Hello all!
This chapter is a little longer.
For all my new followers as a thank you
for liking this story.
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We were their early, all of us. We had agreed to it before we had left each other yesterday. We wanted to get a good look around this place that Kakashi- sensei had told us was where the second exam was supposed to happen. It would have looked like a beautiful jungle if it hadn't been for all the warning and danger signs littered around the gates that were locked tight. "What do you think?" I looked over at Sakura. She was nervous. I could tell by the way she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to hold herself together.
"I think we can do this. I think it's going to be rough and we need to really be on our A game." I toke a step toward the gate trying my hardest to look as far into the forest as possible but it was thick. "We'll do to this what we did to the last exam, believe it!"
"You mean shake like a girl then?" Naruto and I both eyed the dope. Before Naruto could even start I snapped, "Shut up the both of you. We need our heads in the game here. This isn't a walk in the freaking park." My eyes went back over to the forest. I had that bad feeling in my gut. It started the when I heard about the exams and it got worse as the days went on. Not the knot in my stomach was wound so tight I thought I would burst.
"You okay? Not like you to snap like that?" The girl put a tender hand on my shoulder and I sighed. Pushing a small smiled to my face I nodded my head. "I am alright. Just trying to come up with a strategy." She gave my shoulder one more squeeze before letting go. "It about time to head back around to the front." We turned toward the front, Sasuke was right. It was about time to look alive.
We watched as the other ninja strolled in. It was still early. We took a spot near a rock large enough for Naruto to sit on one end and Sakura on the other. Sasuke leaned against on side, his arms crossed neatly over his chest. His signature look. I smiled for a moment at Naruto kicking his feet looking toward the sky. Not a care in the world.
I sensed some familiar chakras "Hello Shika. Choji, Ino." I turned with a smile and received one back from the two boys but Ino was looking around at her surroundings. For once looking like a ninja. "Sensory skills." He stated more then asked. The shadow boy cocked a brow but it was down again. "This place looks like such a drag." He glanced back at the large gates with all its signs. "Troublesome." I mumbled. That's how he would have put it. He glanced back over to me a small raise to the left side of his lips for a moment.
Sasuke was by my side. He was swift and quiet but I felt him move. The boy's presence caused some noted tension in the other's shoulders. Choji was so interested in that bag of chips he didn't even notice. "I might not be around to help you this time so try and not mess up." He gave us a two finger wave before turning with Choji to group with Ino.
"What was that about?" The raven mess glanced at me, words mumbled and quick. Backing up a bit I learned against the rock and Sakura eyed me as well. "During the first exam. I didn't want to use my - eyes so I didn't answer any questions."
"You left your test blank too?" Sakura couldn't help but punch the boy off the rock. I shook my head with a smile. "I was going to let it all ride on the last question but Shikamaru used some shadow justu or something and took control of my hand answering some questions so I wouldn't fail." I saw Sakura smirk that smirk and I just ignored her.
When our crazy but amazing proctor arrived everyone gathers around her. I fell back watching my teammates listen to her every word about the next exam in the forest of death. I was much to preoccupied with my own thoughts. Now that all the genin were here for the second exam the hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. My body trembled softly. I knew the feeling in the pit of my stomach was fear but I couldn't place where it was coming from. Something wasn't right.
My mind snapped back to my team, to my stupid knucklehead. To the proctor and my hand twitched and my body moved. I didn't want to show my skill but my body acted on its own. I pushed Naruto over so the Kunai would miss his face. I wasn't surprised when the Proctor flickered behind me. "Tough guys like you either leave their blood all over this forest or their comrades." Naruto looked up at me with wide eyes and I just smiled softly. It was alright.
My body tensed when I felt her chakra flare. In sync with her I turned around and got down into a fighting stance. "I was just returning your knife." I looked at the strange genin with the long tongue behind the proctor. I didn't like the look of her at all. "Well thank you grass ninja." They locked eyes and I felt their tension seep through me. "You know I really only recommend that you stand this close behind me if you wish to reach a premature end."
