Disclaimer: I don't own or gain any profit from the Naruto medium that is the sole property of Mashashi Kishimoto, Shounen Jump and the other distribution companies.
A/N:
1) Sorry about the delay everybody but I had to retake a very crucial test and have barely been online the last couple of weeks. I have another one on the 31st, so I doubt I'll have much time to write until I'm through with that. I'll try to punch out the next chapter as soon as I can regardless.
2) As usual, all feedback, good and bad, is accepted and appreciated. I hope you enjoy the newest chapter and that my modified FoD will be to your liking, happy reading.
Japanese term/word glossary:
Konohagakure – Hidden Leaf
Jutsu – Technique
Sandaime – The Third
Yondaime – The Fourth
Godaime – The Fifth
Kyoufu - Godfather
Jinchuuriki – Power of Human Sacrifice – nickname of the containers of the tailed beasts.
Tomoe – Comma
Kuroisora – black sky
Kikaichuu – Destruction Bug/s
Jyuuken – Gentle Fist
Ame – Rain
Suna – Sand
Iwa – Rock
Kumo – Cloud
Kusa- Grass
(7 minutes after the end of chapter 19, Rooftop of one a building in Konohagakure's administrative district)
Several ANBU were kneeling over a rooftop, scanning the silent streets below. Their numbers had been spread thin, almost every Black Ops Agent in Konoha's arsenal having been spread through key sections of the hidden village to bolster the internal security during the chuunin exam.
The ANBU captain of one of those squads, a man wearing an owl mask pressed his finger against his ear. He activated his radio transmitter and tried communicating the squad protecting the Sandaime yet again. Protocol was that the closest squad to the Hokage tower always contacts his personal guard detail once in every fifteen minutes to see if everything is alright. That deadline had passed 2 minutes ago and there was still no answer. "Squad 15, calling squad 15…do you read me?"
A soft curse escaped him as he lifted his fist, his three team members materializing beside him. He spoke through the encrypted radio frequency again, "Squads 3 and 11, something's wrong, we're going to investigate things, stay sharp and be ready to move."
With that said the ANBU rushed forth, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. When they were close enough he made a single hand seal, initiating his Byakugan. When the world shifted into a gray, silver and black he paused abruptly. "S-shit! Calling all squads, calling all squads! Initiate 'kuroisora' protocol, I activate the 'kuroisora' contingency protocol now!"
All around Konoha, ANBU burst into motion in unison. It didn't take a genius to see that something was wrong as only an urgent emergency could justify so many ANBU revealing their presence at once. The squads moved to designated locations all around the village. The armored and masked guardians slipped into clan compounds and creating a defensive perimeter as they woke up and spirited the clan heads and hokage advisors away to safety, ushering them towards the kage tower.
At the same time the higher echelon was being rounded up and protected, Jiraiya of the sannin was drinking some sake on top of a water tower. He sipped the cold, bitter liquid while looking up at the moon in a contemplative manner. He was about to take another sip but decided against it when he turned his gaze over his shoulder, "What the hell? What are ANBU doing rushing about like headless chickens?"
The sannin put down his sake saucer when several shadowy figures materialized behind him. One of them knelt humbly and stammered somewhat fearfully, unsure how the toad sage would react. "J-Jiraiya-sama, it's an emergency! Sandaime-sama…he's been…"
The ANBU didn't have time to finish his sentence as Jiraiya already leaped to his feet and burst into action. He burst into action at a speed they couldn't hope to match; though they could guess where he was heading and took off after him.
"Damn it, old man! You can't die on me like this! I haven't…" The toad sannin's eyes narrowed as his breathing hitched slightly. His chest ached faintly as something tremulous slithered into him, leaving a stinging in his eyes. "I-I…you can't leave it like this, Sarutobi-sensei! I haven't had the chance t-to make things right!"
He climbed through the office window, throwing himself into the room. He looked around wildly and then his eyes fell on Hiruzen's body in the chair; the crimson stained kunai protruding from him tauntingly. Jiraiya seemed to deflate completely, his shoulders sagging at the sight of the old man's sightless look; his hollow open eyes gazing into nothingness. He bowed his head, his long white hair concealing his face as his teeth grit tightly. Hands balled into fists and his shoulders started shaking violently.
