"This forest is amazing, un!" Deidara squatted over a plant, watching a caterpillar work its way up and over a leaf. He picked the insect up, walking and watching as it squirmed.
"Deidara, stop fooling around! We need to get out of this place!" Bushio was busy, using a kunai to hack at a plant that was in the way. Deidara chucked the bug to the side, coming over to where Bushio stood.
"Here, let me help un!" Deidara grabbed a kunai from his pocket, hacking and slashing. Even working together, the going was slow and arduous. They had barely made it a few feet before Bushio dropped the kunai, sitting down.
"This is going to take forever! Maybe we should take to the trees and go that way," he said thoughtfully, looking up. He quickly nixed the idea. He already saw the vines that seemed to grow endlessly from the tops of the trees. To jump through them would have been suicide, as long, pointed spines grew from the tendrils.
"Hmm...I suppose we should keep going then," Yoko said, walking over to them. She took one of the fallen kunai, about to slash the foliage.
"Ha! What do you fools think you're doing?" A boy, about Bushio's age, walked from the trees, standing there watching the three. Bushio stood forward, eyeing the newcomer up.
"We're trying to get through this crap! Who are you, anyways?" The boy smirked, walking over to Yoko and taking the kunai from her hands. He held her hand, staring at her and making her blush.
"A beauty such as yourself shouldn't be doing the labor of a man! Here, allow me!" With that, he gently brushed her aside, taking a sword from its sheath.
"Arg...he's doing it again. The show off...he's always doing this, especially if there are women around," another said, having extricated himself from the loam. Deidara turned, greeting the newcomer.
"Hello, un! I'm Deidara...I assume you're his partner?" The boy nodded, whistling low as a brown-haired girl jumped down from a tree.
"Junio is at it again, huh? Who's the victim now?" The boy laughed, pointing a thumb.
"That chick over there...don't know who she is, though. She is pretty, that much is sure." Bushio grunted.
"Why is he standing there? What is he up to?" The girl laughed, a sweet bell-like tone that rung in Deidara's ears.
"He's gathering chakra. Come on...you'll like this." She took Deidara's hand, propelling him forward to stand next to Yoko. The boy, Junio, stood erect, sword pointed forward. Suddenly, he brought it back...and Deidara noticed chakra flowing into it.
"Ninjutsu Arts: Whirling Scythe Blade Jutsu!" He swung forward, and a wave of chakra lashed out from the sword, whipping back and forth in a scything path. He smiled, turning and bowing...as the forest fifty feet in front of him fell. Trees toppled and undergrowth was smashed as the wave of chakra hewed a path.
"And that, my dear friends, is how it is done..." The boy walked over to Yoko, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "I hope I will be able to give you service later on, my dear." Yoko again blushed red.
"Tha..Thank you. You're...too kind..." She stammered. Bushio grunted, walking forward and grabbing her hand.
"Come on, let's go!" He propelled her forward, leaving her to make hasty goodbyes. Junio smiled as he again sheathed his sword.
"That was amazing, un! How do you do that?" Deidara went to the front, looking at the sword as the boy grinned.
"Oh, that? It's just a wind jutsu. It uses the power of the wind and the blade of the sword, combines 'em, and sends 'em out in a wave. Pretty easy, really...for me, hehehe." He turned, signalling to the other two.
"Well shorty...we'll see you later, huh?" The girl curtsied, turning and walking behind the boy Junio. The other boy shook his head.
"Those two will be the death of me one day...I know it!" He began walking before stopping, stooping and picking up a kunai. This he tossed to Deidara who caught it deftly. "Here, don't lose that!" With that said, he turned, disappearing into the underbrush.
"Wow...so, those were grass ninja, hm? Interesting, un."
"Deidara! Hurry up!" He snapped out of his stupor as Bushio's voice penetrated his thoughts. He ran forward to catch up.
