A/N: I've spent almost 20 hours over the last 4 days writing a midterm paper about Virginia Woolf. Once I started having hallucinations about Virginia Woolf being massacred by ninjas, I realized it was time to take a break. If anyone has a time machine, please go back about a hundred years and make sure that modernism never happens.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story
Chapter 11: Snake in the Grass
"Hey!" Choji yelled happily. "Team 7 and Team 8 just got to the Tower!"
Ino smirked and got up lazily from her plushy armchair. "It's about time. There's only a few hours left before dark."
Shikamaru knew Ino had been worried about their friends, so he correctly interpreted her snide tone as relief that they'd passed the test. For the last three days, they'd waited and watched for other teams to make their way to the Tower. It was the fifth day of the test, and they had all begun to worry that the other rookies might not make it.
Choji stood impatiently in the doorframe, practically bouncing up and down in his haste. "Come on Shika, let's go say hi!"
Ino was next to Choji in a flash. "Are you kidding? This is our best chance to gloat over how much faster we cleared the test! I wouldn't miss it for anything."
Shikamaru groaned and reluctantly got up from his own chair. "I guess we might as well congratulate them."
Choji led the way from the Observation Room to the main entrance hall. The Tower was full of winding stair cases and hidden rooms, which Team 10 had been exploring while they waited for the five-day time period to run its course. Their favorite spot so far was the Observation Room, where you could look far out over the treetops through the glass windows that lined the room. They'd seen more than a few explosions bursting from the canopy, and had amused themselves coming up with possibilities for what kind of fights were taking place.
In a few minutes the three genin reached the main entrance hall, where the other two rookie teams were waiting. Shikamaru's breath caught when he saw his friends and yearmates. Out of Team 7, only Naruto looked marginally all right. Still, the irrepressible genin had scrapes and scars all over his face and hands, and his jacket looked like it had been set on fire, then ground into the dirt, and finally hacked at by several sharp implements.
Sakura leaned on Naruto heavily, which surprised Shikamaru until his sharp eyes took in the way that Sakura held her hand to her midsection. She probably had a few cracked ribs, if they weren't broken outright. Sasuke held himself grimly upright, but he sported bruises that put Naruto's to shame. Moreover, the set of his jaw, and his pale, drawn face, clearly showed that he was in excruciating pain.
Team 8 was just as badly off, if not worse. Hinata's normally all-white eyes were bloodshot, and her purple hoodie was stained with blood from numerous deep gashes. Shino supported a limping Kiba, who was murmuring to a whimpering Akamaru. All in all, the Konoha rookies looked like they'd been to hell and back.
Shikamaru exchanged a wondering glance with Ino and Choji. I don't feel much like making fun of them anymore, Ino commented silently to her teammates.
Shikamaru shook his head in wordless agreement. You got that right.
Ino spoke first, her concerned tone taking the sting out of her abrasive words. "What the hell happened out there? You guys look like shit."
Kiba shook his wearily. "Team 7 ran into some trouble, so we tried to help them out."
Shikamaru noticed the haunted look that came over Sakura's face at the reminder. "What kind of trouble?" he asked the pink-haired kunoichi.
"A super-strong shinobi ambushed us. He was pretending to be a genin. We fought him, but we didn't even stand a chance. He-" She was cut off by a grunt from Sasuke. "…he beat us up pretty bad," she concluded.
Shikamaru was sure that wasn't what she'd been going to say, but didn't press. There was more to the story, he was sure, but now wasn't the time to interrupt.
"Sasuke and Naruto were unconscious, so I found a spot to hide until they were woke up. But then the team from Otogakure found us. They said they had orders to kill Sasuke. If Hinata, Shino, and Kiba hadn't shown up, we might all be dead."
"It was close enough as it was," Kiba added. "The Oto nin were scary strong."
"Wait a second," said Shikamaru. "They said they were following orders?"
Kiba nodded. "Yeah, it was weird. Not that I'm surprised that someone wants Sasuke dead."
The quip didn't have half of his usual energy, and Sasuke didn't even bother looking at the brash Inuzuka.
