Chapter 7: Earth scroll

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

-Don't think you'll get all the fun, Unlocked, said Misty with a slight smile behind her scarf.

-What about me? Asked Tifa without even taking a defensive position.

-S-C, to help us. Just hide in the trees, quick. Seriously ordered Syng.

The kunoichi hastily jumped in a tree.

-Misty! Point 4 minus 24! Shouted Tifa only after a minute.

Well hidden in the bushes, the shinobi of grass felt something cold down his belly, as if ice was put on his skin... but his reaction was different when he saw a kunai deeply inserted within his stomach. A few seconds of coughing, he gasp, and fell on the ground. Dead.

-Already one? Fine, I'll take the other. Tifa, what does S-C says? Shouted Syng, not caring about his own "stealth" as he was at discover.

-Point 8 minus 26, the correct opposite! Shouted Tifa, well hidden.

The grass ninja, hidden, knew the girl had spotted him, not that he knew how, but he had to move quickly or he would meet his end fast. No so long ago, the grass ninjas were the one doing the ambush, but now they were prey...

-The last one is escaping, while the other is trying to find a way too, shouted Tifa.

The girl was actually sitting on a branch, not even looking down in the bushes. Instead, she was petting a little cat who was liking his thumb, covered in blood while another one was watching down the trees. Down there, a black kitten was roaming through the herbs and leaf to find and smell the enemies... The cat had found one, has Tifa was alerted via mind transfer.

-Syng, point 10 plus 13! Shouted Tifa.

-Fine! Answered back Syng while taking one of his sword and throwing it right at the base of the tree where Tifa was siting.

Blood slashed all over the tree while the illusion was dispelled. Of course, grass ninjas could easily use genjutsus to hid themselves in the forest. Syng rushed to the tree to tack back his sword from the body of the young boy who had just been kill.

-I could do this all my life! Said Syng with a murderous smile on his face.
His eyes were glowing and his heart was beating from that blood. He wanted more!

-The other one is escaping! Finally shouted Tifa.

But it was too late for the ninja. In a last attempt, the poor girl had thrown a kunai at Misty, but the cold steel of the silent girl's dagger was already savouring the blood of the grass kunoichi. Misty, in a single jump, stepped back from the tall herb and had came back to Syng.

-You ok? Is that your blood? Asked Tifa while jumping off the tree without her cats.

-I... think so. I was careless, answered simply the girl.

A kunai had cut her on her left arm. Gladly, it wasn't that deep, nothing their ointment couldn't heal. But for now, they had to rest for her to recover that wound, and both Syng and Tifa to recover their chakra... Syng first went to the boy who had been killed on the tree. He looked young, probably even younger than Naruto. The tanned boy searched in the boy's bag to find a scroll.

-How convenient... it hasn't been a day and look at what we've found.

He showed the girl the Earth scroll, as they already had the other, they only had to go to the tower now.

-I ain't hurt badly, we can walk for the rest of the day to the center. Said Misty.

-You sure? We still have more than four day to get there... we can rest. Explained Tifa.

-I said its okay...

-Okay then, let's walk!

Somewhere near there was walking the team 8. Inuzuka Kiba, from the Inuzuka dog clan, Hyuuga Hinata, from the Hyuuga family and Aburame Shino, from the Aburame bugs clan, had already found both of their scrolls too.

-Oi, Hinata... you ok? Asked the dog boy.

Akamaru barked.

-Y-yes, thanks Kiba.

Hours later, they had still seen nobody, as if every team was busy at other things. That is, until the sun went down. Has it already been a day since the exam had started!?

-Hey, do we stay at night, or wait for the day to break in again to sleep? Asked Kiba by slowing his jumping motion. We could continue at night, Akamaru and me would still be able to sniff the enemy scent so we wouldn't get attack.

-Akamaru and you can't smell every hostility if we're moving too fast, simply answered Shino.

-We could stay near, said Hinata, stopping on a branch.

-Uh? Okay then, let's find somewhere safe to sleep, finally said Kiba.