"Well, luckily that guy cut us a good path through this stuff. Look, there's a path through here. Not even going to have to cut anything with a kunai," Bushio said. Yoko sighed, turning and looking back at where the boy had been. Deidara grinned, catching that look of longing. Bet I know what she's thinking about.
It was several hours later when they finally made it to the edge of the forest. Bushio sighed, walking out into the sunlight and gazing around. Under his feet, the rocks crunched and cracked. It felt good to be on solid ground, with rocks under foot instead of vines. He turned, signaling to the other two before walking forward.
"Bushio-kun, look out!" However, Yoko's warning came to late as Bushio stepped on a hidden tag. It poofed, causing him to take a back step. Yoko and Deidara came running up to help...only to find themselves trapped as well as the ground split open and emptied the three into a chasm. Deidara spat soil and rock out of his mouth, looking up through the hole in the ground.
"Well...now what?" He looked at Bushio, who shook his head.
"Damn it...should have been paying more attention," he berated himself. Yoko put a hand to his shoulder.
"It's not your fault, Bushio-kun. Neither of us would have seen that trap...right Deidara?" Deidara turned, walking towards the back.
"...I would have seen that trap," he said, under his breath. Yoko stood, gazing around the cavern.
"What is this anyways?" Deidara shrugged.
"It's a cave, un!" He said it like it should be obvious, and Yoko caught the hint. She quieted immediately.
"Ahg...something on my shoulder!" Bushio stood, swiping at his shoulder. A small insect fell off of it.
"I wouldn't move if I were you!" A voice, above them, shouted down. They looked up, staring at the face staring back. Deidara noted the green headband...another Chunin. "That cave is crawling with chakra bugs! If you move to much, you'll throw out chakra, and they'll feed on it...and you!" He smiled, watching them.
"What do you want?" Bushio was boiling, but he was trying to keep cool. He had to keep the Chunin talking while he thought of a solution.
"I want you to forfeit! Give up! That way, I can get you out of the hole, save you some sorrow, and put another notch on my belt! Actually, I think that it's funny that I have caught so many of you in that hole. You know you're like the fourth team today? I thought that you all would have seen that trap...but apparently, you didn't," he said. He snorted, laughing to himself. Bushio felt his anger rise again, but took the opportunity to slap another bug.
"If I get out of this hole, I'm going to pound you into dust! Do you hear me!" The Chunin laughed again.
"Sorry, kiddo. But there ain't no way for you to get out of that hole! As far as I know, no one has gotten out of this trap yet. Not on their own, of course. Now, what do you say you give up, huh? Then, I can call off my bugs and get you guys out of there and back home to the Hidden Village. What do you say, hm?" But Bushio wasn't listening. His anger was boiling over. He jumped, trying to grab the ledge, but fell way short. The Chunin shook his head. "Fine, if that's the way you want it, then just stay down there. The bugs will get you anyways," he said, adding the last part thoughtfully. He whistled, and Deidara watched as the insects began moving closer. He backed up a step, turning and noting the wall of the cave.
"We're done for, un!" Bushio grunted, taking another leap at the ledge. It was still no good.
"Damn...I can't reach it! Damn!" He whipped out a kunai, holding it in front of him towards the onslaught of insects rushing towards them.
"Deidara...don't you have an idea?" Deidara shook his head, sticking his hands into his pockets. Suddenly, he felt his bird. He hadn't destroyed it last time, and it still sat in his pocket. He took it out, dropping it on the floor and making his hand-signs. It poofed, and again took shape as a large, awkward looking bird. He hopped onto it.
"Come on! We can escape on him!" Bushio nodded, hopping up. However, Yoko wasn't having any of it. She began backing up, away from the insects...and the bird.
"No way I'm getting on that monstrosity! You almost killed me last time!" Deidara grunted.
"If you don't hop out, you'll surely be killed THIS time, un!" Yoko glanced at the bird, and back at the bugs.
"Come on...we don't need her anyways, right? Let's get out of here...let her fight the bugs..." Bushio was yanking on his shirt, and Deidara wrenched his arm away.