Ino stepped forward and offered her arm to Sakura. The pink-haired girl looked at Ino for a second, too tired to be suspicious, and then took Ino's support. Naruto straightened up with a tired sigh.
"Come on," Ino said while taking most of Sakura's weight, "let's get you guys somewhere you can rest before the next test. In a few hours we have to assemble in the Arena."
Team 10 led the rookies to where they would stay, listening to the particulars of the fight against the snake-summoner and the Otogakure shinobi. Apparently it had been quite the fight, in which Sakura teamed up with Team 8 to hold off the attacking genin until Sasuke and Naruto woke up.
While the story was unfolding Shikamaru's mind was running a mile a minute. The information he'd just received was rapidly convincing him that something was very wrong with these Exams.
If the Otogakure team was acting under orders, who had given them those orders? Why would a small village like Otogakure be attempting assassinations? And why would someone target the last living Uchiha? He was famous, certainly, and he had a kekkei genkai that many might fear. But he was just a child, and it seemed like complete overkill to infiltrate the Chunin Exams for the sake of killing one genin.
For the three hours until the gathering, Shikamaru examined what he knew from every angle. He ran through possibility after possibility, with no sense that he understood what was going on. But he kept thinking, because he knew there was something crucial he was missing. If he could just figure it out...
At the appointed time, a bell rang, signaling the rookies to assemble with the other remaining chunin candidates.
As they were filing out the door, Shikamaru raised his voice so that the other eight genin could hear him. "Everybody keep your guard up. Based on what happened in the Forest, I'd say whatever happens next is going to be even more dangerous."
Everyone nodded soberly, perhaps even a little fearfully.
"You're damn right, Shikamaru," said Kiba forcefully. "Especially if that Oto team passed. We should have killed them when we had the chance."
Sakura hushed him, but Shikamaru saw Sasuke's fierce assenting snarl, and he even thought he saw Shino nod his head slightly.
The Arena was a wide, spacious room with an extremely high ceiling. It could easily hold several hundred people, but at the moment there was only a fraction of that number. Shikamaru counted four other teams besides the three Konoha rookie squads. On the far left were all seven jonin senseis, and on the right side of the room was a squad of ANBU. Dead center, standing on a raised platform in front of all twenty-one genin, was the Hokage in full ceremonial robes.
The rookies marched forward grimly, taking their place in formation with the other four teams. Shikamaru appraised the competition, and though he wasn't surprised at what he saw, he wished it had been otherwise.
Directly to his right was the Otogakure team. They kept shooting determined looks at Sasuke, and derisive sneers at everyone else. Beyond the Oto squad were two more Konoha teams. The first was the team only one year older than the rookies, made up of the spandex-wearing weirdo, the Hyuga genius, and the girl in pink, with her hair pulled back into twin buns. Beyond them stood Kabuto's team. His two teammates looked imposing and mean. Kabuto saw Shikamaru's glance and gave him a disarming smile.
Finally, on the far right of the formation, was the Suna team. Malice radiated like waves of heat from the redhead with the gourd on his back. His two teammates stood self-assured and confident at his side. For a second, Shikamaru locked eyes with the Suna kunoichi. Her eyes widened when she felt their gaze, then narrowed with some emotion he couldn't name. It was like a spark of electricity ran between them, but Shikamaru looked away after just a second.
The Hokage stepped forward. "Welcome, all who survived the Forest of Death! You bring honor to your senseis and your villages. In fact, there are so many talented shinobi this year that we will be forced to hold a preliminary before the Third Exam."
There was a series of protests from the assembled genin. The Hokage held up his hands for silence. "I know, this solution doesn't make many of you happy. But before the Exam is over all of you but one will be defeated, so why not begin now? Before we begin the preliminary, however, I will tell you all the true reason for the Chunin Exams."
The genin quieted instantly. The Third puffed on his pipe, enjoying the dramatic pause.
"Generations ago, the Hidden Villages would compete for money and fame. Our strongest warriors would face off in battles to the death, all to show the strength of their village. Before long the heads of the main villages realized that this shameful waste of military strength must stop. So the Chunin Exams were instituted, as a way of having deadly competition between villages without the threat of war or loss of valuable resources."
