I Don't Own Naruto!
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Saga#03
Thousand Sleepless Nights
Chapter #06 - When The Sky And Ground Meet
On day two of the chuunin exams, the remaining contenders that survived the first exams stood before the entrance of the Forest of Death, waiting to get chance to tackle the second exam.
Anko the host of the second exam address the genins with the rules for this exam.
"There is one rule, well! Three simple rules that you must understand before entering this forest. The first is Survival, how long can you survive in a place you hold no knowledge of!
The second his Realizing, once your realize your surrounding how will you take it.
The third and final rule is this Wisdom! No explanation needed.
You might think these are not rules at all, but they are the best rules out there if you all wish to continue breathing.
But I do not wish to bore you with this statement of survival non-sense. Let's just get down to business shall we!
You all will be split up into five groups and placed in front of a gate. Once the gates open you will enter the forest.
Your target is to get to a Temple that is located dead center of the forest.
The Temple is a day journey from each gate! Sounds easy doesn't it...Well you all mistaken, because in this forest lies creatures.
That can drain the blood from your body, rip the flesh and limbs from your bones in a matter of seconds.
They can crack your skull and turn your bodies to ash in an instant" spoke Anko staring at all of the stunned and frighten faces, in the crowd of genins.
Wondering what type of creatures could do such a thing? Drain your blood! Rip your flesh apart, end your life without even a second glance!
Horrifying to imagine such a creature could even exist, and this close to their homes.
At least that what some of the genins thought as they gazed at the entrance to the forest, for those with stronger wills thought differently.
To them it was nothing more than a challenge, they was ready to overcome! But before then they must endure the agonizing moment, as the host finished her speech.
"I can tell some of you thinking, If there was things that could end your lives, why in our right minds send you inside to face certain doom.
The reason is this, no matter what you do, no matter how you live your life. You will face death.
Facing it will be the only way you can over come this . And besides that is not the only thing you will have to worry about.
Here I have two scrolls, labeled Earth and Heaven. Each team will receive one of these scrolls in secret.
To progress to the next exam, you must reach the Temple with both the Heaven and the Earth scroll, before the five day time limit is up.
Seeing how their only 26 teams and 13 scrolls each, the odds are that half of you will fail this exam and be sent home, who know's maybe even less than half of you will actually survive the forest make it to the temple in one piece.
Okay! You know the rules, you know the odds, and you know what you must do to succeed in this stage of the exams.
Now come and get your scrolls." spoke Anko finishing her speech
When all of the genin received their scrolls, they made their way and stood in front of the five gates patiently waiting for their chance to tackle the forest inside.
Once the gates opened every single last genin rushed into the forest like pure rabid beast, hunting for their prey.
Swinging and jumping across tree branches, moving upon the ground like shadows, leaving no footprints, and no trace of their presence in the forest, like true hunters.
Not allowing even a single moment to slip through their fingers.
As team Sasori progress through the forest at a pretty rapid, Night wondered to himself how was they going to obtain the earth scroll?
He asked his team-mates but they was just as clueless as he was in these matters
"I say we just continue to move toward the temple, and when night strikes! We will split up and try to steal scrolls from the other competitors.
Any problems?" spoke Asun sharing his plan with his team, wondering their opinion.
"How are we going to meet up with each other? It not wise to stay in one place for very long. Especially in this forest." spoke Millianna wondering how was they going to meet up with each other.
"It's obvious, we will meet up at the temple on the last day. Before the sun sets" spoke Asun
"Got it!" spoke Millianna pleased with the plan that Asun created
As team Sasori's problem was being solved, on a different part of the forest another team problems was coming to light.
"Come on Hinata! What's the matter now?" spoke Kiba in a very irritated tone of voice, not wishing to stop moving.
But Hinata was far too tired to continue with Kiba twisted plan,
"I'm fine, I just need some time to rest" spoke Hinata just so tired, she collapse against a tree
To add onto her misery, her own body temperature was way up there! She was burning up!
Maybe she was coming down with something!
Seeing that his friend was in distress, Shino turned and spoke to Kiba
"Kiba! Hinata already feel awful, she don't need to hear your big mouth talking about non-sense!" spoke Shino defended Hinata from the tyrant that their partner have became.
"Big mouth! Non-sense! If that is how you feel then fine, I didn't need you guys slowing me down anyway!" spoke Kiba in a fit of rage.
