Okay, so its Tuesday "morning", almost one o'clock and I'm hyped up on iced tea and icecream. YUM. And, remembering that I would update everyday this week I decided, "Why not?" So anyway, thank you for the people who reviewed chapter 13, that is, kelseyrianne and Shiori Kurokase! Love you guys!
I noticed in the last chapter I said "rain ninja" instead of what it REALLY was which is "grass ninja". Heh. Whoops. Like it matters...
ANYWAY! Enjoy the chapter! And I'm glad I didn't get any projectiles thrown at me for the cheesy and over-used original country and clan/bloodline thing...yet. That shows you guys care.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Nami yawned. Man…I'm so sleepy…maybe training so late at night wasn't a good idea…
Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
Kyoko's ears twitched as she heard a soft snoring. Turning around, her eyes burned as she saw Nami fast asleep. That idiot! What's wrong with her?! Sleeping now?! Then her eyes fell back on the test hopelessly. Oh…I'd be better off sleeping too! I can't get any of these questions! ARGH!
A sudden rush of warmth covered her body. Huh? What's with my body?
"Kyoko!"
Huh? Midori? Kyoko thought. She shook her head furiously. Now I'm hearing things! This test is making me go nuts!
"No, it's me," Midori said.
What? How?
"A little thing I like to call Hidden Speech no Jutsu," Midori said.
Sensei taught you that? How come I didn't hear about it?!
"That's not important now! I have the answers to the test, so write them down now!"
Okay, okay. Man…nobody tells me anything anymore…
Once Midori had finished with Kyoko, she went straight onto Nami. Making the hand signs, she whispered, "Hidden Speech no Jutsu."
"Nami, I have the answers to the questions, so—"
Nami snored.
Midori sweat dropped with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Nami, wake up! NAMI!"
Nami immediately awoke. "AH!"
All heads turned towards the screaming girl.
Ibiki glared at her.
Midori sunk in her seat and covered her face.
Some teammate, Neji thought with a smirk.
Kyoko wished she had a camera.
Nami looked around and scratched her head. "Um…I…uh...eto...stabbed myself with...the pencil…"
Silence.
Everyone turned back to their tests. Nami let out a breath.
"Smooth."
Shut up, Nami thought bitterly. What do you want, Midori? And how the heck did you get into my head?
"Hidden Speech no Jutsu. No sweat."
Marieke-sensei showed it to you
"Is that so unbelievable?"
I guess not. What do you want?
"To give you the answers. You obviously can't do this on your own."
I can so! You don't even have to do anything!
"Just listen up and write down the answers, okay?"
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
"Time's up!" Ibiki shouted. "And now…we will begin the tenth question."
The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone waited anxiously for the proctor to continue.
"Now, before we get to it, I'd like to add some rules."
The room tensed.
Creak.
Everyone turned to see Kankuro standing in the doorway with a "ninja".
Ibiki smirked. "Nice timing. I hope your doll-playing was beneficial."
Kankuro flinched. He saw through Karasu!
"Just sit down."
As Kankuro passed, Kyoko noticed him drop something on the table for Temari.
"I'll now explain. These are the rules…"
---
Marieke sat in a room with Kakashi, alone. Asuma and Kurenai had stopped by, but left earlier before.
"So, how do you think your students are fairing, Marieke?" Kakashi asked.
"Hmph. I really doubt they'll get past the first exam," Marieke said, sighing. "If they do, they'll never get past the second exam."
"Why act so doubtful?" Kakashi asked. "After all, you said yourself that they had grown over the first high-ranking mission. And besides, you were the one who recommended them."
Marieke scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Yes, well…I didn't really want to be left out. Even Gai's students entered this time and…well…you get the point."
"Ah…" Kakashi said, amused. "So what you're saying is that you don't think they're good enough to be chuunin?"
"Nope. They lack a lot of things, that's for sure."
"You make them sound as if all their qualities are bad."
"Well, Kyoko's easily distracted and daydreams all too much. Not to mention she's noisy half the time I'm with her. Then there's Nami who wants to rule the world and constantly bothers Kyoko and gets herself into too many fights. And Midori…well, she's mature, but she can act like a complete control freak and she's not much of a fighter…"
"I see…" Kakashi said. His eye closed into a happy arch. "We can't choose are students, can we? I'd gladly trade my students with your all-female team."
