
He could feel the current passing through his nerves, making moving any of his limbs impossible. It also felt as if liquid fire was coursing through his body. However, the pain dulled a little later.
"What are you?"
The Leaf nin wiped his face, his hand covering half of his face while the other purple eye bore into his own with far more resolve than he had ever seen in anyone.
"I'm a ghost."
XxX
I doubt I'll be one for long now.
Naruto yanked the Raijin no Ken out of the Iwa Anbu's corpse and returned it to his belt. The burning hatred in his eyes soon dissolved into nothingness. The other boy- Fukunaga Narutoshi- had the same look in his eyes when he had figured out who Naruto was a millisecond before dying.
Should I bury the bodies?
It was what Itachi would do.
"Honor is not for us shinobi, Naruto-kun. There are very few mistakes that are greater than being honorable when you know that your opponent will not."
But Naruto was sure that the Anbu he had killed would have left the bodies of any genin they killed to rot.
He would do the same. Iwa needed to receive the message after all.
What better way to deliver it?
Naruto was about to open his map to make sure that he would still have to head north after his detour when he sensed a significant amount of chakra being used very close to him and heard a footstep at the same time.
Naruto spun on his feet and saw the bespectacled Kiri shinobi who was carrying the peculiar sword leap into the air while running towards him. Each of his hands clenched one of the sword's handles and the bandages around it unraveled.
Purple eyes widened as a light blue aura surrounded the sword in the shape of a large hammer.
Looks like it isn't a replica.
It hit Naruto with the force of a battering ram and sent him flying into the pile of rocks that covered the entrance of the cave. He fell on the wall of rock on the same shoulder that the Hiramekarei had struck, shattering his broken shoulder.
Naruto landed on his feet but quickly crumbled to the ground with his back to the rocks.
"So that is one of the seven. What is your name?" Naruto asked as he pushed the numbing pain aside and gathered his chakra.
"Choujurou. What's yours?" the Kiri shinobi asked as he walked towards Naruto, holding his sword so tight that his hands were going white. His jaw was tight.
"You're not used to killing, are you? Good for me. Fighting you here would be irritating. We will settle this later," Naruto said as he sank into the earth.
Naruto resurfaced inside the cave. He had been expecting it to be completely dark, but it turned out that the walls of the cave were lined with mushrooms and moss that seemed to emit a faint blue or green glow in the absence of any other light.
Naruo had seen such plants in Water Country and parts of Fire Country, but he did not know that they grew in such frigid weather.
Maybe they were grown for the exams?
His eyes, which had gotten sharper after the modifications to the seal, only took a few moments to adjust to light and he could see the walls, floor, and ceiling of the cave.
Once Naruto was sure that his shoulder had begun healing, he walked further into the cave. He let out a grunt as he took the first step.
I'm all for tanking blows occasionally but, I'm not tanking that ever again.
Naruto walked for what must have been ten minutes when the ground sloped downward steeply. He slid down and saw that there was not one but three paths ahead of him. He opened his map once more and the forests and mountains that had been on it changed into an elaborate system of underground caves that spanned the entire enclosure.
Naruto also saw multiple points of exit throughout the map. He took a few minutes to memorize them. The thought of staying underground for most of the exam crossed his mind but he dismissed it.
I've got to hunt. And this place isn't great for a fight should anyone find me.
Naruto found a spot that was not covered by moss and lay down. He ate two ration bars and closed his eyes for some rest. Something told him that it would be scarce in the coming days. Either because of the exertion of his fight with the Iwa Anbu or his injuries, he fell asleep only minutes later.
XxX
"He told you of your purpose, Naruto-kun. This is ours. You have to go."
Pale faces were smiling as they said what he knew would probably be their last words with a hint of an emotion that seemed so foreign that Naruto was unable to place it until much later.
Naruto plodded on without looking back.
Naruto awoke gradually, those pale faces being the last image he could remember from his dream. He realized as he was heading back that day that their smiles had been for the first time, completely genuine.
Naruto unfolded the map and searched for the nearest exit. He continued on for five hundred meters and took the path that was to the right when the fork arrived.
Naruto soon came out of another cave and estimated by the position of the moon that it was around midnight.
That nap was too long.
Naruto looked at the snow under him and caught the prints of an animal hoof, most probably a deer. He followed the tracks for thirty minutes before he saw the animal that left the marks. An antelope that was about four times his size.
A spike of earth went through its heart a minute later. Naruto cut out some meat from the animal. He also cut a few branches from a tree nearby and lit a fire. Something that even amateurs knew would broadcast their location to everyone who was in close vicinity.
Naruto did not care about being discovered, however. If anyone was unlucky enough to find him, they would either meet their end or be knocked out of the competition at the very least. He rose once he was finished eating and sealing some meat for later, he began making his way to the location where he would receive further instructions.
Naruto was forced to move on the ground. He moved much faster than he normally would, not caring that he may be spotted by anyone who was scouting for targets. He came to a halt after covering around seven kilometers, half of the distance between the cave and his destination.
