Helloooo my darlings! I'm terribly sorry the delay! :o But here it is, the second part of the chunnin exams... Yey! ^^
meganallard - A senhorita precisa andar logo e ler o restante dos capitulos! Eu vou comecar a regular Josh Selwyn pra voce ein!
Let's not waste any time, shall we? :p Enjoy! ^^
Chapter Fourteen
Special Chapter – Chunnin Exams Part II
Three days before the second phase of the Chunnin Exams in Sunagakure...
"For this mission, I'm going to need Shiranui Genma." Tsunade sighed as she organised the pile of files on her desk.
"He's currently in Suna with-"
"I know where he is." Tsunade spat, interrupting Shizune. "Raido! Find Shiranui and get this mission done. The three can get themselves back to Konoha in one piece."
"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but do you think it's wise to send them back alone? Anything can happen during three days, and there are thieves everywhere!" Shizune said, worriedly.
"I have no doubt they'll be fine. Raido, head out immediately. I want you in Suna in three days time and I want your mission complete in no later than three weeks."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Raido bowed before exiting the room.
x.x
Ami's initial thought was that Suna was going all out on their examination process. Not only were they trapped inside a ball of sand, with Gaara in the centre of it all, there were also other Suna jounin and chunnin inside. They all had evil, hungry looks on their faces. It was as if they were prepared to eat the genin alive. She resisted the urge to shudder, thanks to her ultimate Uchiha pride, which had the tendency to kick in every now and then.
"For those who took part in the exams in Konoha might remember these." Gaara said, holding up two different scrolls. "Each jounin and chunnin will have one of these scrolls. Your objective is to retrieve one Heaven and one Earth scroll, and bring them to me."
"Sounds legit." Kiba grinned.
"We shouldn't have any problems." Shino muttered.
"I thought we'd only have to take down other genin!" Akio called out, he looked quite annoyed by the situation.
"Your time begins, now!" Gaara called out, not really caring about Akio's words or any other genin that tried to protest.
The newly formed, Team Genma, exchanged looks and nods before heading towards their first target. It was pointless to try to introduce themselves, because the jounin had already begun his attacks towards the three. Shino sent a swarm of bugs in his direction, hoping to find the hidden scroll with ease. Kiba took the opportunity to distract him by attacking, Akamaru always at his side. Ami, with her Sharingan fully activated, formed a few hand signs right after Kiba's attack, sending a giant fireball towards the jounin.
"Ha! I'm a water user, kid; your fireball is no match for me." The jounin mocked.
The man formed a few hand seals and sent a giant ball of water towards Ami and Kiba. Shino managed to grab Kiba by the arm, just in time, but Ami ended up soaked. Groaning loudly, she pulled out her daggers and dashed towards the man.
"Ami! Keep him close to you!" Kiba called out. "Shino, have you found it yet?"
"One of my bugs has successfully made its way under his clothing. I should be able to find it soon." Shino said, calmly.
Ami felt quite proud to be good at hand-to-hand combat, or in this case, weapon-to-weapon, seeing as the jounin only used his kunai; it was easy to keep him close. She noticed a few of Shino's bugs flying around them and almost jumped back. If only Shino could have a normal talent like everybody else!
After a few good minutes of constant attacking, Ami found a weak spot and managed to pin the man to the ground. Kiba took note of the signal and dashed forward. Ami thought his attack to be quite intriguing, especially when he transformed into a dog. She used a substitution jutsu just before Kiba landed his hit on the jounin. She reappeared behind Shino, who had successfully retrieved the Heaven scroll. It didn't even matter that the jounin had also used a substitution jutsu and was now heading towards Gaara, a huge frown plastered on his face.
"Yes! Now all we need is to find an Earth scroll and we're outta here!" Kiba exclaimed.
"Keep it down, Kiba, we do not wish to alert the other teams that we've already retrieved one of the scrolls." Shino muttered.
"How do we find the other one?" Ami wondered.
"We have to attack another, I'm assuming a chunnin will have it, but we can never be too sure."