"Kakashi...you pervert."
---
Back in the classroom, Ibiki had finished explaining the rules. "So, basically you must choose between taking the question and not."
"What if we choose not to?! What happens then?!" Temari shouted.
"Owie…" Kyoko mumbled, rubbing her ear.
"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero and…YOU FAIL ALONG WITH YOUR TEAMMATES!"
Everyone gasped.
"Then of course we'll take the question!" someone shouted.
"And the other rule is…if you choose to take it and answer wrong…that person will lose the right to partake in the Chuunin Exams ever again!"
"WHAT KIND OF STUPID RULE IS THAT?!"
Ibiki turned his attention to Kiba who had had a complete outburst. What a noisy bunch of kids…
"There are people who took this exam before!"
Ibiki chuckled. "Then those guys were lucky enough to have other examiners…however, this year…I'm making the rules. But I feel a bit benevolent today. Those who want to become chuunin…may refuse the question and try again next year." He paused, scanning the faces of genin. "Those who want to try again next year, raise your hand."
---
"The exam should be over soon," Marieke said. She stood up. "Well, I should go get my students then."
"You still think they're unable to pass?"
"From what I've seen from Ibiki, there's no way they'd be able to. He'd crack them like an egg," Marieke said without a doubt. She turned to him with a smile underneath her mask. "But you're students, Kakashi…you've got the Uchiha…and the Kyuubi boy. They'll surely become chuunin."
"…"
"And Gai…he has the Hyuuga genius, a weapons specialist, and a boy with muscles hard as rock. Even Kurenai has three students from different clans with special abilities and Asuma has a team that uses teamwork. And what do I have?" She looked down. "A big-shot troublemaker, a peace-maker who can barely fight, and a jealous big mouth. They were just lucky on the first mission, I'm sure. Goodbye, Kakashi."
"Goodbye, Marieke."
When Marieke reached the classroom, she heard a commotion going on inside. The breaking of glass…!
She looked through the window and sweat dropped. Anko…
Mitarashi Anko was shouting about something or other in the room, a banner behind her and Ibiki looking a bit miffed. That means the exam has ended. She searched the room, and to her amazement, her students were still there.
Marieke smiled a bit. So they're still in the game? Hmph. Maybe they didn't get lucky during the mission…maybe it wasn't luck…or maybe I'm just paranoid. We'll see.
---
"Oh yeah! The first exam was a piece of cake!" Kyoko said victoriously.
"Yeah right, you were panicking," Nami pointed out.
"Not the point! The point is that we pulled through and now we're another step ahead to becoming chuunin!" Kyoko exclaimed.
"Don't forget that the next exam is the Forest of Death," Midori warned. "There's no doubt it'll be tougher than some written exam."
"Speak for yourself, Midori!" Nami said. "Out of the three of us, Kyoko and I think that you're probably the one who'll pass out during the next exams, no offense. You just don't have the shinobi blood in you, you know?"
"I don't, do I?" Midori said, a bit offended.
"It's nothing like that, Midori-chan!" Kyoko said quickly. "It's just that…you know, you're too…nice sometimes. You understand, right?"
Midori glared. "Do you guys mean to say that I'll be holding you back in the exams to come?"
Her two teammates glanced at each other hesitantly.
"I see. Well, don't count on it," Midori said seriously. "I intend to become a chuunin." Without another word, she walked away.
"Hey, where are you going?" Kyoko called.
"To the library."
Once she was out of sight, Kyoko stared at Nami with an I-Can't-Believe-You look.
"What?" Nami said innocently. "If we're gonna live in this world, we all have to toughen up. It's only natural. You have to admit it; I know you know I'm right."
"…Yeah…"
"Well, see ya."
"Now where are you going?"
"Training, where else? We've barely gotten any from Marieke-sensei and I have half a day to get my strength up for the second exam. If you were smart, you would do the same."
She disappeared.