By which you mean jonin… Shikamaru thought wryly. Genin, on the other hand, are totally expendable.
"It is this tradition," the Hokage continued, "that determines what form the Third and final Exam takes. No matter what the First and Second Exams might be, the last test is always a tournament to see which genin are the strongest, while representatives from all of the villages and the world at large look on."
Shikamaru understood the implications instantly. The publicity, the bloodlust, the pride in one's village… the Chunin Exams were both a blood sport for entertainment and the best possible advertisement for potential clients. But in some strange way, the Exams also defused tension between the villages. The genin became proxies, enacting miniature wars between villages. It was an ingenious political device, one that probably saved a lot of lives by channeling shinobi's natural bent towards war into a spectacle.
"This preliminary will be a similar style of tournament. We will randomly pair you together, and you will fight in one-on-one matches until the final number is reached. But in the interest of fairness, the fights will occur immediately."
There was another uproar, with many genin complaining about the lack of rest before the preliminary. "Quiet!" the Hokage declared. Even though he didn't raise his voice, it cut across the hubbub in the Arena instantly. "This is your final chance to back down. From here on out the battles are real, and might end in your death. So if you feel that you are too injured to continue, say so and you can walk away."
Shikamaru didn't even bother to look at Choji or Ino. They were of one mind on this one. There was no turning back.
"I forfeit. I'm too injured to continue." All heads turned to the genin who spoke. Kabuto had his hand raised apologetically.
What? Shikamaru thought. He doesn't look that injured. Is he just scared?
"Very well, Kabuto," the Hokage said. "You may withdraw."
Something seemed off to Shikamaru, he wasn't sure what. Maybe it was the way Kabuto's teammates looked so intimidating, when Kabuto himself was so mild-mannered and, apparently, cowardly. Then, with a sensation similar to feeling freezing water flood his veins, Shikamaru remembered what Ino had said in the Forest of Death. She'd said that Kabuto looked angry when Team 10 had saved him from the Oto team.
After I froze the Oto genin with my shadow, he looked angry. Almost as if… as if I was disrupting a plan. And it was the Oto genin who had orders to kill Sasuke… shit. Oh shit, oh shit!
In that moment, everything became perfectly clear. The last of the puzzle pieces had fallen into place, and Shikamaru knew what he had to do. He just hoped he hadn't left it too late.
Shikamaru looked at Ino urgently, signaling her to initiate her mind-to-mind communication.
Kabuto's a traitor, he thought urgently. He's working with the Oto team. I don't know why, but I'm sure of it. Get Asuma to send people after him, and interrogate him. Kabuto will know why Sasuke's in danger, and what Otogakure is trying to do.
Ino didn't even try to keep the surprise off her face, but she also didn't question his conclusion. She looked directly at Asuma, while Shikamaru prayed that his sensei would believe him. Asuma looked at Shikamaru, obviously having received Ino's message. His face clearly asked, "Are you sure?" Shikamaru nodded.
Shikamaru realized belatedly that Asuma was almost as powerless as he was. Kabuto was walking away, but if Asuma followed him all of his co-conspirators would know Kabuto's cover was blown. What could they do?
Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Asuma lean over casually as if sharing a comment with Kakashi. By speaking surreptitiously into his mouthpiece, Asuma would be able to alert someone at headquarters without anyone the wiser. With luck, Kabuto would be captured and whatever plan Otogakure was hatching would be nipped in the bud.
The only potential problem was Kabuto's own abilities. If he was an undercover spy, he must be much more capable than his seven failed Chunin exam attempts might lead one to believe. Shikamaru hoped that whoever was sent after Kabuto didn't underestimate the older genin's strength.
oOoOo
Yakushi Kabuto walked through the streets of Konoha calmly, with his hands in his pockets. Though he gave no outward sign of being in a hurry, his long legs covered the length of the street relatively quickly.
He turned a corner, coming into the view of a Chunin exam proctor from the first exam. The Chunin had spiky black hair and a neat, close-cropped goatee, with a white bandage running over his nose and across his face. Kabuto didn't slow, but raised a hand in greeting.
