Chapter 7: Enter the Forest of Death!

Lee had somehow managed to sneak back into his team's camp without waking either Haruo or Ayane up. He knew that his sensei wasn't there, since he had been at the brief meeting yesterday between them that she was not going to be there because of some errands that had shown up. So, the three siblings were left to their own devices and set up camp in the forest. Lee had felt uncomfortable talking about his fears of the Forest of Death with his siblings. It was not due to that he didn't love them with all his heart. He did, but he knew them well enough to know that he was not comfortable speaking his mind about the worries he had to either of them. Haruo would've told him to suck it up and start acting like a real shinobi, and Ayane would've called him a sissy for being scared of something that he hadn't seen yet. So that was why he went to Itachi for some advice.

When Lee had first met Itachi only a couple years ago, he was shocked when the Uchiha talked about some of his past (the part about him being with the Akatsuki and when he was resurrected because of the Edo Tensei). Lee also noticed his traits were very similar to his own and secretly felt that he could somehow connect with this new stranger. Not too long after, Lee had been visiting him from time to time to talk about any problems that he was having or just to talk with someone else that wasn't Haruo or Ayane. The Uchiha accepted him into his small home with open arms, wanting him to feel comfortable speaking his mind to someone that was similar to him. Lee and Itachi soon gathered a bond with each other.

The young boy smiled somewhat at the memories, but it didn't stay long. He suddenly heard something stirring near him, wiping the smile clean off of his face, making his lips go back to the straight line that they always were. He dared a look over and noticed that Haruo was getting up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Lee decided to be nice and greet him softly,

"Good morning, Haruo nii-san." Haruo glanced over to Lee and grunted somewhat.

"Morning. Is Ayane up yet?"

"I don't think so. I don't hear her doing any of her crazy antics or anything."

"That's a good sound to me in the morning." Lee couldn't help but agree. Sometimes Ayane's antics would get them both annoyed, but Haruo would be the first to explode, and sometimes Lee was scared that he was going to blow like a volcano. He would scold her harshly about them and why she shouldn't be doing them, but once he saw the sadness on her face, he would lighten up and apologize to her about yelling at her. Haruo did care about Ayane and him, and just had his own way of showing it. Lee stood up from his sleeping bag and began to roll it up. Haruo followed suit, rolling up his own and making sure it would stay rolled up. He then took Lee's and stuffed them in an empty sandbag they had managed to steal some years ago from a market. Lee then looked over to his sister, who was still snoozed like a log. It's a miracle that she was able to sleep at all, especially when we know what day today is. I'm still not looking forward to the second part of the exam. Ah, geez... Lee was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Ayane stirring. Haruo mumbled something under his breath about his morning being ruined, but he couldn't cared less at this point. He saw Ayane stretching like a cat and yawning big. Yes, big sis, you have nice teeth, especially those fangs of yours. I don't need to see them more than I have to. Lee thought somewhat miserably.

"Hey Haruo, Lee! Ready for the big day?" Ayane asked excitedly.

"Yeah, it's going to be a blast. Whoopie." Haruo responded with an annoyed and sarcastic tone in his voice. Lee said nothing and instead nodded. Ayane leapt out of her sleeping bag and rolled it up, stuffing it in the sandbag where the others were. She then smiled at both of her brothers like nothing scary or life-threatening was going to happen and Haruo facepalmed. Great. I have to spend a whole five other days with her in a forest where I could potentially get killed if I do not keep my guard up. Oh, is this going to be rough. Lee glanced over to Haruo and noticed that he was pinching the bridge of his nose. He walked over to him and laid a careful hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, Haruo-san. It could be worse."

"How could it be worse than it already is?"

"You could spend five whole days with her and without someone like me to talk to."

"Hmm...you've got a point. At least you'll be there."

"Mhm." Lee took his hand off and faced Ayane. Haruo summoned her with one finger and she came skipping over to them like a little kid on the playground. He waited a few moments before speaking,

"Alright, today is the day that we enter the second part of the Chunin Exams. Do not screw up. I won't cover your asses if you mess up. Got it?"

"Crystal!" Ayane shouted.