Once Kiba flee leaving his team-mates behind, Shino approach Hinata apologizing for the way Kiba acted.
"It quite alright Shino." spoke Hinata in a shy but drained tone of voice
"Can you stand?" spoke Shino wondering if he should stay and comfort his down partner
"No" spoke Hinata could not even move her own body, it was felt like her body was being weighed down by a mountain a metal.
Standing up was out of the question for Hinata.
"I'm going to get Kiba and bring him back here! Try not to hurt yourself" spoke Shino leaving Hinata to chase down Kiba
"Please be safe!" spoke Hinata before she pass out from exhaustion
By the time she awoke it was already the next day, and there was no sign of her so called friends.
Feeling abandon all by her lone-some, she jumped down to the ground below. Where she started to run in the same direction that she last saw Kiba and Shino was heading in.
Hoping that she would reunite with her friend, she rushed through the forest, not paying attention to how much noise she was making, what was following behind her.
By the time she realize something was a miss, a creature with a twisted up body launched from the shadows and confronted the young girl.
Out of fright she quickly dash in the opposite direction, hoping maybe she would escape from the creature range of smell.
But little did she know, nothing escape from this creatures, not even her.
In an instant she was surround by an entire cluster of this strange grotesque creatures.
Staring at the ooze that pour from their pus filled body!
The sight alone was enough to make the girl throw-up, but the sight combined with the stench of day old blood, and rioting flesh made the critical situation that the girl was in even more so.
The girl tried to back away, but every time the she moved the creatures stared her down until her body went stiff with fear.
The fear that her life would end, and the last thing she could remember would be the cold feeling of being abandon of team-mates.
"Not like this...not like this. I don't wish to die!" prayed Hinata as she dropped to her knees, basically just giving herself to her enemies.
The creatures moisten their lips as they approached the girl, only to the stuck down by an unknown force.
The girl opened her eyes in pure shocked to see the creatures lie lifeless before her. The incident happened so fast she didn't even know what emotion would be most appropriate for this situation.
Happiness along with joy knowing that her life was spared for some odd reason, or terror combined with fear not knowing who could have done this.
The creatures that she could not even lay a finger on, was brought to the gates of Hades like they was nothing!
"Are you alright?" spoke Asun wondering if the girl was alright
Hinata was overwhelmed with fear once she heard the voice, to the point where she jumped forward in fear.
"Who are you?" spoke Hinata wondering where this person come from.
"Salutation, my name is Asun and I'm apart of the shadow team" spoke Asun address himself to Hinata.
"Okay! Why are you here?" spoke Hinata wondering how did he get there.
"I was walking around, and I saw you being chase by these things.
I just knew I must act quickly, if I wished not only to save your life, but meet you face-to-face Ms!" spoke Asun trying to answer the girl's question, but he was interrupted by the girl,
"Hyuuga! Hinata, Hyuuga" spoke Hinata sharing her name with the Asun, like he did with her!
"Hinata, just a beautiful name!" spoke Asun making Hinata feel a little uncomfortable
"So you the one that saved me?" spoke Hinata
"Indeed" spoke Asun after he bowed to Hinata
Feeling a little embarrass, she never had anybody bowed to her before she didn't really now how to handle it!
So she just said this, "So um, you...you can stop now!" spoke Hinata wishing for Asun to stop bowing.
"But of course! I'm sorry if I miss please you" spoke Asun not wishing to disrespect anyone
"No...no, you did okay!" spoke Hinata in a very shy tone of voice
"Excuse me if I speak out of turn but where are your partners?" spoke Asun not comprehending why she was all alone in the woods.
In a depress tone of voice Hinata told Asun what happened, the fight that accord just because she wanted to rest, how her team-mates abandon her and did not return.
It was shocking to hear this bitter news come from such a pretty face. Asun didn't know how to handle this feeling of pure rage.
Hearing how she was abandon by her team-mates, made Asun remember how kids use to treat him when he was still live there.
"Those punks! How could they abandon you, all alone in a forest when you wasn't feeling well!" spoke Asun in a fit of rage.
"It quite alright, really!" spoke Hinata did not wish for Asun to work himself up over nothing.