"Hi, Kotetsu-san."
Kotetsu returned the wave, and gave Kabuto a sympathetic smile. "Oh, Kabuto. So no luck this time, either?"
Kabuto smiled sadly. "I guess not. But there's always next year! In the meantime I'll just keep learning medical ninjutsu from Father, and hope for the best."
Kotetsu nodded in agreement. "That's the spirit! Never give up, and you'll honor everyone who wears the Konoha hitai-ite."
He reached out to clasp hands with Kabuto. The genin reached forward with his right hand, then jumped backward, just in time to avoid the cloud of purple smoke that billowed from the small pill that Kotetsu had kept concealed in his hand.
"Kotetsu!" Kabuto yelled indignantly. "What's that about?"
The chunin took a combat stance, and fixed his eyes on Kabuto. "Yakushi Kabuto, you are under arrest. The best thing you can do for yourself is allow me to incapacitate you, and bring you in for questioning. That will go the farthest towards clearing your name."
Kabuto's mouth dropped open, the picture of horrified innocence. "What? Why am I under arrest?"
Kotetsu advanced slowly. As if someone had flipped a switch, Kabuto suddenly became menacing. He stood straighter, and the genial expression he'd worn turned into a cold, heartless calculation. For the first time, he looked dangerous.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses slightly, and chuckled. "I'm impressed. To think that anyone in this village would be able to see through my act. But then, they only sent a single chunin to bring me in, which is a little insulting."
"I'm more than enough to take you out!" Kotetsu shouted. He ripped a storage scroll out of his jacket and unrolled it, summoning a weapon that appeared in a burst of smoke. It was an enormous mace, which was purple and red and covered in deadly spikes. Kotetsu charged, swinging the mace by a handle attached to a metal chain. It whirred through the air with a humming menace.
It seemed as though Kabuto couldn't possibly evade the weapon. He stood motionless while it bore down on him like the wrath of Kami. But when the mace hit him, it passed through without resistance. Kotetsu cursed and turned with the momentum of his swing, following through until he was facing backwards. Kabuto was standing where he had been only a moment before. The false genin's hands glowed with blue chakra.
"You didn't even notice my bunshin? And you call yourself a chunin Proctor."
Kotetsu swore again and began whirling his mace with the chain. It became a purple blur cutting the air, until he sent it flying forward with a flick of his wrist. As fast as it was, Kabuto moved even faster. He evaded the mace by jumping, and landed on the chain attached to the end of the handle. Kabuto ran up the chain straight at Kotetsu, who didn't have a hope of bringing the mace around in time.
Kabuto leapt from the chain at the same moment that Kotetsu released his hold on his weapon. The mace kept flying, and crashed into the side of a house with an explosion of wooden planks and metal pipes. Kotetsu twisted away, but couldn't get his hands up in time to block Kabuto's strike. The blue chakra only hit him a glancing blow, but it cut through his skin like a hot knife through butter. Kotetsu jumped back to give himself more distance, keeping his hand clenched over the gash in his side.
Kabuto chuckled dryly. "Medical ninjutsu is good for more than just healing wounds, wouldn't you say?"
The Exam Proctor just snarled, and shouted over Kabuto's shoulder, "Izumo, now!"
A third voice cut through the air. "Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!"
From the roof of a nearby building a torrent of viscous liquid began flooding the street. It rushed along, trapping Kabuto up to his knees, and even solidifying around Kotetsu.
Kotetsu laughed, despite being trapped himself. "I never said I was alone, traitor. Nice work, Izumo." Kotetsu made a series of hand seals. From out of the wreckage of the nearest house, his mace rose into the air. It flew up into the sky, the spikes around it rearranging until they became wing-like appendages. The mace looked like nothing so much as a spiky bird, which angled itself toward the ground and began to dive-bomb the trapped Kabuto.
"I won't kill you," Kotetsu assured his victim. "We can't get information from a corpse. But you'll still be valuable without your legs."