The white snow on the ground, trees, and a few rocks were all painted red. As if someone had sprinkled blood from above.
I'd say three people. But where are the bodies?
Naruto got down to a knee and examined the ground for any indications of where the winners of this battle would have gone. He found a footprint that was going east. Some sand was also next to it.
Naruto took a detour and began moving east and found three more places where fighting had taken place. A few weapons were lying on the ground in two of those sites, but they all had similar bloodstains. The sun rose as he chased the team that managed to crush four teams in what was only a few hours.
Naruto followed the trail for a little longer and sensed massive amounts of chakra being molded in his vicinity. The quality of chakra was also one he was intimately familiar with.
The target he had been chasing was not too far away. Naruto saw Sabaku no Gaara and his siblings facing three boys from Kiri. He climbed onto a nearby tree to get a better view.
The squad from Water Country was more experienced than most of the other competitors. That much was clear from their scars and more importantly their grim countenances.
They probably thought that they were above stealth.
The eldest boy in the Kiri squad spoke first. "There is no reason for us to fight here. We'll let you go. For now," he said.
"I don't care. All three of you dared to look me in the eye. I'm killing the three of you," Gaara said.
"Come on, Gaara! Let's go. He's right. Weren't all those guys enough?" Kankuro asked.
Gaara glared at Kankuro who visibly bristled before getting behind cover. Temari did the same.
"Oh? So, this little pipsqueak thinks he can take us all on? I'll make you pay for this foolishness," the Kiri nin said and charged at Gaara, katana drawn.
Sand floated out of Gaara's gourd and blocked every one of his strikes. Naruto could also see from the boy's refined movements that he had been practicing for some time.
He's not too slow either.
The Kiri nin jumped back just as some of the sand was trying to latch onto his sword. He sheathed his katana and glanced at both of his teammates who nodded.
They split up, surrounding Gaara, and went through a rather long sequence of seals. They ended by slapping their palms together and spitting out large quantities of water. The water formed into a dome around Gaara, completely submerging him.
"That's what you get for trying to fight us alone, runt," a boy who was silent until then and had a long scar across his face said. The eyes of the Kiri shinobi seemed to be glowing as they waited for Gaara to suffocate. The water inside the sphere became muddy to the point where it was impossible to know what was inside.
What the boys did not notice was the extremely fast substitution that had taken place a fraction of a second before their technique had completely immobilized Gaara.
And even if they did manage to trap him, they would have been sitting ducks for the other two.
They also failed to notice the sand that was moving towards them until it was too late.
That sand is fast.
Gaara appeared in a sand body flicker as his opponents, completely encased in sand, struggled to get free. Their technique disintegrated, leaving behind a pile of mud that moved much slower than sand.
So they would have taken him out of the fight if it had been the real one that was trapped inside.
Gaara then raised his hands and closed both his fists. The genin were crushed, spraying their blood on the ground. Some even got onto the rocks and trees nearby.
Naruto's stomach lurched at the sight. He had seen some grisly things before, including how the Torture and Interrogations Department got information out of high priority targets but this was something else.
This is what happened to those bodies then?
Kankuro walked to Gaara and caught hold of his shirt.
"Why did you have to do that?"
"To strengthen the demon of war. I'll kill you if you touch me again," Gaara said as he swatted Kankuro's hand away.
That's what he thinks Shukaku is?
"Please don't say something like that, Gaara. Why don't we go to get our objective now? Please?" Temari asked as she came out into the open.
Gaara's head swiveled in his direction abruptly, green eyes clearly searching for something.
Have I been made?
"Fine," Gaara said and the Suna genin left. Naruto leaped out of the tree once he could no longer sense Gaara's chakra. Gaara managed to sense him even when he had kept his chakra masked.
Maybe he can feel my presence somehow?
Naruto took in his surroundings and the blood on the ground. His gaze lingered on the blood on the ground. Gaara had slaughtered them.
How's that different from what you did to those Iwa Anbu?
Naruto scoffed at the absurdity of that question. He had only done that because they were trying to kill Konoha shinobi. They were sent to this competition for that specific reason.
Just like how you were sent to win.
But he had not killed them simply because a voice in his head asked him to. He did that because their missions were at odds with each other. Gaara killed for sport.
Does that justify everything?
Naruto closed his eyes and breathed out.
That doesn't matter. Focus. Would he be able to kill those three?
Naruto had won because he managed to kill one of them even before they knew why he was there. There was no telling how things might have turned out if he had not killed the big guy-Fukunaga-first.
Naruto also had enough tricks to negate their plans.
They also lost because they underestimated you. Just like they would underestimate him.
Naruto concluded that Sabaku no Gaara could have destroyed the team of Iwa Anbu as well. Maybe not as easily as this team but he doubted if any of those three were fast enough to get past his sand or possessed a technique that could break it.