But to him it wasn't nothing, he was treated bad when he was living in the village, and now they was treating Hinata just as bad. No! Ignoring a situation like this goes against all that he stand for!
And he refuse to allow the girl to go through the same thing he did,
"No! It not alright. You should not be treated like this, and I not going to stand back and watch it happen in front of my eyes!" spoke Asun in a rapid burst of anger, starling Hinata.
Seeing that he was scaring Hinata, Asun felt just plain awful. So he took a moment to collect his thoughts and calmed his mind.
"I'm sorry! I guess I got lost within my own mind. To apologize for my actions, how about you allow me to watch over you.
You know, until you are reunited with your team-mates" spoke Asun in a calmed mind
"I like that!" spoke Hinata so thrilled to have her own personal bodyguard!
"That's great! I mean...great" spoke Asun in a surprise but thrilled tone of voice, to know that she wanted him to stay around her, even if it would be for a little while longer.
As the day continue Asun past and the way he acted was being drawn out by just being around Hinata. The why she speak and act just touch Asun heart in a way he just could not describe!
It was like she was breathing life into Asun, making him look at things a little bit brighter.
"So, you said you was apart of the shadow team?" spoke Hinata trying to spark a conversation
"I did!" spoke Asun
"Do you like it?" spoke Hinata wanting to know more about the person in which she was with
"Of course, I love everything about it. But it wasn't too long ago when I had bitter feeling about being apart of a team. You?" spoke Asun
"Oh! I can't complain, but something it feel like I fall in the background. Like..." spoke Hinata feeling a little sad
"No body cares. Like everybody around you are ready to use you for their own personal gain, and throw you away like garbage once they got what they needed." spoke Asun understanding how Hinata feels.
"So you understand?" spoke Hinata surprise to hear the words that she would use, come out of another person's mouth.
"Sadly yes. But for you to understand I must start from the beginning. When I was younger I live in a village, similar to this one.
In this village the citizens was nice and calm, the kids played with one another. Everybody was willing to help everybody, everybody except one! A boy.
The village people treated him a trash, made him feel like a monster! Why did they do that? I do not know.
All I do know was is as the time moved forward the young child felt as if the whole entire village hate him. It did not take long before he start to notice the staring!
The villagers contently stare at him with cold dead eyes, every time he pass them.
Since nobody wanted him around, he did pranks , like defacing the village statues, making fun of other people.
Anything he could to get somebody to notice him!
That all he wanted. To be notice and loved by all!" spoke Asun sharing his past with the Hyuuga girl.
Hoping she would not figure out his true identity from the pieces that he gave to her!
"Are you the boy in the story?" spoke Hinata wondering if Asun suffered as a child, just as she did.
"Am I that transparent! But yes I am the boy in the story!" spoke As feeling really conflicted.
He want to bask in the nice warm glow that is resonated from Hinata, but he just could not get his mind off of the horrifying memories of his past.
Seeing that Asun felt troubled over something, Hinata quickly tap Asun shoulder getting his attention before saying this,
"What's wrong?" spoke Hinata worried about her new friend.
But before Asun could speak, he sense a strange force around his very body, causing him to slow down.
This feeling was intense, it was almost like everything that was inside of his young flesh covered body was about to burst open, and be covered by the light which is the sun.
The pain the boy's feel caused his breathing to raping, his heart to increase, and his vision to go dim. It was nothing the boy ever felt before.
"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" spoke the boy screaming in his own mind, because his body failed him.
And in this dark void which he called his mind, a voice speaks to his very soul
"The will never stop child, you will be forced to suffer! Forced to face your own mortality and be swallowed up by your eternal damnation.
All in which you will endure until I get my freedom, from this eternal prison!" spoke this dark sinister voice directly to the child ears.
As the voice go on it seemed to Asun it was moving closer and closer toward him.
Once the boy felt the cold breeze of air bushed upon his neck, he stood upon his own two feet. Which he turned to face what was ever speaking to him.
Shocked to see a demon bind to the floor by chains behind a sealed prison cell, blessed by ancient words transformed into writing, acting as a second barrier if the door should ever by loosen or break.
"What are you? and where did you come from?" spoke Asun completely baffled along with frighten just by staring at the demon.
"I am always here, forced to watch your pathetic existence every time I open my eyes. To hear your screeching voice as long as I am able to hear.
To answer your other question, I am is and all that will be! The that existence before creation was given a name!
