Team Nine rushed into the forest assuming that all the others teams had done so as well, the three didn't move far into the forest before they stopped. The three made their way up a large tree it's branches completely filled with leafs providing excellent cover, the three shinobi crouched down and were silent as they watched. Toshiro began to focus his chakra as a large hawk swooped down and landed a few branches above them, his hands formed the Yamanaka special hand seal and used his clan's hiden. Transferring his mind into the birds, inside of the hawk he gave them a nod before he flew off. With his consciousness gone Toshiro's body fell back onto Koji. "And now we wait." Riku spoke in a whisper.
An hour had pasted before Toshiro flew back in the hawk's body, he slowly opened his eyes back in his own body. "As far as I can tell we are the only team in this area."
"Alright then we will slowly make our way and ambush whatever team we found." Riku ordered.
The two boys nodded as the three climbed down from the tree and began to move deeper into the forest of death. They had found scenes of battle as they pasted by, kunais stuck in trees, a broken tree, and three leaf shinobi laying on the ground unconscious. "Careful..." Koji mumbled.
Riku and Toshiro slowly walked forward, suddenly Koji cried in pain. Turning back they saw him laying on the ground with a small metal dart stuck in his back. "Koji?!" Riku cried out as the two of them ran towards him but suddenly two rope snares pulled them up into the air leaving both Riku and Toshiro hanging upside down in front of two trees. Riku cut her head when she hit the tree leaving her dazed, across from the two strung up ninjas three armored men laughed each of them with a Kusagakure headband on them. Two of them stood in front of Koji and the third pulled the dart out of Koji's back and had a foot on his head.
"Great more Konoha brats, alright kiddos here is the deal hand over the scroll." The one in front spoke before pointing back to the one on Koji's back who now had a glass vial in his hand. "Or we let the poison kill your little friend."
Toshiro held his hands in front of his like he was going to do the mind transfer jutsu but after a second he fainted, this caused the two men in front to laugh as the young Yamanaka smacked the back of his head against the tree. "The little punk fainted! What a wuss!" They laughed before looking back at the third, "Come on Shiro you can get that stick outta your ass for once and join in."
Inside Shiro however a mental battle was raging on.
'Get out of my head!' he yelled as several Toshiro stood around him mocking him.
'Maybe I will let you out of my genjutsu, but first tell me what is this poison you used on Koji.' The Toshiro taunted as they ran around the man stabbing him.'Or maybe I will just break your mind either works for me.'
'Fine it isn't a poison it's just a power muscle paralyzer, kids like you wouldn't know the difference!'
"Good then I can release you from this genjutsu...sadly you are not in a genjutsu."
Toshiro in Shiro's body gave the two guys a nod before turning his gaze to Riku and signaled to her that it was him. Quickly he threw two kunai and cut down his own body and Riku, "Come and get me." The two men tackled the man Toshiro was controlling Toshiro released his control and slowly was making his way back to his body. Riku pushed off the ground with her hands and formed her handseals unleashing her Whirlwind Gust jutsu, focusing a large amount of wind around her until she forced her hands out and a jetstream rushed forward and knocked the three men to the ground.
Koji had managed to crawl towards them and stabbed one of them in the shoulder. "You bastards..." he growled.
Toshiro sat up from the ground and rubbed his head still in pain from landing he dug out three paperbombs and slapped them on each of their backs. Before he held out his hand, "Now Riku how about we make these idiots a deal."
"You are right...give use your scroll or Toshiro makes you go boom."
"Fine fine!" One dug the scroll out from their pouch they had a heaven scroll.
The two took it still frowning, Riku helped Koji to his feet and supported them as they walked. "By the way if you move in the next hour you all go bomb so you just stay there!" Toshiro ordered pointing to his eyes and then at them a few times before he dashed off with Riku.
After a few hours of walking the sun had set and night had taken over the forest, Riku set Koji down against a tree. "Toshiro can you create a genjutsu to hide us from anyone who may come this way."
"Yeah I can just stay close" Toshiro got closer to the tree and focused his chakra creating an illusion that made the area seem normal and that the three genin where not there.
"I think it would be best if we rest...if we push it all night we will be weak tomorrow." Riku suggested.
"It's not like we can do much with Koji in this state." the young Yamanaka agreed. "I will need to take the first watch to keep up this jutsu."