After a while, with the helps of Shino's bugs, they had made a great hole within a tree. That would protect them from income attack, but their scent would still be around, so one of them had to stay awake and they would take turns... The night had made his place has most of the teams were either heading to the tower, sleeping or fighting their way for a scroll. The first night already... The team 8 was still eating Hinata's famous cooking made from comestible mushrooms they had found nearby when they heard a little noise coming from near them. The squad was already ready to attack, as Akamaru was growling...

-HEYA! Heavily shouted an happy Syng, busting they stealth and making his teammates sigh.

Hinata screamed as if she had saw Naruto naked in a bath... and with herself naked.

-Uh? Wondered Syng.

Kiba watched Hinata fell on the ground has she lost consciousness from the surprise. Shino was still in a defensive position.

-Hey! We're not here to attack! We have both scrolls! See?

He showed them the scrolls.

-Why are you here then? Asked Kiba while getting back on his feet as Hinata was starting to come back to herself. You are enemies judging by your forehead protectors...

-And you're from Konoha. So, we-friend-now? Asked Syng with a stupid kid smile.

-And you say I have trouble making friend? Asked Misty with an angry tone looking at Tifa.

-You don't understand what I mean... Answered Tifa.

-Why would you come to see us? Asked Shino.

-Actually, we want to help you... you know, the night shift and everything, explained the Tsurugi leader.

-Why help-ping us? Asked Hinata, still panting from her scream.

-Well, both our team have both scrolls, right? Started Syng.

-How do you know this!? Was surprised the dog-boy.

-We've spy on you for quite some hours... said Tifa in the background.

-So you want to help us why then? Said Kiba again.

-Well... you see...said Syng, we want to help you cuz we're too lazy to make a shelter ourselves.

After almost an hour of explanation, they finally accepted to lay down the weapons and teamed themself up. Akamaru had been growling strangely at Tifa, but she had explained that... she didn't like dog, so Kiba had calmed Akamaru without question. Both team had eaten and since they were now 6, the shift would be shorter for the others to sleep more. Kiba was the first since he wasn't so sleepy.

After a while, the dog-boy heard something from inside the shelter and watched Syng come out with a serious look on his face.

-What's up to you? This is already the shift? Asked Kiba.

-N'ah... I can't sleep, that's all... I'm not used to sleep when I'm not in a comfortable bed...

-You call yourself a ninja? First you blow you stealth, then you can't endure a little hard ground? Laughed Kiba.

-Its not that the ground is hard... its... well... when we're on missions outside town... Misty and Tifa always sleep all the night while I make the night shift, sighed Syng, making Kiba grin.

-Bad girls, joked the dog boy while petting an asleep Akamaru.

-But you like them... Hinata in particular, no? I saw you when she fainted...

-What!? No...

Syng started to laugh a little, not to wake the others.

-She's... not interested?

-She only got it for that Naruto guy... sigh Kiba.

And so they talked a while... Kiba's shift had ended for a while, but he didn't care since they were talking and either of them were tired. Tifa were had listened to them for quite some minutes now...

-And you... do you like one of these girls? Asked Kiba, not sure about the name of both kunoichi.

-If I said... both? But, not in the way you think maybe...I would... gladly give my life for them, if its what you ask.

-Not exactly, but this is great! Said joyfully Kiba.

In the dark, Tifa was smiling to herself. She looked in the darkness to see Shino and Hinata asleep, has Misty had disappeared again to sleep somewhere near... She was happy, even if they were far from Tsurugi... Misty too was listening, waken up by the recent laugh of Syng. The only thing she had heard till now was Syng confession... and then she fainted in sleep again, with a slight smile.

-Tsurugi is a harsh village. The future ninjas are treated badly and often hurt, explained Syng. Sometime, pain is better than cures... That's what we learned... but this same pain make much more strong bonds than cures... explained Syng to Kiba.

Before Tifa would hear more, she exited the tree cavity with a false "sleep-head".

-Hey boys, its my turn, why didn't you wake me up?

-Oh, Sorry Tifa, answered Syng.

Both the boys went to sleeping, leaving Tifa alone near the place a fire should have been if they weren't in stealth... Some blood dripped from her thumbs before getting licked again by a mature black cat. She smiled.