Kabuto waited as the mace came closer. He made a knife-hand, and activated his chakra scalpel. The mace reached him, and he met it with a straight thrust. The blue chakra cut through the mace, which split into two halves and ground into the syrupy liquid on either side of him.
Kotetsu and Izumo both cursed. The second Proctor jumped down, and with an opened storage scroll began sealing away the liquid. In a second Kabuto and Kotetsu were both free again, though Kotetsu's mace remained broken in the street.
"I'm sorry I broke your mace," Kabuto said with a sneer. "It must have been expensive."
Kotetsu shrugged. "That's all right. I'm better with this anyway." He pulled two kunai blades from their holsters on his back, and threw one to Izumo. His partner moved to catch it, and positioned himself next to Kotetsu. They wielded the sword-length kunai with skill, and began to advance on Kabuto in tandem.
The chunin Proctors fought in near-perfect unison. They covered each other's weak spots, and wielded their kunai blades with the ease of long practice. Even so, it seemed to be a losing battle. Kabuto was a blur, and even with just a single, small kunai seemed able to ward off his attackers without much of a struggle.
Then Kotetsu swung at Kabuto with an overhead strike, while Izumo lunged in to slash at the genin's midsection. Kabuto jumped in the air, his feet just clearing Izumo's horizontal cut. With his kunai he redirected Kotetsu's swing, and used the momentum from the clash to spin into a roundhouse kick that sent Izumo flying backwards.
Kotetsu was spinning to the right, but instead of turning back towards Kabuto he continued the rotation, and called out, "Combination Kunai jutsu!"
A metal chain shot out from the hilt of his weapon, and connected to the base of Izumo's. With a mighty yank Kotetsu reversed Izumo's trajectory, and swung him through the air back at Kabuto. The genin hadn't recovered from his kick, and Izumo landed a deep gash across Kabuto's stomach as he went soaring past.
The chunin Proctors turned to face Kabuto, and the chain retracted to store itself in Kotetsu's hilt once more. "You're done, Kabuto," Kotetsu called out. "Without treatment you'll die from that wound. Come in quietly and the medics will heal you."
Kabuto was hunched over, pressing his hand to the cut that had ripped open almost his entire midsection. He looked down at his wound, and then at Izumo and Kotetsu. His face was transfixed with a snarl, one that made him look more beast than man. Then, astonishingly, he began to laugh.
"You think I'm done?" he cackled. "I'm just getting started." His hand began to glow with a green light, which spread to his midsection. Right before the Proctors' eyes, Kabuto's wound began to close up.
"How…" Izumo breathed. "No medical ninjutsu could possibly work that fast!"
Kabuto gave them a superior smile. "None that you know of, anyhow. With this jutsu I'm all but invincible." Kabuto lowered himself into a ready stance. "I'm tired of messing around with you fools. It's bad enough that your little chain trick caught me off guard. Now the kid gloves are coming off."
Kabuto lunged forward, kicking into motion with speed that Izumo and Kotetsu couldn't hope to match. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Snakes shot out from within Kabuto's sleeves, flying with bared fangs at the two Proctors, who didn't have a prayer of moving away in time.
Suddenly, a fist the size of a bull came crashing down between Kabuto and the Proctors. It drove into the street with enough force to create a sizable crater, completely crushing the snakes into the cobblestones. Kabuto and the Proctors looked for the owner of the fist, who was standing on a rooftop nearby. It was Choza Akimichi, dressed in full battle armor, whose arm had enlarged a hundred times to save Izumo and Kotetsu.
His arm shrunk rapidly back to regular size, and the heavy shinobi jumped off from the rooftop. He landed with a thump next to the Proctors. "Thanks for keeping him busy until we arrived," Choza said with a grin. "If you hadn't made him mad, he might have sensed our approach and evaded us."
"Be careful, sir!" Izumo cautioned. "He has strange abilities, and almost instant regenerative powers. We can't underestimate him!"
"Interesting," Choza mused. "Well, his powers don't seem to have granted him immunity from Shikaku's Shadow Possession. Nice one, buddy!"
