Lionheart: Whoa, I got about ten reviews that last chapter. Go me! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to ideas for new techniques and for the Japanese words for fox eyes. I have yet to decide which to use, but thanks.

Anyway, here's to this installment. I apologize for any 'waiting' you guys did. I hope you're not too bad. I was going to do the entire forest of death, but I just filled up on space…sorry.

Poll Question: Whom should Orochimaru place his Fuin Jutsu (Curse Mark Technique) on?

1) Sasuke

2) Naruto

3) Sakura

4)Other (Specify)

Summary: For a long time, Naruto and Sasuke, who have come from the future, have wanted a bout with Orochimaru on equal footing. Back in the past, it was a combined effort of three-dozen ninja that finally brought the Sannin down. Now, as they pass the first test of the new Chuunin exams, Orochimaru is hot on their minds.

The Second Test!

"And now, for everyone still here…" Ibiki suddenly grinned, "You just passed the first exam." From around the room, confused Genin dropped their pencils. Naruto crossed his arms and grinned, "YEAH teme! We passed." "Well…duh, you thought we wouldn't?"

Sakura jumped up. "W-wha? Hold on! What do you mean we pass the first exam? Where's the tenth question?" Ibiki laughed, "There was no tenth question. Well, not a written one anyway. Actually, you're decision to stay was the answer to the 'tenth' question."

Sakura appeared confused, "Huh?" Temari suddenly jumped up. She seemed pissed, "WHAT? So, then are you saying the first nine questions we sat through were complete waste of time…is that what you're saying?"

Ibiki shook his hands swiftly, "No! You misunderstand! It's quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an important overriding purpose. It was to test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances." Most of the Genin drew a blank look, including Temari.

"Well," she said sarcastically, "that clears up everything." Ibiki chuckled, "Let me explain. You see, my objective was to test you not only as individuals, but also as a team. And also…on how well you functioned as a part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a team basis, so that you'd know that everything you did or failed to do would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how well you would handle the pressure."

"Oh yeah," shouted out Naruto, "Me and Sasuke figured that out right away. It was easy to keep our cool." Sasuke smiled, 'That's only cause you knew how to get the answers dobe,' he thought. Meanwhile, Sakura snickered, 'what an idiot. I could see him panicking from back here.'

"Anyway," continued Ibiki, who had a smile from Naruto's outburst, "the first nine questions on the test were difficult. In fact…as you may have realized, too difficult for most Genin to be expected to solve. I imagine most of you quickly came to that conclusion. That you would have to cheat to pass the test and answer all of the questions. You see, the test was specifically design to encourage cheating…actually it almost demanded it."

Naruto, Neji, Sasuke, and many others smirked. "Well, Kyuubi, I think we did alright," said Sasuke. "Pfft, those so called proctors don't know how to watch…why if I had been a proctor…" "Shut up," interrupted Naruto and Sasuke at the same time. Kyuubi growled, though he did not speak any further.

Sakura suddenly raised her hand, "Wait, you just said that most of us would be unable to solve the questions due to their difficulty. If that's it, how could you expect us to find reliable answers off one another? Ibiki inwardly smiled, 'My, she is a sharp one.' "Good questions," said Ibiki, nodding, "It would have done you little good if you had had no one to reliably cheat off of. Therefore I snuck in two Chuunin who already had all the answers and had them sit in with you."

From two rows, two older looking ninja stood up and waved. Around the room, many Genin snickered, "I knew it," shouted a couple. "Yeah, it took me a while to figure out who to cheat from, but only an idiot wouldn't have known in the end." Naruto grinned, "See, Hinata, this guy was sitting right in front of us and we didn't even need to cheat." Hinata shyly laughed, "Y-yeah…N-na-naruto-kun." "And besides," said Naruto loudly, you'd have to be a complete fool to not see them."

Sasuke shook his head, "Dobe…if I hadn't told you who the Chuunin was you would have been going crazy the whole test." 'Pfft, who's he trying to fool,' thought most of the others.

"So that's why you did the point deduction for cheating, right," asked Sakura. Ibiki nodded, "Correct, those who were caught five times cheating were failed." Ibiki began to remove his headband, "Better to not cheat than to cheat clumsily." Ibiki pulled off his headband, and around the room students gasped and closed their eyes disbelieving.

The jounin commander has slashes and deep punctures in his head. 'Ugh what a mess,' thought Neji, 'look at those burn marks, slashes, and puncture wounds. All signs of what he went through and endured.'