And he may also have an even better defensive move.
While the Iwa squad could manage a victory, it would be a very close call. Not to mention a sound strategy and flawless execution. And there were still too many variables. It would be foolish to assume that the jinchuuriki of Ichibi, a bijju that Suna possessed since the Formation of the hidden villages did not have more tricks up his sleeve.
I'd probably lose to him if I fought him in the desert.
The boy was dangerous. Even more so because of his insanity.
A sane person could be negotiated with. A rabid dog needed to be put down. He could probably negotiate with Kurotsuchi more easily than with Gaara. If he was A ranked at twelve, S rank in a few years would not be much of a stretch. And with their deteriorating relationship with Suna, it was unlikely that this S rank would not be used against them.
Just to keep us on our toes if not anything else. This is our chance to end him.
Naruto decided that he would talk to the Hokage and Danzo about this. The chances of such an opportunity showing itself again were slim to none.
Naruto's gaze shifted to the sky. He realized that there was only one hour for the proctors to start handing out their objectives. He headed towards his assigned location.
I've gathered enough information for now.
Naruto took his time as he moved, searching for any other teams or signs of any fights. He did find a few indications of clashes and the body of a Konoha genin.
A kunoichi, around three years older than him. A kunai to the heart.
Plain and simple.
Naruto could respect that. Many of the genin he had observed while they were on their way to the Land of Iron boasted about new techniques and fancy moves. Barely anyone spoke of stealth and strategy. The ones who realized that even S-ranked techniques were worthless when used during the wrong time were the ones that would become good shinobi.
Naruto just hoped that most of Konoha's genin who were unfamiliar with the harsh conditions of battle understood that. Both for the sake of themselves and the village.
There were a few craters on the ground near her. A tree had also been felled and a rock which was five meters away was also shattered.
They didn't go down without a fight though.
Naruto used a minor amount of doton chakra to create a hole, buried her body, and left. His eyes narrowed as he was nearly there. There was a blue barrier that he had to enter.
So that they can keep track of who enters and exits?
Naruto entered the barrier and arrived at the location. It was one of the three rivers that flowed through the site. The surface of the river was frozen as he expected but the ice was too thin to be walked on. It creaked and broke when he put a foot on it to test it.
There was also a small waterfall, some twenty feet high. Frozen water ran in thin long strands across its length. The ice also had a blue tint to it, making it stand out among the white that was everywhere else.
Such thoughts were forced into the background as Naruto sensed a Shunshin coming his way. Much faster than what any genin should be capable of. Naruto threw a kunai in the direction of the chakra trail the moment it stopped.
Gyekkou Hayate managed to catch the kunai. It was only a centimeter away from his neck.
"Nice throw," he said as he tossed the kunai back to Naruto.
"I just got lucky. What is my objective?" Naruto asked.
"I've always found it a good idea to appreciate luck," Hayate said.
"And I've been taught to mitigate its effects on my plans as much as possible."
"It seems you've had a good teacher. As for your objective, you are to defeat all the teams inside this barrier within four days. Additional instructions will be given after that. Leaving the barrier before fulfilling the objective would result in being ineligible for the additional instructions."
"But it won't result in disqualification?" Naruto asked.
"No, it will not. Good luck," Hayate said before vanishing in a Shunshin.
"As much as I appreciate it, save that for someone who needs it," Naruto said to himself. He then opened his map. The barrier that he was in and all the other barriers that were in the area had appeared on it. There were twelve barriers in total. Meaning that twelve teams would be left by the fifth day.
And that's still too many.
A preliminary round was unlikely as five days would still be left until that point.
The next task will probably be something to cut the remaining contestants in half.
Naruto then focused on the task at hand. The map showed him that he was on the western border of the barrier and most of the area in the barrier was upstream, on the other side of the waterfall.
Naruto climbed up the waterfall, using chakra to stick to the slippery wall of chakra. He smirked when he saw that the river flowed through a forest that stopped a little away from the waterfall.
They were the same species that were everywhere else in the enclosure but here, they were much closer to each other. Close enough for him to jump from one truck to another.
I guess this is as close as it gets to home turf.
Naruto was at the edge of the forest when he heard a footstep. Something rushed towards him a second later. Naruto managed to avoid contact and got a good look at his assailant, a Kumogakure genin not much older than himself.
He brought his hands together for what he expected to be a lightning technique. Naruto raised an eyebrow as he realized which technique it was from the sequence of seals.
The Kirigakure no Jutsu.
A thick fog enveloped the air around him and his opponent. Naruto grinned this time.
You aren't the only one trained in silent killing.
Naruto waited for a sound and soon heard a footstep. He spun on his heel in the direction of the sound and ducked under the kunai slash aimed for his head.
"You still haven't perfected this. I could hear you from a mile away," Naruto said as he caught hold of the offending limb and broke it. Instead of the scream he was expecting, the genin disintegrated into water.
So this is how it feels. It is irritating.
XxX
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