"Great! Then let's get moving!" Ami grinned.
x.x
Genma groaned, sighed, moaned, fidgeted... He'd done every action he could think of but was still extremely bored. He took note that it was too early for him to get a few drinks. Although he was highly regretting doing so. He frowned a little deeper and slumped in his seat.
"At least it's just six hours, imagine if it were three days!"
Genma almost jumped when he heard the familiar voice of his good friend, Raido. How the heck could he say no to drinks now?
"What are you doing here?" He tried not to sound so surprised, but failed miserably.
"I've come to get you. Apparently we have a mission." Raido shrugged.
"I'm busy, remember?" Genma said, nodding towards the giant ball of sand.
"Yeah, well, it's Tsunade's orders. We really have no choice. She requested you and-"
"I can't just leave without letting the kids know, besides, who's going to be around if they get into trouble?" Genma frowned, if possible, even more.
"Like you would be much help." Raido chuckled. "Let's just go, okay? It's got to do with... Him."
"Oh great, because last time we got sent on something like that, we woke up in Hospital." Genma rolled his eyes. "I'm definitely going to need a drink to get through this traumatizing moment."
Raido held in his laughter as his friend lazily stood and headed towards two Suna shinobi. Raido recognized them instantly.
"I have a favour to ask you guys." Genma was still frowning.
"What's up?" Kankuro asked.
"I've got an urgent mission to get to, let my team know that I'll try to be back as soon as possible."
"Are you sure you can't stay? Usually genin's are required to have a team leader with them at all times." Temari said, nervously.
"Yeah, well, Hokage's orders. Can't really argue with her, again."
"No worries, we'll take care of them." Kankuro grinned.
"Are you qualified for that?" Raido intruded, curiously.
"Of course we are." Temari spat.
"Come on, Raido, I need liquor and my things." Genma sighed.
x.x
It surprisingly took them four whole hours, but Team Genma now successfully held the two scrolls in hand. Now all they had to do was get them to Gaara. That happened to be the biggest problem of all. There was now a heap load of furious genin, with no scrolls in hand, ready to prance on the first person they saw.
"You've got both haven't you?" Katsumo called out, slowly making his way towards them, Akio and Ryu following closely behind. "I hate to say this, but we're going to have to fight for them."
"We could help you get them from somebody else if you want." Ami said, already looking around for a decent target.
"Nope, we definitely want yours." Ryu grinned.
"Besides, it's not every day we get to fight Konoha shinobi." Akio smirked.
"Ami, I thought you said these guys were friendly?" Kiba whispered.
"Yeah... I did." Ami frowned.
"It seems to have been an honest mistake." Shino huffed slightly.
"Boys, why don't we show Konoha what we can do." Kotetsu said.
Everyone inside the giant ball felt the ground shake as Kotetsu clasped his hands together. Akio grinned and pulled out a giant whip, from out of nowhere. Ryu formed a few hand signs and his entire body became surrounded by water.
"We're no ordinary genin." Ryu grinned evilly.
"No kidding." Ami rolled her eyes.
"We're here for a reason." Akio chuckled.
"Yeah, well we're here to become chunnin and there's no way a bunch of assholes are gonna stand in our way!" Kiba yelled, before dashing towards Akio.
Shino also attacked this time; Ami noticed his body language changed completely when he was in his action mode. He aimed directly towards Ryuu, smiling slightly because his bugs were safe with water users. Kotetsu sent dozens of rocks flying towards Ami. She tried defending herself with a few fireballs but there were starting to get rather useless.
"What's wrong Uchiha? Too much talk and not enough talent?" Kotetsu mocked.
x.x
"We're almost ready. Our first target is the Shukaku. Of course, if you happen to capture any other tailed beast, bring them along."
The Akatsuki sat in a wide circle, their leader stood in the centre, turning towards each and every member as he spoke.
"He's currently helping Sunagakure with the chunnin exams." Zetsu stated.