'Cool,' thought Dosu, 'I bet his hands are worse. Won't ever happen to me though. Unlike him, I'm not stupid enough to get caught.' 'Eww,' thought Sakura and Ino, closing their eyes, 'nasty!'

"That exactly proves my point of how pathetic these proctors are," concluded Kyuubi, "if they were any good, Naruto, they would have easily seen you were cheating. You were incredibly obvious." Naruto shrugged, "Hey, I wasn't caught, that's all that matters." "WRONG, brat…pay attention to what this guy says then. What he says is important."

"Information," continued Ibiki, "it can be the most valuable thing on the battlefield. How well you gather it can determine whether a mission is a failure or a success. There will be times you will have to risk your life to get it." Many of the Genin shook as Ibiki replaced his headband.

"Of course, you must always consider the source of your information," said Ibiki, "because intelligence gathered from an enemy is not necessarily accurate. Always bare this in mind…disinformation can be worse than no information. It can lead to the deaths of comrades…or worse, the destruction of a village. That's why I put you in the position where you had to gather accurate intelligence…cheat to survive. Those who weren't good enough…the ones who got caught were weeded out."

Temari nodded, finally getting it. "Okay, so I get that part now, but what about the tenth question? If the test was about cheating to gather information, what was the point of the last question? I not getting it." Ibiki sweat dropped, "you're not? The tenth question was the main point of the whole exam."

Many of the Genin exchanged glances. Sakura raised a hand, "Uh yea…we get it, but just in case why don't you explain it." Ibiki sighed, 'Geez, those two ask questions a lot.' "As I said before, my goal was to test you not only as individuals but as a part of a squad." Ibiki closed his eyes, as the Genin leaned forward, eager to his explanation.

"The final question gave you two choices…both difficult. You could choose to play it safe and skip the question, though it meant that both you and your teammates would be failed."

Neji looked back towards Tenten and Lee. He silently breathed in relief, thanking the heavens that Lee had not raised his hand.

"The other option," continued Ibiki, "was you could try and answer the question, knowing if you got it wrong you could never be a Chuunin. It was a no-win situation. However, that is just the sort Chuunin have to face everyday."

'Whoa, unreal, this Chuunin stuff is tough' thought Sakura. "He's kind of over exaggerating it," said Naruto. "Of course, dobe, he's an interrogator, that's his job." Naruto frowned, "Fine, fine, no need to sound so cruel."

"Okay," said Temari, "so what kind of missions do Chuunin do?" Ibiki shrugged, "Well there are many types. For example, why don't I give you a hypothetical mission? You're given the task of stealing an enemy document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy have, nor how armed they are."

The Genin all nodded, some with their mouths opened like little kids. This was good stuff. "Furthermore," continued Ibiki, "you have reason to believe you are expected…that you may very well be walking into a trap. Now…do you have the option of taking a pass on this insane mission…of saying my comrades would rather live to fight another day? Can you choose to avoid danger?"

Around the room, Genin exchanged glances. Their minds turned, wondering whether they would ever turn down on a mission. However, before they could come to a decision Ibiki shouted, "No! There will be many missions that will seem to be suicidal. But as a Chuunin…you do not think about it. You think only of the goal…and achieving that goal through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a Chuunin squad leader."

Naruto and Sasuke continued to smirk, while the others slowly began o feel a sense of pride and loyalty. Ibiki pointed towards the doors, where many Genin had left, "Those who choose the safer of two paths, those whose determinations falters in the face of adversity, those who would put their comrades lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own…and those who would save their own necks at the price of sacred honor, will never be able to call themselves Chuunin. Well, at least as long as I'm here."

In the back, Kiba let out a supporting cheer, causing Ibiki to smile. 'What an interesting group of kids.' "As for the rest of you," he said, continuing, "You have all successfully answered the ten questions I put to you. You have the earned the right to continue to the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare the first test of the Chuunin exams complete. There's nothing left, except to wish you all good luck and pray you fight the good fight."

Naruto leapt, "YEAH, that's what I'm talking about. First test done…look, Hinata, we just passed, whahooo!" Many of the Genin stared at him, as Naruto began to punch the air in a victory dance. 'What's up with this guy?'

Gaara, making sure no one was watching grinned, 'Naruto…enjoy your little free time. The next test is going to be fun for both you and I.' Neji watched Naruto carefully, "Hey, Lee, are you sure this guy is the one you were talking about? The guy who fought you, I mean He looks weak." Lee shook his head, "No, do not underestimate Naruto…he is very strong." Neji frowned, 'I see…'

Ibiki smiled as he watched Naruto, 'There's something about this kid,' thought Ibiki, 'he's different from the others. Throughout the whole test, he had no signs of worry in his eyes…what an interesting kid…Naruto Uzumaki.'