"Damn it!" He hissed and tried to take a step towards Hiruzen, to at least shut his eyes; it was the least he could do but he couldn't move; his body was bolted in place. "I was right here, in Konoha! How could I miss someone pulling off something like this?! What kind of a loser spymaster am I?"
The guilty truth was, he had been insulted so deeply by Hiruzen's doubt that in his hubris he had truly 'washed his hands' from him and focused entirely on his own affairs. He had spent more time training his godson with the toads and making political power plays in secret than trying to intercept threats; he had neglected his duties and this was the outcome of his laxness.
Jiraiya opened his eyes and gazed at the crimson stained scroll on the table, recognizing what it was and his eyes widened. This time his eyes did moisten and only sheer willpower held the overwhelming sorrow and pain within. That was his ultimate sin against his now deceased sensei and the last thing that was on the venerable ninja's mind before his death – betrayal.
"Oh S-Saru…you didn't deserve this…" he heard a choked voice behind him and his eyes snapped open. He peered at the sight of Koharu holding her chest lightly as she gazed at her childhood friend's butchered body. Homura was standing beside her, obviously helping her deal with the shock, his ageless eyes for once, painted with a rare shade of remorse and sorrow.
"Jiraiya-kun, come, we have to attend the meeting. We can all mourn later," Homura suggested quietly, but was not surprised when the toad sannin gave no visible reaction or moved from his spot. The bespectacled elder shut his eyes briefly before helping his last surviving teammate, the two heading towards the underground chamber of the 'Council of Flame'. "We will begin the discussion without you, but I'm certain he would've wanted you there to defend his interests. So don't dawdle too much."
Jiraiya heard them leave and then, alone in the room with sensei the dam broke and for the first time since he could remember he felt the searing heat of a tear as it drizzled down his right eye. His chest shook several times at the council member's words – positive nothing could be farther from the truth considering what he had done to Hiruzen.
His body tensed to the point where he felt his muscles might tear as he choked down a shuddering sob as memories flashed through his mind. He could still envision Hiruzen's fatherly face and gentle affection and the pain in his chest grow exponentially.
He knew he should go, but they could handle things without him for several more minutes. He wasn't ready to leave; to accept he was really gone yet. He needed to regain his composure and be strong – for Hiruzen, for Konona. But first, he needed to make his amends and so he dropped to his knees and bowed before the Sandaime's corpse.
"I-I'm so sorry, sensei…I failed you again; just like I always do! Why can't I do anything right in your life!? In the end…I'm no better than Orochimaru...only I slapped you in the face right before I stabbed you in the back …B-but I promise. No! I swear I'll make everything better…I'll protect Konoha for you, sensei…I won't let your sacrifices go in vain, even if it kills me…"
(Meanwhile, Underground bunker beneath the Hokage tower)
The various clan heads of Konoha were all rounded up, each taking their seat around the table. They were all still clad in their various pajamas and sleeping attires, somewhat tired-looking but alert and above all confused. Even seasoned ninja such as the various patriarchs and matriarchs were not accustomed to such an urgent summoning in the middle of the night – at least without an explanation behind it.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hyuuga Hiashi inquired sternly, his silver eyes narrowed dangerously. He was clad in a black yukata with white decorations of birds and water. He like his counterparts was confused as the ANBU that all but abducted them from their homes had been tight lipped; only willing to divulge that it was an emergency and all clan heads were to follow them.
Shikaku yawned into his hands, blinking several times. He wore a pair of dark blue silk pants and a loose t-shirt, obviously having been dragged straight out of bed. "Hey, don't glare at me, Hiashi. This wasn't MY idea; I was dragged here just like you."
"It is quite obvious what has transpired, so let us drop all pretenses of innocence;" the sharp tone of Danzou filled the room as the 'crippled' old man hobbled into the room and took his place beside the table. "You all know there are only two scenarios in which this council is convened with such urgency; one is imminent war and the other is the abrupt death of a Hokage."