Izumo and Kotetsu saw with relief that Kabuto was rooted to the spot, his shadow engulfed by another shadow stretching from the rubble around the destroyed house. Shikaku walked into view, positioning Kabuto near Choza. Inoichi, the third and final member of the squad, jumped down from a rooftop in the opposite direction.
"Want me to find out what he knows?" Inoichi asked, readying his hands for one of his techniques.
"Not yet," answered Shikaku, shaking his head. "I have a feeling Ibiki will want complete oversight on this one, and the Hokage as well. Choza, if you'd do the honors, please."
Choza laughed, and gave Kabuto a grin that made Izumo and Kotetsu shiver. "My pleasure, Shikaku. Partial Multi-Size jutsu!" Choza's arms and hands grew to ten times their normal size. He swung his hands together in a clapping motion, both hands hitting Kabuto at the same time from opposite sides. There was an ear-splitting crunch, and when Shikaku allowed his shadow to release Kabuto the traitor slumped unconscious to the ground.
Izumo watched for a second, as if making sure Kabuto was really out. Then he smacked Kotetsu in the back of the head. "That's for trying to convince me not to send for back-up! If I hadn't been responsible, we would be snake chow right now!"
Kotetsu rubbed his head ruefully. "You're damn right. Sorry, partner. We're just lucky the Jonin Commander's squad got here when they did. Thank you, sir!"
Shikaku nodded abstractedly, but his attention was fixed on the unconscious Kabuto. "Let's get him to Ibiki right away. Izumo and Kotetsu, please notify the Hokage and ask him to meet us in the Primary Interrogation Cell. When you're done with that, get a squad of ANBU to do emergency reconstruction on this street. We don't want too many people to know about this, if we can manage it."
The two chunin snapped to attention. "Right away, sir!" They disappeared in a flash.
Choza picked up Kabuto like a sack of potatoes, and slung him carelessly over his shoulder. "I can't believe this piece of trash was a traitor! Death's too good for him."
"Don't worry, Choza," Shikaku said. "I'm sure Ibiki will think up something appropriate."
The elder Ino-Shika-Cho trio shot off at full speed for the Torture and Interrogation Compound.
oOoOo
Five of Konoha's most powerful shinobi stood together in a darkened room, several stories below the ground. They stood in a ring around a metal table, on top of which was Yakushi Kabuto. The traitor was out cold, lying face-up on the plain metal.
The Hokage spoke first. "Go deep, Inoichi. We need to find out what he knows."
The blond shinobi saluted. "Understood, Hokage-sama." Inoichi put a hand on Kabuto's forehead, just underneath his silvery hair. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his eyes glazed over. Choza walked behind him, ready to support his friend if needed.
Twenty seconds passed, then forty, then a minute. The silence stretched out in the room, and the tension rose. Finally, Inoichi jerked back from Kabuto with a gasp. Choza caught him in his strong arms, giving him support until his teammate found his balance.
Inoichi whirled to face the Hokage. "There's going to be an invasion!" he all but shouted.
Four voices responded with an incredulous "What?"
"He's working for Orochimaru. All of Otogakure is, too. They're allied with Sunagakure, and they're going to attack!"
Ibiki, Choza, and Shikaku all began talking at once, running over each other in their haste to learn more.
"Silence!" the Hokage's voice rang out, putting a stop to the frantic discussion. "We already knew Orochimaru was here, from what Anko told us about the Uchiha boy. It only stands to reason that Orochimaru would be here for more than just a genin. This is the revenge he's been waiting for, ever since I banished him. Now the only thing we can do is be ready for the invasion. Inoichi, we need specifics! When are they attacking? Where are their forces positioned?"
Inoichi shook his head. "I didn't get much. I only got that much when I found out that he is expected by one of the Otogakure lieutenants in an hour. I didn't go any deeper, because I figured you'd want to know that."
The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that was well done. If we tip our hands now, we lose the element of surprise. Orochimaru is more than capable of changing his plan, if he figures out that his henchman is compromised. This is our chance to take him out once and for all. Ibiki, can you and Inoichi erase the traitor's memory?"
The scarred Exam Proctor grunted. "Easy. We can fix him up so that he meets up with his Oto friend at the appointed time, without any recollection of his capture."