Riku and Toshiro agree'd since Koji at this time was unable to, the night in the forest was eerily quiet that night. It was difficult for Riku to sleep with all the unknown of this exam, sure they had two of the same scroll but how many other teams were still out in the forest after the first day? She tossed and turned before sitting up and leaning against a tree. "Take a rest Toshiro."
"I can't, if I stop we lose our cover." Toshiro answered softly.
"I know but you would will be worthless if you don't sleep." Riku answered and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Toshiro shook his head, "We will be exposed."
"And if they are better then you they will see through it anyways. Just rest Toshiro." Riku spoke more firmly now taking the role of the lead of the team meant she had to put her foot down.
Toshiro finally gave in and laid down, Riku moved some brush to cover her teammates and she took position above them and watched for any signs of other teams. Thankfully the morning came and the only thing Riku saw was a few wild animals. Once on the ground she smiled as she saw Koji and Toshiro both up. After making sure that Koji was able to keep going the trio began to walk towards the tower again, they didn't have to worry about getting there within the time limit it was all on them finding an Earth scroll.
The only confrontation team nine ran into was a small booby trap someone had set but it looked like it had been abandoned, they stopped once three figures walked out of the treeline. "Just make this easy and hand over your scroll!" one of the young Suna ninja's commanded.
The second stood their in silence not speaking a single word.
Finally the girl spoke up, "We could just trade peacefully maybe they have a scroll for us?" The blonde girl looked at her silent teammate who nodded but when she looked at the one who spoke he shook his head.
"Really come on we can take on three leaf kids!" The boy with the loud mouth snorted.
Toshiro threw a kunai at the big mouth that landed between his legs and then one in front of the girl a beautiful red rose before her. "You are beautiful...you are not my Desert Rose but I will be honest with you. May I ask your name?"
"HEY! WHAT..." The boy yelled again.
"I'm not talking to you!" Toshiro shouted back.
"Mira...Mira Ryoumi." The blonde answered.
"Alright enough." Koji rubbed his head. "We will be honest we are looking for an Earth scroll."
Mira and the boy didn't say anything the silent one spoke up. "Sorry, we can't trade you that."
Rika rubbed her chin, "Then it looks like we will need to fight then, you have the scroll we need and we could have the one you need."
"Bout time, I want the annoying one!" The loud mouth declared, Koji and Riku both turned to Toshiro.
"That really hurt guys." he mocked tears as he threw a kunai at the loud mouth and drew him off.
"I'm guessing he is your idiot?" Koji asked.
The two Suna ninja's nodded, "YOU ARE THE IDIOT!" Toshiro and the loud mouth both yelled at Koji.
"You two seem nice but we are not about to fail this exam." Riku stated gripping a kunai.
Koji's Sharingan activated as he stared at the two Suna ninjas. The two Suna shinobi got ready, "Sota...get ready."
Sota silently nodded as he readied a kunai in his hand Mira drew her katana, Koji and Riku both formed hand seals together. Koji unleashed a constant stream of fire and Riku did the same with wind feeding into his flames. The two Suna ninja's each dodged towards the left, the male stayed back but the female closed the distance. Once her feet hit the ground she pushed off swing her blade at Koji, he ducked down low as he kicked at her knee.
Riku threw two quick jabs at Sota mimicking the fighting style she had been trained by her Uncle, but the Suna young man had a dodge for the first and countered the second by flipping her over his shoulder. Before he could follow up the attack Riku had gotten to her feet and struck him with an uppercut right under the jaw knocking him flat. With the man on the ground Riku began to search for the scroll on him.
Koji's fight was going much worse Mira's skills with a blade and the fact that she had a katana meant all he could do was try to defend and find an opening to get rid of her weapon. Once the blades struck again Koji pushed downwards and then stomped on the blade knocking it from her hands. "Sorry." He mumbled before striking her in the back of the neck. He began to search Mira for the scroll as well.
The duo stopped once Toshiro came walking out of the trees he had ran off into dragging the loud mouth along with him, in his other hand was the Earth scroll. "Lookie what I found."
"How do we know you are really Toshiro?" Koji asked crossing his arms.
Riku nodded, "We should test him...trap Koji in a genjutsu."
Toshiro laughed, "I'm not dumb, with his Sharingan it would be pointless."
"Alright it's you." Riku smiled. "Now we only have one objective, get to the tower."
After they set Mira and her team against a tree and giving them some cover the three left now on their way to the last part of this exam. Toshiro however ran back quickly and made sure to leave a flower for Mira.