A tense, hushed uproar spread across the room. There were some who seemed to deny such a preposterous notion, mainly Inuzuka Tsume. That is until Sarutobi Asuma entered the council room and everyone fell silent. The silent signal given by ANBU in bringing Hiruzen's heir into the council's fold was quite obvious – the Sandaime was dead.
The new patriarch of the Sarutobi family seemed confused as he looked around the room. "What's going on here? Can anyone explain why the hell ANBU dragged me out of my bed at such an hour?" Nobody seemed eager to answer, their faces all changing between various expressions ranging from pity to sadness.
The bearded Jounin was about to speak up when another voice beat him to the punch. "I'm afraid we're all here because sometime between 0100am to 0115am tonight Sandaime-sama was assassinated along with his entire ANBU guard." When Homura spoke his tone was grave as he helped an ashen and slightly shaky looking Koharu to her seat.
The elder woman shut her eyes and composed herself and her face smoothed out along with her teammate's face as they both took their place at the head of the table. As soon as those words were spoken a dark, angry vibe seemed to fill the room. They all loved Sarutobi Hiruzen in varying degrees but all respected him above all others – he didn't deserve such a fate, nor were they able to digest someone had succeeded in killing him.
"What?!" Asuma exploded harshly, his brown eyes flashing with rage, denial and just a bit of desperation. "That's impossible! There's no way my father could be taken out! What kind of a bad joke is this?!"
Danzou, the secret sharingan wielder, sneered beneath his lips, his bowed head shaking in a condescending manner. "It is no joke nor is it an illusion, Sarutobi Asuma. Look around you; does everyone look remotely amused by this situation?"
"Enough." Koharu spoke up in a tight tone, silencing the upcoming argument between Sarutobi's son and his political rival. "I saw Hiruzen's body with my own eyes, I am afraid it is true, Asuma-kun."
Asuma shut his eyes tightly, his hands clutching his pants tightly as he grit his teeth. A fluttering, trembling twitch clutched his chest, his breathing hitching slightly. The room was silent for several moments in silent respect and honor for the fallen Sandaime as they received official confirmation of his death.
"As touching as this all is," Danzou spoke up, shattering the remorseful silence, "We have more pressing matters to discuss. Mainly we need to determine who will assume the mantle of power. We need to choose candidates and then send word to the Fire Daimyo."
"Jiraiya-sama seems to be the most proficient candidate. He is one of the Sannin and is known and feared worldwide," Aburame Shibi offered practically. The bug wielder pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, "He is already in Konohagakure at the moment and the Daimyo is fond of him due to Jiraiya having saved his life from assassination during the Third War."
"I disagree, Shibi-san." Danzou spoke up sharply, his visible eye narrowed as he tightened his hand into a fist. This was not his initial intent, to try and assume the Hokage position himself; but when an opportunity came knocking it would be rude to keep it waiting. "Esteemed and accomplished as he may be, the enemy has struck at our very doorstep. They have spat in our faces and declared war upon us all; we have to instill fear in the hearts of our foes and allies alike and remind them why we are the strongest of the five. Therefore we will need Jiraiya's espionage abilities in the upcoming conflict or wide-scale war; he is too invaluable a spy."
Shikaku frowned and eyed him dubiously. "What are your suggesting, Danzou-san? Surely you cannot be volunteering yourself. With all due respect, you are hardly in any physical condition to defend us should we be invaded by the enemy. Your ninjutsu are limited, your mobility is lacking and your scope of vision is impaired by your missing eye."
The secret sharingan wielder shifted in his seat. "I assure you, I am quite capable in battle and am willing to prove my mettle should the need arise. More importantly, I am far more, fitting to command our forces in battle, I have battle and command experience from two ninja wars and numerous skirmishes."
"Nobody doubts your abilities are above most jounin, Danzou." Hiashi interjected in a placating manner, his neutral voice smooth. "However, you simply have sustained too many injuries in your illustrious history to battle the likes of our neighboring kage or nuke-nin like Uchiha Itachi or Orochimaru."