"How long will that take?"
Inoichi answered for Ibiki. "About twenty minutes. We'll wipe out everything in Kabuto's mind from the moment he ran into Kotetsu."
"Excellent. Then that gives us about fifteen minutes to find out everything we possibly can about the invasion. Inoichi, we're counting on you."
The blond shinobi grimaced. "I'll do my best, sir, but it's not easy. Reading minds is never simple, and he's been trained to compartmentalize his thoughts. I won't get everything, not in fifteen minutes."
Shikaku put a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "Just do your best, Inoichi. It's my job to plan for what we're not expecting."
A quarter of an hour passed eventually, though for everyone in the room except Inoichi and Kabuto it seemed like it would never end. But soon enough Inoichi broke off his mind-reading jutsu, and his face looked grimmer than ever.
"I didn't get much. They're going to attack during the Final Exam, when everyone is in the stadium. This piece of shit is responsible for coordinating a mass genjutsu that will put everyone to sleep. He doesn't know where the Suna shinobi are encamped, but the Otogakure forces are going to attempt to breach the gates once the attack commences. I'm guessing the Suna army won't be far behind."
The Hokage sighed and began to pace. He seemed to age before their eyes, though his determination was unflagging. "So war once again visits our village. Well, this time we'll be prepared. There's a month before the Chunin Exams, and we'll make full use of it."
Inoichi raised a hand, capturing the others' attention. "There's one more thing. I found the mention of a 'secret weapon' several times in Kabuto's thoughts, but I couldn't find out what it was in time."
"That is worrying," the Hokage said, "but it changes nothing. We've got to send this dog back to his owner so that Orochimaru doesn't realize we're on to him. Then we begin, discretely, to prepare the village for war. Orochimaru and the Kazekage may have a secret weapon, but they will fall before the Will of Fire." The Hokage grinned, baring his teeth and looking for a second like the world-renowned warrior revered as the God of Shinobi. "And I have a few tricks up my sleeve, too."
As Inoichi and Ibiki began their preparations for erasing Kabuto's memory, the Hokage turned to Shikaku and Choza with a kind smile. "All of this excitement almost made me forget. Allow me to congratulate all three of you on how well your children have done in the Chunin Exams. They were the first team to clear both Exams."
Choza laughed heartily. "Wouldn't have expected anything less! So they'll all fight in the tournament, eh? I wonder who's going to win!"
"Well," the Hokage answered. "First they have to get through the preliminaries. Now that I think about it, they might be fighting at this very minute!"
oOoOo
Shikamaru was feeling downright jittery. He couldn't focus on the television screen on the far wall, even though it was going to give them the order of the preliminary matches. Instead, he kept trying not to shoot questioning glances at Asuma and Ino. Had he given his warning in time to apprehend Kabuto? All of this standing around for a simple tournament was getting on his nerves. There was trouble brewing, and he was stuck in a series of glorified schoolyard brawls.
Just then, Ino's voice cut through his troubled thoughts. Asuma says it's been taken care of. Now we just need to clear these preliminaries. He says good luck.
Shikamaru was close to giving a relieved sigh, but he maintained his self-control. With a renewed sense of purpose, he looked back to the screen. The whirling pictures stopped, showing all twenty assembled genin who they would be fighting.
The sickly jonin proctor who had taken over from the Hokage stepped forward.
"And the matches will be: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba. Gaara vs. Abumi Zaku. Temari vs. Tenten. Nara Shikamaru vs. Dosu Kinuta. Hyuga Hinata vs. Kin Tsuchi. Hyuga Neji vs. Rock Lee. Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi. Akimichi Choji vs. Tsurugu Misumi. Yamanaka Ino vs. Haruno Sakura. Kankuro vs. Aburame Shino."
Hayate broke off with a hacking cough. In a minute he was all right again, and raised his hand for silence.
"Let the Preliminary begin!"
A/N: Things are getting crazy! Let me know if you like the direction I'm taking this in. I should update this fairly soon, I can't wait to write the fight scenes I have planned out for this version of the preliminaries. See you soon, and don't forget to review!