Sasuke shook his head, "Look at him, Kyuubi. Even now, Naruto is just one big ball of energy." "I'll say," replied the fox gruffly. "Hey, what's wrong with having energy?" Sasuke and Kyuubi didn't reply, but laughed.

The light moment was ruined as Sasuke suddenly sat back and counted down from three. When he got to zero, the window smashed, shattering glass all over the floor. A long dark cloth was set up in front of Ibiki, attached to the ceiling by kunai. Genin leapt up in surprise, wondering what the hell was going on. As the cloth unraveled, a woman in the middle of the cloth was stood up. She had dark purple hair and wore a tan garment. She pointed to all the Genin and, rather quickly shouted, "Oi, I'm Anko Mitarashi, the proctor for the second Chuunin exams. Are you ready? Good, then let's GO, follow me," she yelled punching the air.

'Her? Now,' thought Ibiki, smiling, 'oh, spare me. She jumped the gun as usual.' "Hey, Anko, you're early…again. Can't you see the mood in here," said Ibiki as he stepped from behind the cloth. Anko frowned and sweat dropped, 'Ugh…' Meanwhile the Genin gaped at her open mouthed. Some of the cockier Genin tried to stifle their laughter.

Sakura frowned and her eyes narrowed, 'Great, she's a nutcase. She reminds me of Naruto. Up front, Anko counted the number of students. As she counted more and more, her frown grew more pronounced. When she was finished she almost looked angry, "Ibiki, how many are there? You passed all these guys? Your test was too easy Ibiki…I think you're getting soft."

Ibiki shrugged, "Or perhaps there are a stronger crop of candidates this year." Anko turned to regard the passing students, "Hmm, they sure don't look it. Oh well, by the time I'm done with them, more than half will be eliminated. Hehe, this is going to be fun," said Anko in a sadistic way, licking her lips.

The smirks and laughter disappeared from the room, replaced by ones on mixed fear and anticipation. In the back, Neji narrowed his eyes, 'Let's see. There are seventy-eight in the classroom now,' he thought, doing some calculations in his head. 'If what she says is true she'll have eliminated more than thirty-nine Genin!'

Sakura gulped as she took a glance at Sasuke and Naruto. To her surprise, both of her teammates were unaffected by her words. 'I don't know if they heard or not…but half? Geez, less than half the amount in the room…really? What are they going to do, send us through some survival test or something? I wouldn't put it past 'her.'

"Alright," yelled Anko, "you maggots have had it easy so far. But…things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Until then," said Anko, smiling sweetly, "dismissed."

The Genin immediately stood up, and created pandemonium at the door, trying to get out. No one wanted to be the last person in the room with Anko. Team seven collected near the door. Naruto clapped Sakura and Sasuke on the back, faking happiness, "YEAH, We did it!" Sakura frowned, "Yes…now get your hands off me, before I use necessary…I mean unnecessary force," said Sakura, evilly. Naruto immediately obliged, not wanting to see any unnecessary force.

Next Morning

The crowd of Genin gazed wondrously up at the seemingly endless darkness that loomed ahead of them. Many gulped, their nervousness obvious, while the others tried to keep calm.

"H-hey," said a rain ninja, "what is this place?" Anko smirked, "this is the stage for part two of the Chuunin exams…training area battleground number forty-four. We like to call it the Forest of Death though.

The name sparked a memory in Neji's mind, 'This…is the next test,' thought Neji, questioningly, 'but…this is…the forest of death.' Neji turned to Tenten and Lee, "Hey, be careful here, especially you Lee. Gai told us of this place long ago, forbidding us to train here because of the dangerous creatures. I think they're going to make us go through this place for the next exam." Lee snickered, "Ha! No forest is going to stop our youthfulness; we will be just fine. We are long past the stage where we were inexperienced. Neji, you should be worrying about fighting me…I intend to beat you someday." Neji didn't we reply, 'Lee…you will always be inexperienced compared to me. The heavens would never allow that to change. Neji shrugged and turned his head towards Sasuke and Naruto. His eyes narrowed, seeing their pleasant talk. He then smiled maliciously.