"Beggars can't be choosers, unfortunately, I see little alternative other than anointing Danzou." Homura spoke gravely and crossed his arms over his chest. "We are in a very precarious situation, our enemies will weigh our every move, we need a kage now or we will be attacked by either Kumo or Iwa or even Kiri."
"Not so fast," A voice spoke sharply from the entrance of the room. Jiraiya entered the room briskly and took his place at the table. His usually jovial and happy-go-lucky face was grim and cold. "This discussion is mute; the Godaime Hokage has already been chosen and approved by Daimyo-sama."
"Jiraiya…what are you talking about? I recall no such vote amongst the Jounin or hearing from Daimyo-sama over something like this." Koharu retorted in confusion, turning her eyes at Hiruzen's wayward pupil.
The clan heads all seemed shocked at first, before realization seemed to sink as they recalled a certain occurrence earlier that week and then they all shared the now ashamed and uncomfortable look Jiraiya's wore. "It is quite simple. In the last two weeks I have been secretly taking votes from our village's jounin and clan heads. Furthermore, I've corresponded with Daimyo-sama and received his approval of anointing Tsunade in Sarutobi sensei's place."
Homura and Koharu seemed thunderstruck, or as much as possible for ninja of their age; their eyes wide and their faces unusually expressive. Danzou however remained deathly silent, his single eye narrowing as he glared into the calm and serious expression of Hiruzen's perverted pupil.
The elder manipulator was laughing inwardly at the irony of it all. "It appears I went to all that trouble of killing you for nothing, Hiruzen. But then again, who would've thought that your most beloved and loyal student would actually turn on you in the end? Though not all is lost, you may be of use to me yet; I can still use your death to inspire some blood thirst against our enemies."
"Tsunade…" Homura murmured thoughtfully and rubbed his beard. "While it is true that she has the prestige, power and ability to perform as Godaime you seem to be forgetting she washed her hands from Konohagakure and vowed to never set foot in here again. Though, if both of you were here and on Konoha's side, the odds would definitely be on our side."
Jiraiya allowed himself a smirk and his eyes burned with resolve, "Leave convincing and retrieving Tsunade to me, we have unfinished business and a long since overdue conversation as it is. You guys just worry about minimizing the damage and finding out who's behind this. When you know who it is…let me know, whoever he/she may be, they're going to die, painfully."
(Four hours later, Five AM and three hours before exam two, Memorial for the Fallen)
Hataka Kakashi sighed softly as he gazed at the slab of stone. His eye traced over the names of his teammates and sensei. He had neglected visiting them lately. He would only visit three to four times a week in comparison to over twice or three a day like he used to.
The silver haired jounin was about to go seek Naruto, wanting to give him some final words of advice before the exam when he felt a chakra signature approaching. "Oh? What would ANBU want with me so early on the morning?"
"Hatake-san, I priority orders for you the 'council of flame'. Your S-class mission has been canceled and replaced by another. You are to oversee the second chuunin exam as the leading proctor in place of Hiashi-dono and Aburame-dono who have more pressing manners to attend to. We suspect one or more spies or assassins are using the exam as a cover for hostile actions. You will be posted there, ready to engage the moment you are given a target; do you understand your orders?"
The sharingan ninja nodded, the order made sense. "Who is my second then?"
"Currently, the most immediate suspect in inserting spies and assassins into Konoha is Orochimaru. Therefore, the most efficient tool against his agents is Anko-san. Her familiars also have certain tracking capabilities and her abilities are primed for fighting in the dense, jungle-like habitats. You will both receive specific orders as soon as ANBU finishes the preliminary findings from the first examination."
Kakashi nodded and the ANBU vanished in a swirl of leaves. He sighed softly and gazed up into sky, the first pinkish red beams of light bleeding into the sky. He spoke to his departed teammate softly, before turning his back on the stone monument. "I guess I can't be late this time, Hokage-sama would kill me if I made him and Konoha look bad before so many foreigners. It's a shame…I had things to tell you, Obito. Oh well, I'll be back in a couple of days, ciao."