"Do you think the kid will become their new Kazekage?" Kisame grinned.
"Most certainly." Sasori nodded.
"It will only make things more meaningful for us." Their leader said.
"Sasori and I can take care of the Shukaku! Hn!" Deidara exclaimed.
"Bear in mind, Suna are now allied with Konoha. If something happens to their demon, others will come after him." Itachi muttered.
"No offence to your former village, Itachi, but Konoha isn't exactly a big threat. Orochimaru managed to kill off their Hokage." A man, with slick sliver hair, mocked.
"Do not underestimate Orochimaru, Hidan." Itachi stated.
"I agree." Their leader nodded. "Orochimaru is a sneaky bastard, one that needs to be put in his place."
"Speaking of Orochimaru... Did you know that three of his former play toys are currently in Suna?" Zetsu grinned. "I saw them speaking to the Uchiha girl."
"There's an Uchiha girl?" Deidara wondered.
"Orochimaru cannot get his hands on a Sharingan." Their leader growled. "Itachi, how would you feel about recruiting your brother to the Akatsuki?"
"I highly doubt Sasuke would care to be around me." Itachi frowned slightly, though it was barely noticeable.
"We could keep them apart, I suppose, it's not like we see each other all the time anyway." Hidan shrugged.
"Or we could just get rid of Itachi." Hidan's partner, a man with a deep husky voice, said, darkly.
"Itachi is of good use to Akatsuki, just like the rest of you. Just like more Sharingan users would be." Their leader stated, calmly.
"What about the girl?" The only woman of the group suddenly spoke up. "Why not recruit her instead?"
"It's quite obvious that Sasuke is much more vulnerable that she is, Konan, for the time being at least."
"But, Pein, you heard what Zetsu last reported-"
"What did Zetsu report?" Itachi interrupted, now feeling slightly curious.
"She's been training long and hard, Itachi, and until we don't discover how Sasuke's doing, it's safe to believe she'll soon be as strong as you." Pein sighed.
"Not bad, for a kid." Hidan shrugged.
"We could always recruit the stowaway Uchiha." Zetsu spoke up after a moment of silence. Everyone in the room stopped to stare at him, even Pein himself.
"What stowaway?"
x.x
Ami felt herself falling to the ground once again. They were wasting too much time battling with these three. Five hours had already passed and they still needed to make their way towards Gaara.
"I bet you're wondering why I got all this stamina, aren't you?" Kotetsu smirked.
"Not really, actually." She smirked back.
"He's stronger than you, you know? He's been working harder. He's better. He's faster. He's-"
"What the heck are you talking about?" She rolled her eyes and got back on her feet.
"Who do you think? The one that haunts your secret nightmares. The reason why you want to get stronger. Your blood and rival." He grinned, insanely. "Sasuke."
It was like a magic word. A word that could freeze her entire world in a flash. A word that triggered something she was hoping to avoid...
Gaara felt less bored when he finally allowed the first team to pass through. He had been losing hope that anyone would make it out in time. They'd been given a short period of time for too many things. Sunagakure was definitely taking no prisoners this year. His attention, however, was turned towards a very strange feeling that was suddenly coming over him. He was very good at sensing different chakra's, especially the strong ones, and at that moment he was sensing something too familiar for his own liking.
"Uchiha." He muttered to himself.
He began analysing his surroundings, searching for something suspicious. He was about to brush the feeling off when he caught a glimpse of Ami in action. She was moving faster than usual, her chakra felt much stronger than usual and she was holding a ball of black flames in her hands. She was going in for the kill.
Kiba saw his life flash before his eyes as he fell to the ground once again. Akio came towards him, ready to take him to the underworld.
Shino was running out of chakra, there wasn't much more that he could do. He never imagined something so short could drain him so quickly. He knew his opponent was still capable of handling another round. He only wished he could've died in his own village.