"Got it." Lee half-mumbled, half-spoke. Haruo nodded and turned swiftly on his heels, motioning for his siblings to come with him. The two got the memo and began following him. Haruo walked with a dignified pace, letting nothing get in his way. If anyone gets in my way, I'll crush them, no matter what. The three siblings walked in silence toward the Forest of Death, one with a cold demeanor, another with excitement, and the last with slight anxiety.

Karin was pacing around the cabin, waiting for her two teammates to wake up. She was ready to hit the road and dominate everyone else at the Chunin Exams, no matter what her sensei said. He had told her that she needed to think things through more thoroughly and efficiently, but even he knew that these words would not stick in her brain for very long. She kept pacing in the small living room, her arms crossed over her chest and her expression hardened, like it had been for the past few days. She wanted to get these exams over and done with, but she knew that time sped up for no one, no matter how desperate they were. A sigh escaped her lips as she continued to wait.

Almost an hour passed before she noticed a hopeful sign. She saw one of the bedroom doors opening and out stepped Takashi, wrapping his dark purple scarf around his neck. I don't even get why he keeps insisting that he wears it. It's pretty pointless to me. But even I can not change him now. She suddenly noticed him staring at her with a tired look in his eyes and she turned away, not wanting to make eye contact with him at the moment. Takashi shrugged it off and assumed that she was in one of her 'moods' again. He leaned against the refrigerator, waiting for Ray to come on out of his room. He was excited about what was going to happen within a few short hours, but was somewhat nervous and scared. He had to spend five days with his teammates, and they had enough problems staying together now. He just hoped that it wouldn't turn chaotic on them and cost them the second part of the exams or worse, their lives. He gulped down some saliva, the tissues in his throat becoming dry.

He then heard the other bedroom door open and saw Ray step out in his usual black trench coat. Ray glanced over at Karin and grunted in a way that made it seem like he was trying to say good morning to her, according to Takashi. He then looked over to where Takashi was and the purple-haired boy shivered in fright. Sheesh! He still gives me the creeps even after all we've been through, and I'm pretty sure it's worst in the mornings. Well, that is kind of understandable. Hardly anyone I know likes mornings that much, if at all. He pushed himself off of the wall reluctantly and went over to his teammates.

"So, today's finally the day, huh?" Takashi spoke first.

"Yeah. I can't wait to crush everybody else!" Karin exclaimed.

"Hold on, Karin. Remember what Josh said. We can't just go charging in there like bulls. We'll be picked off easily if we do that."

"Oh, please! When has that stopped me?"

"It should stop you now." Ray butted into the conversation. Takashi and Karin turned their heads slightly to stare at him.

"What's your deal, Ray? You're acting all apathetic and cruel again, like the asshole you are." Karin said angrily.

"I'm saying that if you rush into this forest, whic convienently called the Forest of Death, thinking that you are going to crush every single person in there, then you'll get picked off first, and it'll be your fault." Ray snapped back, making Karin lean back slightly, as if she was trying to get away from him.

"You know, Karin, he does make a good point. We need to act as a team if we're going to make it through alive."

"Hmph! Fine, but don't expect me to save your sorry little asses if you guys get into trouble."

"We don't expect you to." Ray said calmly, now back to his old self. Takashi couldn't help but agree with him. A lot of the time, Karin wouldn't even consider saving them, no matter what the situation was. Josh would eventually have to force her to help them out of whatever the hell they were in. Takashi withheld a sigh and looked at his teammates.

"We better get going, if we want to make it there on time."

"He has a point." Karin said tiredly. Ray simply nodded and began to head for the door. Karin and Takashi looked at each other one last time before following their teammate out the door and out into the wilderness. They walked in tense silence, none of them having anything to say and knowing what was ahead of them. I just hope that we can get through this test without ripping each other to pieces. That's my biggest fear out of eveything else. Takashi thought to himself. He wasn't about to let his teammates know what was on his mind. They already had enough on their minds and didn't need his worries clogging up their brains.