In another corner, Shino whispered quietly to his teammates. "There is an evil feel to this forest guys, be careful." "Yeehaw, no danger will ever get through me and Akamaru," yelled Kiba loudly. Akamaru barked in response. 'I-I w-wonder if Naruto-kun knows,' thought Hinata, raising her hand to her mouth.

"Ugh," complained Sakura, inching closer to Sasuke, whose eyes were twitching, "there's something about this place that creeps me out." Naruto nodded, "I heard that even some Chuunin don't like to come to this place either…something about tough." Sakura gulped, "Creep…creepy," she murmured.

Anko caught her words and grinned, "Well, of course it's creepy. It's called the Forest of Death for a reason," she said cheerfully, sending shivers down everyone's spine, "and soon enough you guys are going to find out why."

Kiba coughed, and then squatted down, putting on his best female voice. Shaking his behind he mocked, "It's called the forest of death, and you're going to find out why." Kiba pointed at Anko, "HA! You don't scare me…you just get on and tell us what to do." Anko turned towards Kiba, grinning. The sight of it made Kiba shiver slightly as he remembered whom he was talking to.

"Heh, bad move Kiba," muttered Shino, noiselessly, just as Anko slipped a kunai from her sleeve. In one swift sweep she had thrown the kunai. The blade sliced open Kiba's cheek and landed in the midst of a group of grass Genin, whom all wore straw hats.

Kiba froze as he watched Anko disappear. He felt her presence as she grabbed him from behind. He shivered as she whispered in his ear, "You're not afraid of this are you, tough guy? Are you feeling frightened now," she asked slowly. She began wiping the blood on Kiba's cheek off, as the Genin gulped. Akamaru, too scared to help, remained far away. "You know," continued Anko, "it's usually guys like you that leave their blood all over this forest."

Sakura's eyes widened, 'that does it. She's a nut and a lunatic. And I thought this forest was creepy.' Naruto suddenly placed a hand on his kunai pouch, seeing one of the grass ninja move. He would have thrown it, had Sasuke not held his hand. "I know, dobe…relax. Calm down. We can't do anything here." Naruto breaths began to get very heavy as he saw the snake Sannin in disguise as a grass ninja appear behind Anko, sticking out his long snake-like tongue.

The other Genin, sensing a tense situation closed in around Anko, Kiba, and Orochimaru (disguised).

Anko held a second kunai to the tongue as she groaned, "Why hello there, grass ninja." "My apologies," came the slow reply, "but you dropped this," he said holding the knife in his tongue. Anko easily swiped the kunai and then continued, "You know…I can only see one reason why you are standing so close behind me. You want to have a premature death." The grass ninja chuckled, "Ah, sorry, it's just that…between the blood you spilled from the boy's cheek and the hair that your kunai cut off, I got a little too excited. I meant you no harm."

Anko chuckled as he backed off, "likewise," she murmured, while Kiba continued to shake. 'Geez, what kinds of loonies are here? And the guy with that tongue…I can't even do that.' "Well," continued Anko, "it seems that everyone is tense today. It must be something in the air," she said, with a slight chuckle, "this is going to be fun."

Kiba stared at Anko's retreating form annoyed, 'Damn, proctor.' "Alright, we're just about ready to begin," said Anko. "So," said Shikamaru, raising a hand lazily, interrupting her, "what exactly do we need to do?" Anko grinned, and reached into her jacket. She pulled out a sheet of papers. "Before we begin, I have something for you all. It's just a standard consent form."

Many of the Genin appeared dumbfounded. Neji's eyes narrowed, 'consent forms? What for?' "Before I can begin the test, ALL of you will need to read this and then sign it." Sakura raised a hand, "wait a minute! Why do we need to sign a consent form?"

Anko laughed, "Because some of you may not make it back alive from this little test," she answered as if it were obvious. The Genin were all startled and murmured amongst each other. "And so," continued Anko, "I need you guys to sign this to make sure you all understand the risks. Otherwise it will be my fault," she said, continuing to laugh.

"So, hand these out," said Anko, to Naruto, who was thinking about Orochimaru. Naruto nodded and absentmindedly took a sheet and handed the rest to Kabuto, who stood nearby. "Anyway," continued Anko, "you'll need every survival skill you know to pass the test because…"

Naruto blocked out Anko's voice and turned to look at Sasuke. He appeared to be having some sort of eye conversation with Gaara.