"No way...if we go, she goes. Otherwise, we all get chewed up down here, un!" Bushio rolled his eyes, glancing at the bugs.
"Come on, there isn't much time! Let's get out of here!" But Deidara was adamant. Only all three would escape, not just the two of them. Bushio grimaced, then turned.
"Yoko! If you come with us...I'll...I'll...I'll go on a date with you, how about that?" Yoko looked up, hope in her eyes.
"Really Bushio-kun? You will?" Deidara grumbled something, and Bushio grunted.
"Yeah yeah..now hurry, get on this damn thing right now!" Yoko jumped, grabbing for Bushio's hand as she made it aboard.
"Good...now, let's get the hell out of here!" The bird took off, flying straight up and through the narrow aperture and into the sky. The Chunin watched their ascent, smiling to himself. Suddenly, the hole turned dark, and a cloud poured out, ascending up through the air and towards the trio. Deidara grimaced.
"Shit...those things have wings, un!" His bird began to dodge, dipping and ducking as the trio avoided the insects flying in the air. The Chunin on the ground laughed.
"This is to good!" The three were hard pressed, each time thinking that they were safe, and then having to dodge again.
"What are we going to do? We can't outrun those things!" Yoko glanced back fearfully. The ride was insane, and being chased by insects was out of her league of reason. Deidara was trying to come up with an idea, but so far, nothing he thought seemed to work in his head. It was Bushio who came up with the idea.
"Deidara...I have it. Slam this thing into the ground!" Bushio stood, using chakra to keep his footing. Deidara glanced back.
"What? Are you insane, un?" Bushio grinned, nodding.
"Yeah...I am! Slam this bird into the ground!" Deidara stared at him.
"But...that would make him explode! That would..." he began, but suddenly the plan donned on him. He smiled, nodding and sending his bird into a climb. The Chunin covered his brows, watching the progress of the trio and his insects.
What are they up to now? Deidara had his creation climb swiftly, until the air was hard to breath. Then, he leveled off as the insects followed doggedly.
"I hope you know what you're doing, un!" Bushio shook his head.
"Nope...now, do it!" Yoko turned to him.
"Do what again?" Then, her question turned into a scream as the bird plummeted, rocketing straight through the packed masses of insects and hurtling towards the ground. The Chunin stood, watching the dot course down through the sky.
"Those idiots! What are they planning? Suicide?" He continued watching as the bird plummeted like a stone. His eyes widened as the bird came within a few hundred feet of him. "Shit!" He turned, jumping, but it was to late. The clay figure smashed into the ground, sending the insects that had dropped with it flying away at crazy angles. The Chunin flew through the air, finding his resting place...as his head hit a rock. He lay back, completely knocked out. The insects that hadn't been blown up floated lazily in the air until they dispersed.
"Well...we made it, anyways!" Deidara clung to the branch for dear life with his right hand, his left hand and Bushio's right holding Yoko suspended. She snapped her head up, eyeing both evilly.
"Don't you ever...EVER...do that again, do you understand me?!" Bushio sneered.
"Shut up! It worked, didn't it? Geez!" The two boys let go of the branch, falling to earth. Yoko rolled, coming up to her feet fast and facing the two.
"You could have killed me, you basturds!" Deidara smiled.
"But we didn't, un! Give us congrats for that!" She huffed, looking at Bushio.
"So, about that date..."
"Hey...you guys!" Tazuriko walked towards them, a hand up.
"Tazuriko-sensai! What are you doing here, un?" Deidara scratched his head. Tazuriko smiled.
"I just wanted to say congratulations on passing the last portion of that test!" The three Genin looked at each other, and then back to him.
"You mean..."
"Yep!" With a flourish, he turned, indicating the mountain that stood behind him. "Welcome to part 2!"
And welcome to part two of the chunin exams! Enjoying so far? Well, review and tell me that! Everyone who views this chapter should review...so I know you care! UN!