"My pardon. With the thought of blood and your kunai cutting my hair I got a little excited. I meant you no harm." I back away some more and put my hand out for Naruto to grab. I pulled him up and he mumbled an apology. I pulled him to the other two. I didn't like being this close to that grass ninja.
"Looks like everyone here today is quick tempered." Her eyes glistened and she glanced at me for a moment, "This is going to be fun." I nudged Naruto when he glared at her. "Stop it." I hissed. "Before you get a kunai in the ass." He instantly shut his trap. "So before we begin this test I have something to hand out to you all." She pulled some papers out of her jacket. "Just a standard consent form. Before the test all of you are going to have to read over this form and sign it."
"What's it for?" The blonde didn't know when to shut his face and just listen sometimes. "Some of you might not come back from this test and I have to get your consent for that risk otherwise it would be my responsibility." She laughed at the thought. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Now I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here hand these out." I glanced down at the papers but took them anyway. "The first thing you need to know is that this test will assess every one of your survival skills." She started pulled out a map and I backed up grabbing Sasuke's shirt, tugging it slightly. "Memorize it." He quickly turned those eyes blood red and looked it over. We would need that later.
We listened to her explain the terrain. The scrolls got my attention. We were going to have to all out fight each other for them. Damn it. I didn't want to run into the sand ninja or those grass ninja. "All together 26 teams will be taking part in this test. Half of those teams will be going after the heaven scroll and the other half will be trying to get the earth scroll. I will hand over one scroll to each team and that what you'll be vying for." That meant that no more than half the teams could pass and I doubt that 13 would be able to do this. "The test has a time limit of 120 hrs." Ino barked up. She thought five days in the wilderness was too much and with these enemy. It was too much.
"This is designed to be a grueling test and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge." I listened when Shika asked about quieting. There was no way to I was sure of it. She was telling us the ways we could not pass the test. It was probably easier to tell us the one way we could pass the test. All members of the team had to make it to the tower, alive and alert with both unopened heaven and earth scrolls. Easy enough right?
She sighed and we all looked at her, "Oh and I have one more word of advice. Just don't die." Jeeze that's great. We had to fill the forms out take then to the desk for a scroll and go stand by a gate and of course. Don't die. The teams all grouped off and read over the forms. We stood in a circle and I looked at my comrades. "Alright we need to get the scroll opposite our own and get to the tower in 32 hours." Sakura and Naruto sweat dropped and Sasuke's eyes widened a bit but went back to their usual stone cold features.
"And how do you suppose we do that?" I rolled my eyes at the Uchiha. Typical. When I was sure we were out of sight I looked at Naruto. "Make a clone." He did just that. The two looked at me with blue orbs. "I need you to be stealthy. I need you to transform into something that no one would notice. A dog, a rabbit and bird anything to get you close enough to the desk to see which team had what scrolls got it?" He hesitated but nodded. When one of the Naruto's was gone I took a breath.
"Let's go get our scrolls first. To have enough time to get a gate by a team with the opposite scroll." The four of us signed out forms and the moment they said it was time to give out the scrolls we went in. Handing them our forms they pulled out a white scroll. Heaven. No one reached for it. "I'll take it." Sasuke pipped up softly. Sakura shook her head and snatched it, shoving it into my back pack. We exited the tent and walk out of site from the other teams. "What the hell?" I mumbled at the pinked hair girl.
"Any team that knows even a single thing about us will think Sasuke has the scroll. Everyone thinks I'm weak and Naruto would argue but would never get the scroll from Sasuke. You are unknown and they wouldn't think you would have. You look to innocent with your big eyes." Naruto nodded. He agreed and I rolled my eyes. "She is right." Sasuke added in quietly.
"Ugh. Fine." We waited for a little longer. While all the other teams had gotten scrolls. We watched Naruto. Waiting for his clone to finish its job. Once it vanished, Naruto would have all of its knowledge and we would know who had what scrolls. It wasn't long till I noticed that look on Naruto's face, "Grass ninja has an Earth. The sand ninja, a group of weird looking mist ninja. Ino's team. Three other leaf teams and those cocky sound ninjas. That's all I could find out."