When they finished, Naruto nudged Sasuke. "Hey, Sasuke, what's Gaara like now?" Sasuke shrugged, "He's still normal Gaara. He hardly speaks, and it seems his idea of communication is the movement of the eyes. Still, he doesn't kill people randomly anymore, so I guess that's a plus." Naruto nodded and then turned back to Anko. 'So…I think we can count on his help with Orochimaru…' "Hey, brat," interrupted Kyuubi, "I told you to stop worrying about that bum. The only thing I want you to do is pass this test. By now, you should be able to handle Orochimaru just fine. You should easily be able to catch him off guard and incapacitate him."

Naruto shook his head, "No…I'm going to rip that guy piece by piece until there's nothing left. Then I'm going to kill him." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Uh, Naruto, one…relax. Two…you didn't make any sense?" Naruto shrugged, "whatever, teme."

Sasuke stared at Naruto, worried about his emotions before turning back to Anko, who had pulled out a scroll. She unrolled it to reveal a map. "Everyone, look up here," she yelled, "this map is a diagram that will give you a basic idea of the terrain. The Forest of Death training grounds has forty-four locked entrance gates. Each team will start at a different gate, and you will enter at the same time. There are two rivers and in the center there is a locked tower. The tower is approximately ten kilometers from each gate."

Sakura frowned, '10 kilometers? That's not too bad. But there's got to be a catch or something.' "It's within this area that you will undergo the survival test," said Anko. "And during the test you are allowed to use any weapon or technique…or whatever the hell you want to use to pass."

"So we just need to survive on our own in the forest," asked Neji. Anko smiled, "Not quite, kiddie. For the second exam, you will need to… fight each other for these scrolls," she said, holding up a green and blue scroll. "Anything goes." In the back, Dosu, Kin, and Zaku all looked at each other, grinning. "Well, that just made our job easier," said Zaku.

"So, we need to get both scrolls," asked Sakura. "Yes," replied Anko, holding out the scrolls, "you'll need one of each. You'll be battling for a heaven scroll and an earth scroll. It's kind of like a fight to the death version of 'capture the flag,' though in this case, it's 'capture the scroll.'"

The groups of Genin now regarded each other suspiciously as if the test had already begun. Those with rivalries eyed each other vengefully, while others who were just cocky looked to see whom they would target first.

"Now, the details," said Anko, "there are twenty six teams that have passed the first exam. So, thirteen of those will get a heaven and the other thirteen will get an earth scroll. Like I said before…and it should be obvious any, you're objective is to get the other scroll and then to bring both scrolls to the tower at the center."

Shikamaru nodded thoughtfully, as he formulated a plan. 'So, all we need to do is to collect two scrolls. Let's hope Naruto's team gets the opposite scroll as us…there by far the weakest team probably. All they have is Sasuke. This test is easier than I thought.'

"U-um. S-so, d-does that mean t-that half the teams will fail," asked Hinata shyly, "B-because t-they will get t-their s-scrolls t-taken." Anko frowned, 'Wow…and this girl passed the first exam? Ibiki really did screw this one up.' "Yes, that's right," said Anko, making the tension just a little higher. Genin knew now they would need to do their best.

"Oh," said Anko, laughing, "I forgot to tell you the time limit." Kiba jumped, "We're being timed?! Why? It's hard enough anyway." Anko laughed, "Well, we need to have this test over with sometime. Can't have you guys wandering around in there forever…some of us have lives you know….unlike you." It took Kiba a moment to realize he was being made fun of, and when he did he turned beet red and lowered his hand.

"So," continued Anko, "you will have exactly 120 hours to successfully bring both scrolls to the tower…that's five days." "What," shouted Ino, "five days?" "What are we going to do for food," asked Chouji, horrified. Anko shrugged and plucked a berry from a nearby branch that hung over the fence. "That's your problem now…isn't it? The forest is full of nature's bounty. Of course…I've also seen large man-eating beasts, deadly poisonous plants and bugs…all sorts of creatures. That's why it's called, 'Survival Test.'

Chouji frowned, as he envisioned himself trudging through the forest without food. 'Oh no,' he thought. "That's not the worse problem, Chouji," said Ino, hitting him, knowing he was concerned about food. "But Ino," whined Chouji, "we have to find food now." Ino kicked him, "the problem is, and there's no way thirteen teams will pass. Simply because as the days go by, there will be less available scrolls and you'll be more fatigued. We'll have to be constantly on guard…like sleeping with one eye open."

Hearing Ino, Anko suddenly broke into a huge grin, "Exactly, and there's the beauty of the survival test. Apart from those who are killed, some are bound to succumb to exhaustion, starvation, dehydration, and exposure. I wonder how long it will take before you guys are screaming for mercy…ooh my mouth just waters at the sound of it." Around the area, many Genin who were confident now gulped, while those already nervous looked downright horrified.