(Four hours later, Five AM and Two hours and Fifty Three Minutes later, Forest of Death)
Naruto was sitting against a tree trunk, one of his legs folded against his chest. He hugged it and leaned his cheek against it; his eyes slightly blank as he gazed into space. They were a bit red and puffy, the usual warmth and exuberance within the cerulean somewhat muted.
The morning breeze toyed with his clothes, his blonde hair concealed beneath a black bandana. He screened out the various genin teams around them. The only team that he acknowledged was team eight whom had greeted him earlier. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth against his inner cheek, ignoring the three pairs of green eyes that observed him intently.
One belonged to his former teammate, Haruno Sakura; the red haired sociopath eying him with an icy, unreadable expression that was a blend of caution, hostility and apathy. The second set belonged to the enigmatic ame-kuniochi, the tall and foreboding femme leaning against a nearby tree, observing him through angry, narrowed eyes. The final pair was a chilling pair of icy jades that seemed to flicker with compacted homicide as they weighed him like the prey Sabaku no Gaara considered him.
"Naru-kun, what's got you so riled up?" Ino whispered in his ear, brushing her shoulder against his as she sat down next to him.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly as he opened his eyes. "I dunno, Ino. I've got a bad feeling…like something's wrong. I can't explain it…"
"You had better shape up, Naruto." A voice interjected from above them. The blonde duo looked up at the slightly smirking face of Hyuuga Neji, the taller genin leaning against their tree. "I've been training hard with Hiashi-sama on some new tricks that I'm dying to try on a worthy foe. Don't disappoint me and force me to waste them on the likes of Sakura, eh?"
Naruto's lips twitched, smiling despite his slightly uneasy mood. The Hyuuga was right, he had to keep his head in the game or he'd ruin everything for himself and his team as well, not to mention he might get them all killed. He nodded and his smile shifted into a full blown grin, "don't worry, Neji. I'll meet you in the finals; I've got a new trick or two of my own, so don't get too cocky, yeah?"
"Bout' time you stopped being so blue, Naruto. It would've been too troublesome to cover your ass through the whole exam if you're this distracted," Shikamaru commented flippantly. He smirked faintly as he offered both Naruto a hand, helping the blonde duo to their feet.
"Hey, Naruto! Isn't that Kakashi?" Kiba would call out, pointing towards the jounin that stepped out of a cloud of smoke.
"But…Kakashi-sensei said he had a mission today and wouldn't be back for at least a month…" the Uzumaki realized and blinked."Shit…It's hard to catch it, but I think he's got that gleam in his eye too, the one he had when we were fighting Zabuza and when he stopped psycho bitch from killing me. I guess my gut feeling was right, something's really wrong." He and his team approached Kakashi as the elite jounin coughed into his hand and called the genin teams to get closer.
"Good morning, genin. My name is Hatake Kakashi, I will be your proctor." He commended mildly and waited patiently as the blurry form dropped beside him, revealing Anko. "This is Mitarashi Anko, my second," he introduced and the serpentine femme grinned as she bowed.
"And these are our aides!" the snake summoner introduced while lifting her fist. Five groups of ANBU clad ninja materialized behind them. They were arranged in groups of three, their masks however all blank and featureless porcelain instead of the usual animal shaped masks. "All of these ninja behind me are chuunin, just like you aspire to be."
The assorted genin murmured amongst themselves, confused and slightly wary by the chuunin. Well, the majority of them were: Gaara only grinned wider at the thought of more prey and Orochimaru's second, Kabuto, only toyed with his glasses while wearing a blank expression and if he was concerned by them, he wasn't showing it. He observed how Naruto and his team cluttered together whereas his pawn seemed to fold into herself.
"Alright, Alright, pipe down;" Kakashi commanded and motioned with his hand. As the genin slowly mellowed down he proceeded. "This examination will simulate a wartime battlefield. Each time will be handed an encoded message within a scroll. You will be locked within the area behind us, also known as the 'Forest of Death' for five consecutive days. Your mission is simple, Survive and protect the scroll. While you scramble about my friends over here will play the role of enemy ANBU and will also be fighting you for your scrolls."