I was counting on my fingers. That was only 7 scrolls. There should have been 13 other teams with heaven scrolls. "Sorry Suiren. Almost got caught." I shook my head, "No worries. This is good enough." That was a lie. I wanted nothing to do with the sound, sand or grass. I wasn't going to take it from Shika and his team so that made our odds even lower. I sighed. "So I guess we need to get one from a leaf ninja then."
They looked at me and I nibbled my lip. "What about the mist ninja?" The idea of mist freaked me out. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that but he was right. That was an option. "Very true." I looked over at Sasuke for a moment. "Alright let's get to a door." We walked around noting which teams we were passing. Most of them glared as we did. The gates were far enough away thought that there wasn't an issue but once inside we would have to move fast.
We took a gate between the mist ninja and a team of leaf that had Earth scrolls. Naruto was sure of it. The Chunin in front of us unlocked the gate. The chain fell to the floor. When the doors flung open it was on. "Up high will be safer." We nodded. Sakura was right. We jumped up high and after a few branches stopped. A scream caught my drums. Already huh? We were quiet but thinking the same thing.
"Uh. Guy's I have to pee." I almost fell off my branch. Jesus. We jumped down and Naruto walked over to a random bush. My mouth dropped. Sakura hit him right in the head, "What the heck are you doing? What is this a kennel? Go over there and do it." I pinched the bridge of my nose. Five days of this. "Fine god."
It was only a moment before came back, "Aah man that was a lot. I wrote my whole name." I gulped when Sakura called him a pig. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Before I could act Sasuke attacked him smashing this Naruto against a tree. I was ready to fight. "Sakura back away that's not Naruto." She looked at me and then at Sasuke before taking a step back. Of course she trusted us. "What the heck was that all about?" This imposter was laying it on thick.
Two more kicks from Sasuke and the imposer jumped out of the way. He tried one more dodge but fell to the ground. "You better watch out Sakura I think he's gone crazy." I snorted a laugh. "Yea you wish, I just struck before you could." Sasuke pulled a kunai. I tried to focus on where this guy's team was. If they were nearby. They clashed again and the imposter tried again to plea that he was Naruto. "Save it. Where is he?"
"What do you mean?" The wrong knuckle head tired one more time before Sasuke answered, "You're pouch is one the left side. The real Naruto wears it on the right because he is right handed." I smirked a bit. I was proud he was able to tell those details about his team mates. "Your transformation skills are even worse than Naruto's. Tell me who you are." With a small poof the fake turned into a mist ninja.
Naruto wasn't here to tell us if this was the guy whose team had the scroll we needed but I think it was. "Alright you got me. So what? I'm still going to take your scroll so hand it over, Or else." Sakura pulled out a kunai and got ready. "So which one of you has it?" He was insane. Three against one. "Fine I guess I just have to take you all out." He rushed at us and Sasuke was the one who engaged. Sakura provided the back up and I stood back waiting for his team to come and try and surprise us.
I knew that Sasuke could handle his own. I heard a rustle and felt his chakra. I ran over and released Naruto. "thank you." He said right when a paper bomb went off. Damn it. "Come on." I grabbed him up and went back to the team. He had Sasuke for a moment before Sakura yelled. When the mist ninja looked up Naruto throw a kunai so he would back off, "Oh no you don't." The real knuckle head said. I tossed another kunai as soon as Sasuke jumped to catch the enemy's attention. He was so busy dodging it he didn't notice Sasuke ram into him with his own Kunai.
"Regroup. His team could be anywhere." I rushed over to Sakura. Someone had to have her back. "I wish. I came alone so I wouldn't raise suspicion. Big mistake." I watched the blood drip from the mist ninja's wound. A direct hit. He retreated and as soon as Sasuke landed on his feet we regrouped. Sakura looking for injuries.