Sakura looked nervous, though Sasuke patted her on the back, making her blush, "Ah, Sakura, don't worry. This forest is nothing for me and Naruto." "Yeah," agreed Naruto, "me and Sasuke and you will breeze through this forest easy…so don't sweat over it." Sakura smiled, "Thanks…you guys," she said, softly.

Anko grinned as she saw team seven conversing, 'my, those two over there are considered one bit. Looks like Ibiki found some nice picks this time around.' "Now, let's go over the rules," she said, attracting everyone's attention, "and also what offenses will get you…disqualified." She held up three fingers. "First," she said, lowering a finger, "obviously those teams that fail to reach the tower or fail to bring both scrolls fail."

She lowered a second finger. "Next, all three team members must be present and in condition to fight on the fifth day when you are all due at the tower. Which means if even one of a team's members are dead or severely injured, that teams out. And lastly," she said lowering her third finger, "you are not allowed to open the scrolls until after you get into the tower."

Many were confused by the last rule. "So," said Kankuro, raising a hand, "what happens if you open a scroll." Anko gave off another sadistic grin, "that's for those who open theirs prematurely to find out," she said, winking, "because as a Chuunin, you will sometimes be entrusted with top-secret documents and information. Consider this a test of your trustworthiness. And remember…if you open the scroll, you fail."

All the Genin nodded. "Okay, that's all the explanation you get," said Anko, "next we'll hand out scrolls. We will give each team one scroll of every three consent forms turned in. So, hurry up and sign. When you've got your scroll, choose which gate you'd like to start from. And one final piece of advice…Stay Alive."

The Genin all looked at one another, and right there on the field, challenges were made by eye contact. Naruto and Gaara locked eyes and both simultaneously nodded, to signify they were ready for each other.

Nearby, at a small little stand, a curtain was pushed aside and a Chuunin peeked out. "Anko, it's we're ready to distribute the scrolls." Anko nodded, "Alright, now read and sign. Once you're all finished, go to the stand to turn your forms in."

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura signed theirs immediately and proceeded inside. They stepped behind the curtain, while Neji watched. 'Smart,' assessed the Hyuuga Prodigy, 'now we can't possibly know what scroll they get, nor which one of them carries it. It's like that proctor said, stealing intelligence is a matter of life and death. Everyone is an enemy…but oh well, my Byakugan will overcome them all.' Neji turned to his team, "Let's go."

Tenten nodded, while Lee punched the air, "Master Gai, I will do my best!"

Ten Minutes Later

Ten minutes later, all the teams were ready to go. At gate sixteen, Kiba, Shino and Hinata got ready to enter. "WOOHOO," howled Kiba, "if it's survival they want, we've got it made!" "Right," agreed Hinata.

At gate twenty-seven, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji were all looking smug. "So, everyone got the plan," asked Shikamaru. Ino nodded, "Right, we're going after Naruto's group…they've got to be the worst." 'Munch Munch,' was Chouji's reply, as he happily swallowed down chips.

At gate twenty, the sound ninja made their devious plans. Dosu leaned forward, as if wishing to break the lock apart, "Finally, we can carry out our orders. Orochimaru will be pleased."

At gate six, the sand sibling stood together and silently wished each other luck. Kankuro stared proudly at his brother, 'With Gaara, there's no way anybody can beat us. We'll be done in a flash.'

At gate fifteen and gate thirty-eight, were Kabuto and Orochimaru's teams respectively. Both plotted to go after Naruto and Sasuke right away.

At gate forty-one, Neji and Tenten listened to Lee shouted about how their youthfulness would beat down everyone to the ground.

And finally, at gate number twelve, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood side-by-side. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely ready for this, guy," shouted Naruto. "Dobe," said Sasuke, chuckling. "Forest of Death…bring it on," shouted Sakura, who couldn't help but shout along with Naruto.

From a screen, Anko watched all the teams have their last minute preparations. At exactly twelve she pressed a button, opening all the gates. From around the training ground, Genin dashed in, each with ambitions and ideas for winning.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura slowly walked in. The three Genin nodded and gave each other high fives. And then…together, they leapt into the dark forest. "Ready, Sasuke? We'll have one shot to put him down for good!" "Ready," replied the "Uchiha.

Lionheart: phew…like I said before sorry for the delay. Last weekend was so busy. But I did keep up with my weekly update so im proud of that.

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