"W-What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" A male ame-nin exploded angrily. He glared at the copy-nin and ignored the disapproving and warning glance his female, green-eyed teammate shot him. "This is bullshit, we're in your village and those are real ANBU for all we know; you're setting us to get slaughtered!"
"Will you complain about the fairness of things when your village is in war, kid? This simulation's consequences are real, every genin can die, be it Konoha or otherwise, and Konohagakure is accountable before your own villages. Or do you think we'd risk a war just for the sake of killing a few greenhorns like you?" Anko shot back icily and her bloodlust spiked threateningly. Her mesmerizing gold and violet eyes seemed to burn with icy resolve.
"If you don't have the stones to participate in an exam with your allies and peers or the brain to think before you talk then you aren't cut to be a chuunin. Now either shut up or get out of my forest."
This time the young man did grunt in pain as his teammate latched her hand over his shoulder. Her fingertips pressed tightly against several of his bones, pushing them against the nerve clusters painfully. He hissed in pain and fell to his knees, seemingly anguished as the emerald eyed femme smiled apologetically. "I apologize for my teammate's insolence, jounin-san. This is his first exam and the pressure has gotten to him. I promise I'll straighten him up before the exam begins…"
The elite jounin spoke no further, not dignifying the 'mishap' by the team worthy of their time. Kakashi proceeded, "back to business, your goal is to survive the five days while protecting your message by any means possible. Destroy a team's message and they'll be disqualified. However, and this is important, genin. Whether you are qualified or failed you will remain in the forest and try to survive the five days, just like a real life scenario. Once the exam is over you will hear a siren and then you will return here. Now gather around and sign these insurance waivers if you want to participate in the exam."
The genin lined up, approaching the jounin which handed the genin pens and the legal documents. Teams Eight and Ten walked close to one another, conversing in hushed tones.
"This exam's design is…suspicious," Shino commented neutrally.
"It's an elaborate trap meant to lock any suspected spies and give ANBU enough time to scramble them or any other threats. I suggest we split up and try to remain concealed for two or three days and then converge near the end of the exam. We'll attract less attention and be less susceptible to ambushes in smaller groups." Shikamaru advised shrewdly.
Naruto shook his head, surprising everyone. He spoke authoritatively in a slightly urgent tone. "I know I'm not the sharpest kunai in the pouch. But we can't afford to fuck up in this exam guys, we gotta' stay alive and get to the finals; our village's reputation depends on us. I've heard Kakashi-sensei talk with Jiraiya about how bad things are, we need to help as much as we can to keep our enemies afraid."
"What do you suggest then, Naru-kun?" Ino asked her boyfriend softly as they all kept on moving along the line.
Naruto looked ahead, speaking in quiet undertones. "I'll send some of my clones with you guys, that way if you're in trouble I'll know and we can head your way to give you backup if we aren't in a jam ourselves. It we head in the same direction but some ways apart so we can help each other. That way we can knock more of the outsider teams, keep the 'ANBU' off our backs and survive this thing. What do you say guys?"
Shikamaru shrugged, that was another possible scenario he had factored, it was slightly more risky, but only narrowly. "Fine, but we should still try and conserve our strength for the final days before tracking down teams and trying to knock them off,"
"Alright! So Shino, you tag Ino and Shikamaru with your bugs so we can track them later!" Kiba exclaimed in a boisterous manner before dragging Neji and Shino ahead to take their waivers. "Try not to get into too much trouble, Naruto. We can't keep on saving your ass," Kiba taunted; only to be ignored by a slightly exasperated blonde.
Meanwhile, Sakura observed the slightly nervous looking Lee through slightly amused eyes. When she first started training with him and Tenten she saw them as possible pawns and stepping stones towards her goal. But, somehow, against her better judgment and plans she felt somewhat responsible and bonded with her older peers.