All twenty teams were at the front entrance to the Forest of Death, including Akahana's team, Dante's team, Ray's team, and Haruo's team. Anko and Rika were standing in front of the squads, staring at them intently. Rika knew them all from the written tests and the brief descriptions given to her from the Hokage himself. She glanced over at her superior and wondered for just a moment what was on her mind. She forced the thought back and turned to the rookies again. She cracked her fingers and crossed her arms over her chest. Anko then cleared her throat, seemingly getting everyone's attention, and spoke in a loud voice,

"Alright, you rookies, welcome to the second part of the Chunin Exams! As you all know, this is called the Forest of Death, also known as the 44th Training Ground. There are 44 gates around the perimeter. Each team will stand at one gate until you are given the signal to goal is to reach the tower in the middle of this forest within five days, which has a radius of about ten kilometers. You'll need to read a contract outlining the rules of this part of the exam." Rika walked over to Rose and handed her a medium-sized pile of papers, telling her to hand one out to each person. She took the pile from Rika's hands, removed the first piece of paper, and handed the stack off to her teammates. Anko continued explaining,

"Each team will get one scroll each. There are two types of scrolls," She pulled out two scrolls, one white and the other blue. ",the Heaven scroll and the Earth scroll. Your team must get both scrolls in order to be let into the tower. And there's something you absolutely can not do." Everyone was in anticipation, staring at her intently. Some of the genin were actually standing on their toes, as if that was going to help them know what they wanted to know faster. They wanted to know what the heck the proctor was going to say next. Dante had to bite his lip in order to keep himself from screaming out the question that was on everyone's minds. Anko then relieved them of their anticipation,

"You can't look inside of the scroll."

"Well, what happens if we do?" Ray asked. Anko smiled somewhat evilly, irking the boy a bit.

"Let's just say that you don't want to know what happens." As if. He thought bitterly.

"Also, a few heads-up. There are three conditions that might take place and will forbid your team from entering the tower; if you and your team can not make it to the tower within the five day limit, if you do not have both scrolls, and if one of your teammates is incapacitated and can not continue. There are perils within this forest that you'll need to watch out for, like giant insects. Those things will get you if you're not careful. Now, one member from each team will go up to the table and get one scroll for their team." Everyone began reading the contract within their hands. As that was happening, Dante looked up and saw curtains covering the tables. That must be to prevent from people knowing which team has what scroll. That makes things somewhat harder for everyone, but hey, Yumi-sensei said that this test was going to be like no other. If we're going to even have a chance of getting through this and making it to the tower in one piece, we need to act as a team more than ever. Dante then noticed that Yuuta was standing in front of him, holding out his hand.

"What?"

"You done reading?"

"Uuhh...w-well, yeah. I was just rereading it. You can take it, if you want." He handed his contract to Yuuta and saw his teammate walk over to the table. He then looked over toward Rose, who was shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He knew that she was somewhat of a nervous wreck. He didn't exactly blame her, considering what they were just told by the proctor. He then noticed that Yuuta had returned, but with no scroll.

"Where's the scroll, buddy?" Dante asked in a whisper.

"It's in my weapons pouch." Yuuta replied.

"Oh..." He mentally facepalmed. Duh! We're ninja here, and it's the Chunin Exams to boot! What am I thinking here? I must be going crazy. Dante forced the thought into the back of his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.

He didn't have much more time to think, since now the teams were now being ushered to their respective gates. He followed Yuuta and Rose to their gate, which was gate number 14. Akahana's team had gate number 37, Ray's team had gate number 6, and Haruo's team had gate number 23. Anko was watching the second hand on her wristwatch make its way around the clock. Every team was now at their respective gates, waiting for the test to begin. The second hand hit the twelve, making the time change to one thirty.

"Alright, heads-up, you maggots! The second part of the Chunin Exams has begun! You may proceed in!" Almost as she was done talking, the chains on twenty of the forty-four gates unlocked simultaneously and the heavy chains falling to the ground, the gates swinging open. Every team sped into the forest, eager to get the other scroll for their team and to eliminate the competition...

Finally done! I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. I've had to deal with some issues at home and my brain has refused to lend me any ideas for a while. And writing it at 3 or 4 in the morning isn't exactly the greatest of ideas, either. I promise that I'll post chapters more often!

I know that I should've said this at the beginning of the story, but I do not own any ideas or characters from Naruto. The series belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and the other people that created Naruto.