It was definitely strange seeing her like this. Those eyes made her seem extremely deadly and blood thirsty. The evil grin plastered on her face wasn't much help either. Kotetsu silently wondered if it had been the mention of her brother. Perhaps the wound was still healing and the only way she knew how to deal with it was through her eyes. He wasn't sure if he was over thinking things, but he was pretty sure he spotted a hint of pain, securely hidden behind the anger. Kotetsu painfully clutched his chest as he narrowly avoided being hit by Ami's attack. He hadn't expected to get the chance to see it in person. If only he could report back in time, he'd become a favourite and that Sasuke brat would be forgotten. But it wouldn't happen. He didn't have time for it. However he hadn't expected a shield of sand before him just as Ami attacked.
Akio froze just above Kiba. He was sweating a lot more now. He knew he wouldn't make it, not even in time to deliver that single blow.
Ryu's water dropped instantly. Shino noticed the boy's chakra fading quickly. Too quickly for it to be normal.
"You've got talent, Ami." Kotetsu smirked. He wasn't sure what her state of mind was like. He wasn't sure if she controlled the Mangekyou or if it controlled her. It was, however, impossible to deny it. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she was in fact stronger than her brother. "He's in for the shock of his life once he sees you again."
She felt herself calming slightly, as her hand hit the sand. It was almost as if Gaara was trying to get through to her, telling her to relax and not let the emotions take over. Her eyes slowly spiralled back to its natural black orbs and she took in her surroundings. She saw both Ryu and Akio lying with their face to the ground. Had the others succeeded finally?
"I'd hoped we'd last longer than this. Damn Orochimaru and his stupid experiments." Kotetsu coughed.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, confused.
"We were his tests. We were supposed to be great. But it all went wrong. Seeing as we had little time left, we decided to become chunnin." Kotetsu smiled slightly. "I didn't plan on taking you on, but I felt like I needed to prove myself. Sasuke is Orochimaru's favourite and it drives me insane!"
Akamaru barked, grabbed the two scrolls, and limped towards Gaara. The red haired boy stared at the dog for a slight moment, before taking the scrolls. That meant only two teams had successfully passed. The others didn't look like they'd make it.
"You're actually quite nice, you know?" Kotetsu chuckled.
"You practically tried to kill me, yet I'm feeling bad." Ami sighed.
"Well, if you wish to make it up to me, you can always kick Sasuke's ass."
"I might take you up on that offer." She smirked.
Kotetsu closed his eyes and allowed the rest of the toxin to take over his body. Ami stared at him for a while. She couldn't help but wonder what Orochimaru did to people. She shuddered at the thought, not caring that people might see her weak moment. She despised Orochimaru and was determined to take him down. Nobody would harm her brother.
The six hours were eventually up and Gaara escorted Team Genma out. Medical support was there, assisting those who needed it the most.
"Are those three dead?" Kankuro asked, once he saw three limp bodies on the ground.
"They were Orochimaru's." Gaara said, emotionlessly.
"What?" Temari exclaimed. "We made sure he didn't interfere!"
"Baki's going to be so pissed." Kankuro sighed.
"Hey... Where's Genma?" Kiba wondered, as he looked around the crowd of Sensei's.
"He had to leave for an urgent mission." Temari frowned.
"Great, we're on our own then." Kiba muttered.
"We best get some rest." Shino murmured.
"And medical attention." Gaara stated.
"Nah! We're alright, aren't we?" Kiba grinned.
It would've been convincing, if only Ami hadn't blacked out at that very moment.
x.x
"Seeing as only two teams passed, one from Konoha and another from Suna, I see no point in there being a third exam." Baki sighed. "No matter how much I was looking forward to a death match."
"Charming." Temari rolled her eyes.
Gaara adjusted himself in his father's old seat. He still couldn't believe he'd been appointed Kazekage. He couldn't believe his village trusted him so much. He definitely couldn't let them down. He'd protect everyone with all his power. He wanted to get started on the large pile of paperwork that had been dumped on his desk, but his mind kept drifting elsewhere. He disliked feeling worried; it didn't suit him too well.
"Hasn't she woken up yet?" Gaara sighed.