The weapon mistress was actually pretty cool, they shared some common mundane interests and she was always polite and kind to Sakura; though the green-eyed sociopath knew the girl was wary and slightly uncertain how to deal with her. Currently Tenten was watching her former teammate, Neji with slightly sad eyes, her body language belying tension, uncertainty and frustration.
Sakura walked up to her and squeezed her shoulder lightly, "It isn't worth it, Tenten. Neji's a lot like Sasuke was, he's stubborn and self assured, he can't see beyond himself at the moment. But by the time these exams are over, you'll show Neji just what he's missing, don't worry. He'll see you, I can promise you that" she offered quietly. The chocolate eyed kunoichi smiled faintly and nodded, but offered no more than a murmured 'thank you'; too preoccupied in her own thoughts.
Lee, well he was so adorably dense it made using him and detaching herself more difficult; he was just so naïve and goofy to completely ignore. At the moment his body was trembling with anticipation and tense energy, the spandex-clad genin obviously dying to do something beside sit around and wait for the exam to begin as he glared daggers at his eternal rival and Naruto – his intentions on fighting them soon very clear.
That would just not do, she wouldn't let him jeopardize the plan, and her survival for a selfish whim. "Lee-kun, settle down, Neji will be there in the finals for you to fight, this isn't the time to go knocking heads with him. We are Konoha, we have to stand united, even with the people we hate or envy. Hey, I hate Uzumaki, but I'm not about to fuck over our village for such a thing, and you shouldn't either."
Lee eyed her in surprise and stammered slightly. "B-but…I have to prove myself. I have to show him Gai-sensei…"
She put a finger on his lips, stopping him before she leaned closer and whispered into his ear, squeezing his wrist gently as she spoke in a slightly sweet and sing-song manner. "You're the one who wants to prove you're a great ninja; well great ninja have restraint. Besides, wouldn't it be better to kick his ass in front of a crowd?"
He sighed and nodded before she sealed the distraction by kissing his cheek; close to his lips and smiled at him. As the bowl-cut genin sputtered like a fish out of the water through a blush, the crimson-haired femme grinned to herself – mission accomplished.
She liked them, she could admit that to herself, but she knew what had to be done. She would keep them safe, in her own way, but that was it; she had to use them and keep her distance. True bonds were a liability she could not afford at the moment, so as much as she would like to delve further into friendship and camaraderie that was simply not possible. Danzou would not allow and they would hate her soon enough; considering she was primed to defecting as soon as Kabuto presented her with the opportunity to do so.
In a parallel universe, perhaps she could afford friendship, bonds and comfort; but her life was harsh, crimson-eyes and her own stubborn zeal had seen to that. As she observed him chat and laugh with their fellow genin a gnawing feeling of pain, of longing filled her. She felt a stinging in her eyes, her fists tightening as her teeth grit. "That should be me! Surrounded by friends and being accepted, not him! It's not fair!"
Jade eyes flared with embers of jealousy, only for a moment, before they were quenched by icy, cold resolve as her alter ego kicked in, the gleam in her eyes shifting into a darker one. "Focus, Sakura-chan! We don't have time for these frivolous notions, right now. We have to stay focused, we have a mission we have to fulfill, fixing our fucked up life will have to wait for later…"
Her eyebrows furrowed before her eyes widened as she heard Kabuto's smooth voice murmur behind her. She hadn't sensed him move, and she had her eyes on him for a while. "Damn, that bastard Danzou was right about one thing, emotions are distracting when they overwhelm one's mind"
"Make sure you survive, Sakura-san. I am going to need your assistance soon and we wouldn't want your mother's death to be in vain, would we?" She was about to reply but words faded in her throat as something caught her attention.
Her bespectacled 'benefactor' was watching Anko with slightly narrowed eyes. She followed his gaze and watched her psychotic on-and-off sensei looking at their direction with the icy eyes of a predator observing its prey. When her lips parted to reveal her slightly sharp incisors she gulped, it was 'that' grin; the one that promised pain and suffering and she wasn't sure who it was directed to.
Before she could stew any longer the woman whistled, "Alright kiddies, I'm going to give you your respective gate numbers, head over there as soon as you're given a number; the exam starts in ten minutes."