Kyoko stood still for a moment. Nami's right…about both things. If we don't harden our souls and mind, we won't get along well in this world. Nami and I won't have trouble with that, but Midori sure will…
---
Midori had entered the library, one of her favorite places of all time in Konoha since it was so quiet. Searching through books and scrolls, she found a particular text that interested her greatly. It was simply labeled Medical Ninjutsu and the Human Body.
Sitting down, Midori flipped to the Table of Contents. Nami and Kyoko may not think too much about this because they're so concentrated on strength and brute force…however, if I learn medical ninjutsu, I'll be able to pass us all and increase the chances of living in this vicious world…survival is the key.
Then, Nami and Kyoko's words ran through her head.
"…Kyoko and I think that you're probably the one who'll flake out during the next exams…"
"…You're too…nice sometimes. You understand, right?"
"You just don't have the shinobi blood in you…"
"I'll show them," Midori said, clutching the book tightly. "They wouldn't be able to get through the exams without my help. And I'll show them…that I do have shinobi blood."
---
"Hee-yah!" Nami flipped in the air and axe-kicked a training dummy, then landed softly on the ground. She twirled around and several projectiles shot from her hands, nailing the targets some meters away. Dropping to the ground, she shifted her weight and attacked another training dummy. After finishing the newly thought up combo, her breath was heavy.
She wiped the sweat dripping from her face and looked around the beaten training site, satisfied. "The Forest of Death will be a cinch."
---
Kyoko continuously punched a tree furiously. Although her knuckles burned with pain, she didn't hesitate.
This was the way Lee got good, so this is how I'm going to do it, Kyoko thought determinedly.
She was about to strike the tree once more when another wave of shooting pain crossed from her fist through her arm. She cried out and started shaking her throbbing hand in an attempt to ease the sting.
"Owie…" she groaned. "Then again…Lee didn't get good until years later…"
She shook her head briskly. "No! No! No! I have to get better! I can do this!"
She slammed her hand against the bark again, wincing. "Maybe I should try a different approach…"
---The Next Day---
All the lucky ninja who passed the first exam had all gathered to the place we know as the Forest of Death. As Anko explained the rules on loud terms, the three otherworldly kunoichi sat themselves down in the far back away from everyone else, not paying any attention.
"Okay, so we definitely had an advantage in the first exam, but the other two are going to rely on strength, skill, and stamina," Midori whispered. "Knowing about everyone else's jutsus is going to make things a little easier, but we still won't be able to win unless we think up a good strategy."
"Psh. Our strategy is to kick butt and gain scrolls," Nami said. "Nothing to it."
Midori glared at her. "You think it's that easy? We could die here, you know?"
"I know that. But you've been busy making alliances, right?" Nami said. "As long as we get some help, we'll probably make it through this easy."
"Eheh…about that…" Midori rubbed the back of her neck earnestly.
Kyoko and Nami glanced at each other doubtfully.
"Hey! It's not my fault you guys terrorize everyone!" Midori said defensively.
"Well whatever! We don't need any other people anyway! We can kick anyone's butt and steal their scroll anyway."
"Sh! Keep it down," Midori hissed. "Nobody else knows about the exam."
Midori flinched as she felt a tap on her shoulder. Oh no…did someone hear us? She slowly turned around.
"Hey, pay attention, girl," Zaku said, sticking what was left of the forms into her hands. "Don't look so stupid, pass them."
Midori nodded and took one, then passed it on to her teammates.
"That was Zaku!" Kyoko squealed quietly. "Oh, I can't believe it!"
"Mm," Midori nodded distantly.
After Zaku had passed the papers onto the girls, he got back to his team, smirking. "You hear that, Dosu?"
"Indeed," Dosu nodded. "Those girls know all about these exams, I presume."
"Do you think they can predict the future?" Kin asked.
"Best to tell Orochimaru-sama about it," Dosu said. "Along with his little lackey." He glanced over at Kabuto. "He would want to know about it."
"Do we attack them during the exam?" Zaku asked.
"No. We have one target only right now. The Uchiha."
The other two nodded.
"Still, if we run into them, it would be fun to introduce ourselves," Kin said, smiling deviously.