"No... We've sent word out to Konoha. They should inform her Sensei and give us some feedback. Nobody here really knows how to deal with overuse of a Mangekyou Sharingan." Kankuro frowned slightly.
"Perfect." Gaara muttered.
"I'm sure she'll be fine, though. Kiba said it wouldn't be the first time." Temari assured her two brothers.
None of them could help but worry. They'd felt highly in debt with Konoha; after all they'd done, Konoha still forgave them and welcomed them in with opened arms. Gaara had attacked Sasuke, and assuming they were very close, it would be natural for Ami to want to get back at him for it. She hadn't. He sometimes wondered why.
"Kiba and Shino are fine, though. They just needed to treat a few bruises and rest." Kankuro said.
"Well, at least that's good news."
"Kazekage-sama! She's awake!" The nurse said, as she burst through the door.
x.x
Ami didn't really listen when the nurse lectured her for overusing her chakra. She didn't really acknowledge the fact that Kiba, Shino, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari were all in the room. They all seemed worried. She had been unconscious for four days, but she was hoping to just shrug it off and prepare for the final phase.
"There won't be one. A final part, I mean. We all decided it was pointless seeing as only two teams made it through." Kankuro stated.
"So, I guess that means congratulations are in order." Temari grinned.
"Wait... So it's official?" Kiba beamed.
They stayed in Suna for only another week. It'd been too long already and, quite frankly, Ami was getting tired of so much sand. Genma had sent them a note, saying they'd all meet back in Konoha, and that had been all they needed to actually get a move on. Gaara wasn't too pleased by their decision, insisting they stayed longer to rest. Of course, it had been pointless. Even if he was now the Kazekage.
"We'll come back to visit you guys some time." Kiba grinned.
"We're holding you to it." Temari smiled.
"Bring Naruto too... Kinda miss that guy." Kankuro shrugged slightly.
"I'm certain you won't be missing him once you've spent five minutes with him." Shino muttered, earning a slightly punch on the shoulder from Ami.
"Would you all mind if I had a word with Ami in private?" Gaara asked, after a slight moment. Everyone soon complied and headed out of the office. He folded both hands under his chin before continuing. "Your eyes... They were-"
"Different." Ami nodded.
"I was going to say evil." Gaara said, emotionless as always.
"I'm still getting the hang of things, it's actually much more complicated than I had anticipated."
"Does your Sensei know about you ability?" Gaara asked, curiously.
"Yes, Kakashi knows."
"Yet he allows you to use it?" Gaara frowned slightly, it was barely noticeable.
"Not exactly." Ami shrugged. "Where exactly are you getting at with this?"
"I'm just trying to understand what all this is." Gaara said calmly.
"It's a Sharingan." Ami stated, matter-of-factly.
"No... It's more like an opportunity. Not necessarily a good one."
"Look, I appreciate your concern, Kazekage, but it's really nothing to be worried about. I'm lacking skill, but that's because I'm still getting used to it. When the time comes for me to make good use of it, I'll be ready." Ami said, folding her arms against her chest, irritably.
"Make good use? How so?" Gaara now stood. The sensation of empowerment only grew.
"I have... Things to settle with-"
"Uchiha Itachi, I presume." Gaara said.
"I'd rather not talk about this right now." Ami said, fidgeting with her sleeve.
"That's perfectly understandable. You may go... Get back safely." Gaara nodded.
Ami excused herself as quickly as she good, and put on the biggest poker face possible when she met up with the boys.
"So, what did he want?" Kiba asked, curiously.
"Just wanted to make sure we were okay with travelling back alone." Ami shrugged.
"We're chunnin now, we can definitely handle anything." Kiba grinned.
"It is not wise to get big headed, Kiba. Why? Because there's always someone stronger out there." Shino murmured.
Yeeey! So now you know how the Chunnin exams went down. ^^
We shall be resuming the original timeline in the next chapter - YAMATO AND SAI ARE HERE! *spoilers*
So I'll see you all next time! xoxo