The one that watched as time was created right before my very eyes, and forced to be sucked into it." spoke the Demon as he stared into the young boy's soul, watching as the boy trembled before him.
"Is there any more of you?" spoke the boy wondering if he would ever come in contact with another one of this demons.
"The answer is Nay, but also yes. There are more of me but none like me, one's that shared the same tale went through the same challenges, but do not weld the same power!" spoke the Demon.
Asun was getting nowhere, it was proven that the demon only speaks in riddles, one's that he could not decode at this point in time.
Feeling like he reached a dead end, Asun overcome his fear and said this to the demon that stood before him,
"How do I return to Hinata, Demon?" spoke Asun wondering a why out of this place.
"You could always come and go as you pleased. The only thing that blocking you from returning, is that you do not wished to leave" spoke the Demon
"And how so? You could hear that I do not wish to stay here with you! But yet you speaking as if I always wanted to meet you. If I can even all you and you!" spoke Asun
"You may not wanted to, but it was always set up for us to meet this way. Rather you like it nor not!" spoke the Demon
Like the last time, when the boy went to speak he was stopped. This time the intense force of the demon in front of his spirit.
"Silence! You may not speak until you feel the pain of a hundred lifetimes of suffering, know what it is like to lose something most dear to you! And to witness what it is like to see all that you have done turn to ashes,
Never to be whole again." spoke the Demon while Asun mouth was quickly shut closed and his body stiffen up like two wooden board pressed together with long sharp nails.
The boy felt the urge to throw up, but was afraid that more than his breakfast would leave his body.
But when he rejected to urge to throw up, his body started to shack. His bones began to crack under the intense pressure that the demon was creating.
"Now do you feel it! Now you know that you body is weak compared to mine. Your existence can be snuffed out as quick as blowing out a candle.
You are nothing more than a piece to a grand design. But it seemed you are not ready to fulfill your role, so closed your eyes and once you see my light again. It will be time!" spoke the voice as Asun eye-lids closed.
When it open the young boy found himself back into the forest of death, standing beside Hinata.
The first thing he did was asked Hinata how long was he gone?
Hinata acted in a very strange and confused manner saying that he never left her side.
Asun began to wonder deeply if he was going insane for seeing and hearing the demon, believing his words to be true.
Soon all of the doubts that lie before Asun's mind shattered and he gazed at things a little bit more clearly.
He might not know where the demon is, but he believe it's apart of him.
Just as the sun's rays collide on his the surface of his face, the demon's influence was just as strong and as close, if not more!
It did not take long for Asun to realize that he was back in what he know is the real world, but he also knows that place he was in and that thing he saw was also real.
Knowing this fact to be true made him fear for Hinata's safety.
If he would to return to the lands that the demon claimed as it own, then he could not be able to protect Hinata, feeling her in danger.
He just could not bare to see another person paying for his crimes, especially this girl.
Do not ask why he feel this way, because he would not have an answer for you.
That is why he is bent on returning Hinata to her team-mates safely, making sure to defend her at all cost.
"Hinata let keep moving!" spoke Asun as he started walking forward
"Are you feeling okay?" spoke Hinata worried for Asun's safety.
As the day progress Asun's behavier became more and more calm, just as when he appeared before Hinata, leading a helping hand to a fellow consistence.
With this nice knew form of mind set, it wasn't long before he and Hinata was surround by the competition,
"Stay back!" whispered Asun telling her to stay out of the battle, and watch as he handle these thugs single handedly.
Once he stepped into the center of the thugs circle, the leader of this little ambush stepped forward hoping to intimidate the boy!
But it did not matter how many intimidating words came out of the leader's mouth, Asun only cared about the safety of Hinata and nothing else, and he wasn't going to allow these thugs to jeopardize that!
Asun summoned his puppet to his side and attach his chakra stings, preparing for battle.
"I will say this now.
I feel nothing for what I am about to do! Especially not remorse for worthless scum, such as yourselves." spoke Asun speaking about all of the thugs that stood around him.
"We so scared! A little brat actually think he can defeat all of us!" spoke one of the thugs mocking Asun.
As all of the thugs laugh mocking the boy with their idiotic voices, not believing a brat such as himself could do anything group that hold such numbers as them.