"We can't even trust our own appearances. We need to make sure that doesn't happen again." Sasuke was right. "We should always be in at least pairs. Even for peeing." I mumbled the last part. "I think we need a pass word." I rolled my eyes. "Like what?" Naruto looked a little hesitant. Like the kid would even remember a pass word. "Something only the four of us will know and if we don't then that person is not to be trusted. Understand?" I guess he was right but I still didn't like the idea. Pass words were tricky. "When does a ninja strike? A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard and his weapons lie still in the darkness of night. That is the moment when a ninja strikes. Got it?"
"Hai." Sakura and I knew it but I was worried for the blonde haired boy. "You got one a little shorter." I slapped my forehead. "No that's it. Just remember it." Sakura clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth and shook her head at the boy. "I got it I got it. I just thought you know it was going to be a pass word. Not a pass Speech." I couldn't help but smirk.
My ears perked up, so soon? "We need to get moving. Now." Before we could stand up Naruto got hit with something. "What was that?" His face had a small cut on it. "Let me see." Sakura got closer to him. "Let's go." My eyes darted back and forth. Before I could tell them to move again a wind started to pick up. "What now?" Sasuke put his arms up we started to concentrate our chakra to the bottom of our feet but this wind was stronger than Naruto's.
I was flung into a nearby bush. I rubbed my face and looked around. Damn it. We got separated. This was bad. Standing up I dusted myself off, "Suiren?" I looked over to see a disheveled Sasuke. "Are you alright?" I took a step toward him and his took his kunai out. What the pass word?" I rolled my eyes and let them flicker red for a moment before they went back to their violet. No one knew I had the Sharingan so that was proof enough.
He put his weapon down. "Where are Sakura and Naruto?" I mumbled. "Hey guys!" We looked over as Naruto ran over to us. Sasuke and I on Alert. "Are you guys okay?" Both of us took out our Kunai and Naruto stopped looking confused. "What's the pass word?" I asked him. "Oh right, sure no problem. A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard and his weapons lie still in the darkness of night. That is the moment when a ninja strikes." My heart stopped. This wasn't Naruto.
I took a defensive position next to Sasuke who threw a kunai at the fake. "What was that you could have killed me?" I let my chakra flow and I steadied myself trying to match the rhythm and levels of Sasuke. We fought well together but this was an unknown enemy. "I have to hand it to you, you've quicker than the last one."
"What is the matter with you I just got the password right word for word!" I glanced at the fake. I wanted our Naruto. "That's the problem." I mumbled. "You really think Naruto would memorize all that?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at the thought. "Not our Naruto. Not in a million years." I added in after him.
"So who are you?" An evil grin plastered on the fakes face when Sasuke asked. "Aren't we the clever one's?" That voice. Air caught in my through and my heart skipped a beat. In a small gust of smoke there stood the grass ninja. "Tell me if your teammate is really that dim witted why would you come up with a pass word he would never be able to remember?"
"It wasn't meant for Naruto. It was meant for anyone who might have been eavesdropping on the conversation." Sasuke was smart sometimes, when he wanted to be. "It was a trap you walked right into." He was starting to get cocky. I couldn't help but tug on his shirt. "I'm impressed. You certainly haven't dropped your guard have you?"
Sasuke glanced at me for a moment. He knew something was up. I was trying to warn him this wasn't your average genin. I could feel it. "This promises to be very entertaining," I shivered at her tongue. I hoped that Sakura and Naruto where going to be alright. The grass nin pulled out an earth scroll. We weren't surprised. We knew her team had it. I had just wanted to ovoid her. "So you don't want my earth scroll them?"
I took a defensive step behind Sasuke. Not to hide but to have his back because this wasn't going to be easy. I watched the creep shove her scroll down into her mouth. "When this is all over one of us will have both scrolls and the other will be dead." We locked eyes with the nin and the air grew thick. My muscles tensed and I saw images of myself and Sasuke dying. Blood everywhere. My heart froze when I saw it. Sasuke's death even only in my mind caused me pain. I fell on my knees. Tears on my face. I could feel them. I was scared. The fear was dense and it weighed down on my chest.
I grabbed at my heart. He couldn't die. He couldn't. If he did then I was truly alone. But what could I do. I saw it. I saw me die to.
I'm too weak.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Only my OC