"All right, everybody! When I call your team, come up to receive your scroll! Then go with a chuunin to the designated gate! Once I say to begin, you can start! Oh, and one more piece of advice: Don't die!"
When the girls were called, they obtained an Earth Scroll which Kyoko had volunteered to keep. The girls followed the chuunin to one side of the chained-up forest. The chuunin stood near the gate and said, "I've never seen a three-woman team before." He had an amused tone.
"Is that a problem?" Nami challenged.
"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Kyoko demanded.
"Guys, don't start picking fights now!" Midori scolded, whacking her teammates upside the head with her two free hands.
"Hey!" Nami and Kyoko shouted.
Midori glared at them.
The chuunin laughed. "No, no, don't start any commotions. Save it for the forest. I was just making an observation."
"START! THE SECOND EXAM HAS BEGUN!" rang Anko's voice loudly.
Suddenly, the gates rose and the girls charged into the forest swiftly. They leapt into the trees, stepping on upcoming tree branches every few seconds. After a while, they stopped.
"Stick together, okay?" Midori said to her teammates. "There's a good chance we'll run into another Konoha team. However, we don't want to mess with any of them at the moment. Or Suna. So if we see them, the plan is to get away without taking their scrolls."
"Aw…" Kyoko and Nami groaned.
"Geez, Midori, you're no fun at all," Nami said. "Why can't we prevent Sasgay from passing?"
"Because Sasuke is on the same team as Naruto and if they don't pass there'll be a major plot hole in the story!" Midori said irritably. "We'll just have to steal from one of the other villages."
"Psh. What's with your battle plans? There's never any battling!" Kyoko complained.
Midori glared. "I'd rather not get wounded badly, thank you. These are the top ninja from all shinobi villages. It's not like they're clumsy and inexperienced!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Sounds of terrified screaming rang throughout the murderous forest.
"And there goes the first team," Nami said nonchalantly. "Now there's a team with experience."
Midori stood there with a rain cloud over her head. "Whatever."
"Now that we've established that you aren't always right," Kyoko said, glancing at her teammates slyly. "Who's gonna think up the new plan filled with lots of action?!"
"I got it!" Nami said quickly. "We all split up and meet at the tower and if we run into anyone and I mean anyone we beat the crap out of him!"
Midori and Kyoko were silent.
"That is the complete opposite of my plan!" Midori exclaimed, fuming.
"I know."
"I like it!" Kyoko declared.
"We can't just do that!" Midori protested. "That plan is completely based on uncertainty and your and Nami's will to jump into any battle and—"
"Fine Midori! We'll let democracy decide!" Nami interrupted. "All in favor for my awesome and well-thought-out plan, raise your hand!"
Kyoko and Nami's hands shot up.
"And Midori's plan," Nami said unenthusiastically.
Midori stood there, glaring daggers at her two cheerful teammates.
"Gasp! Midori! You didn't vote!" Nami gasped dramatically.
"Be quiet," Midori grumbled with a vein pulsing off the side of her head. She turned to the left and jumped onto a tree. Looking back, she said, "I'm taking this route then. See you there. Good luck with finding a scroll."
Once she left, Nami smirked and held out her hand for a high-five.
Kyoko, was about to slap her hand when Nami quickly slipped her hand back and fixed her hair.
"Too cool for you!" Nami declared.
Kyoko scowled. "I don't have time for this!" She appeared on a tree to the right and stopped. She turned around and smirked. "I bet I'll get there before you." With those final words, she disappeared.
"What?! You—" Nami growled as she started forward. "In your dreams!"
Thus began the now-solo journeys through the Forest of Death.
Well, we got past the first exam, but its NOTHING compared to the Forest of Death! Finally, some more encounters with the others! What's going to happen? OMG
R&R please! And come back tomorrow for the next chappie!
Also, if there's ANYTHING I can do to improve, please say the word! And just so I don't take credit for randomly spouting this, I'd like to thank Shiori Kurokase for making me think and giving me the ambition to be better. That is, ANNOUNCING that I want to be better. So before I start on a rant about myself obviously wanting to be better inside, I'll just stop myself now. Until next time!
-HM