Asun head began to throb in intense pain because of the laughter, causing him to drop to one knee. Only proving to the thugs that he was nothing more than a brat that did not deserve to be in their presence.
As the thugs laughter continued Asun head just got worse and worse, making his go ballistic on those that are around him, to ease the pressure from off his mind.
The swords man moved quick and swift with its actions, but before the puppet struck his first opponent, a small piece of Asun that was still sine every after all of the pain he was enduring, chose to spare all of their lives and stay on his path.
But he wasn't beyond punishment! Instead of a brutal end for those thugs, he decided to choose light and spare them all.
Once his head stopped hurting Asun would finally see what he had done, despite there air still circulating through their enemies lungs, he was glad they he chose this decision.
Not ashamed of what he had done, the boy turned around and looked forward
Where he saw Hinata more surprise than the happy, fearing what she might think he asked her.
In truth he was absolutely surprise by the girl response.
"Why did you spare their lives? You knew they was going to kill you. If not they would have broken you and your spirit!
Why didn't you give them the same response they would have gave you?" spoke Hinata waiting for the response that would allow her to decide if the person in front of her is a good person, or a person that just trying to be something they not.
"That's a hard question to answer. But if I had to, I would say it did not feel right to take another human-been life.
That's something they should decide for themselves, if they wish for their lives to be taken" spoke Asun speaking from the bottom of his heart.
Hearing the truth behind the boy's words, Hinata just had to hug him. To share in his warmth, and in his heated soul.
Asun never felt like this before, the hug was so warm and filled with peace. He never wanted it to end, he never wanted this feeling to go away.
Like all things the hug came to an end, but Asun's joy did not.
As the two continued on their little journey to find Hinata's team-mates, Asun felt like he should repay Hinata, the only way he knew how!
"Hinata! I want to give you something, if you accept my gift there is no chance for you and your team not to enter the tournament . So here!" spoke Asun relinquish his Heaven scroll to Hinata
"Why would you do such a thing?" spoke Hinata surprise and shocked to see that a stranger like Asun would do something like this for her!
"Because I want to see you proceed into the third exam, even if I do not" spoke Asun trying to make a selfless gesture.
"I don't know!" spoke Hinata not feeling like she could take another person's scroll, and take their chances to proceed to the next exam.
"Please, don't make me ask again!" spoke Asun wishing for Hinata to take his scroll.
He cannot give her anything else beside his scroll.
"Okay" spoke Hinata accepting Asun generous offer and took his Heaven Scroll, completing the take at hand of obtaining both the Heaven and Earth scrolls.
"Thank you" spoke Asun glad to know Hinata was heading to the next exam no matter what else happen in the Forest of Death.
After that the thing went quite and time wne by really quick. On the start of the third day of the second exam, Asun's and Hinata's path finally collided with her two partners.
Hinata was glad to see Kiba and Shino again, but Asun was feeling all but pleased to see the faces of the one's that abandon her.
"So you are the one's that abandon Hinata all alone in the forest" spoke Asun feeling most displeased
What he said ticked Kiba off, "What did you say?" spoke Kiba being provoke by what Asun said
"You heard me! " spoke Asun not backing down to Kiba
The rage that Kiba felt about Asun took over and he swung his fist at Asun, causing him to end on the ground thank's to Asun flipping him.
"You brat!" spoke Kiba as he stood up off the ground and launched at Asun like a true beast.
Only to be knocked back on the ground every time he tried to attack him.
Asun kneed Kiba in the stomach, punch him in the face, forced him against the bodies of the trees.
He did everything he had too in the fight to forced Kiba back on the ground, until he was unable to fight.
"You know you cannot fight anymore, so just stop!" spoke Asun staring at the boy named Kiba struggling to stand up off the ground.
When he turned around he had full intention of fighting Shino as well, for abandoning Hinata in the forest. The only thing stopped him was when Hinata yelled stop.
Feeling sick of all this fighting she told Asun to leave them alone!
Feeling hurt and betrayed Asun left the arena, and team seven alone for the rest of the second exam.
Even though he was hurt and angry at Hinata, he and his team stilled made it into the temple before Hinata's team did.
The Five days that Anko gave the genins for the second exam have came and gone, and all of teams that haven't entered the temple as been eliminated.
The teams that have entered the temple are moving on in the Chunin Exams.
The Story Continue on the next Chapter