Soon enough all the genin spread out, each team situating itself in front of a gate. As the teams prepared mentally and physically for the exams Kakashi and Anko approached one another as the flapping of hawk wings filtered through their ears. The pair of jounin removed a letter tied to the bird's leg and read it intently.
Anko spoke quietly the jounin destroyed the note, erasing the evidence. "I'll take point, Kakashi. Let me observe and engage the target. It's my responsibility. One of us has to stay to coordinate things with the squads in the exam. So come back me up as soon as ANBU arrive to relieve us."
"Give me a lock of your hair," the senior ninja commanded.
Anko obliged immediately and as she handed him the strand of violet she shot him a small smile, "Don't be late this time, Kakashi."
The son of the White fang lifted his hand in an acknowledging manner as she shot off at blurry speed, grasping the strand of hair between his fingertips, preparing himself mentally for battle.
(Two hours later, Depths of the Forest of Death)
Team ten stopped running and concealed themselves within the vegetation, lying low. They were close enough to a river for fishing and fresh water, and close enough to the vegetation to lay an ambush if required. It was the perfect area to set a perimeter, hence the reason Shikamaru had them stop.
"So…what traps should we lay out, Shikamaru?" Ino asked the brains of the outfit in a whisper. The shadow weaver scooted closer and began delegating instructions before he noticed Naruto wasn't paying attention.
"Oi, Naruto…stay focused!" He hissed urgently, only to blink as Naruto lifted his hand, silencing him.
The Jinchuuriki's skin crawled, chills running down his spine. His chakra pulsed, resonating with something that was approaching rapidly from the east. His eyes widened and he got up quickly and made a single hand seals, summoning several shadow clones. "Shit…which one of those crazies is it…?"
"Shikamaru, Ino. There's a team coming and one of them's going to be gunning for me. You guys gotta promise me you don't interfere and back me up."
"What are you talking about? We're a team; we got to work together, that was lesson #1 with Kakashi, no?" Ino protested angrily.
"Look, I'll explain things later, but I've got a REAL bad feeling about this, guys. Please trust me…" Naruto pleaded with them.
When Shikamaru saw the gleam in his eyes he nodded. "C'mon Ino, you know Naruto, he's a natural team player. If he's this upset there has to be a reason."
She bit her lower lip, she had a bad feeling about this, but she knew her teammates were right and Asuma-sensei and her father had drilled her harshly about letting her feelings get in the way of her professionalism. So she nodded but pointed while glaring at him angrily, "your explanation better be good, Naruto!"
They climbed the trees and sought higher ground, hiding in the branches above. They observed how watched Naruto spread his clones around himself in hidden locations. He then inhaled deeply as he channeled his chakra through his tenketsu.
His eyes trailed upwards, locking with a pair of apathetic azure eyes. Their redhead owner grinned, looking down at the blonde Jinchuuriki. "You're like me, aren't you?"
"I don't know who or what you are, and even if I did: what's it to you anyway?" Naruto retorted coldly as he stealthily extended his chakra around his body. He slowly saturated the air surrounding him with his life force; preparing to use the wind element.
The Suna nin grinned in a feral manner, amused by the bravado the leaf nin presented. He would enjoy crushing it and replacing it with horror as he proved his existence. His glee was growing dangerously but he had enough control not to completely ignore his two siblings as they landed on his branch beside him. "Temari, Kankuro, do not interfere or I'll kill you."
"G-Gaara! B-but…" Kankuro stammered but shut up as he saw the cork of his younger sibling's gourd fall to the ground at his feet. He gulped and he and Temari obeyed the Suna Jinchuuriki's command, preferring to savor their lives as they leaped upwards, climbing up the trees using their chakra.
Meanwhile, several miles to their northwest, team Eight converged at the feet of a massive tree. Neji's activated Byakugan pulsed as he surveyed their surroundings, while Shino spread some recon bugs all around them. Said insects led six of Naruto's kage bushin to hidden locations.
The ebony insects assumed strategic positions on tree branches around them, creating a hexagram scouting range, standing close enough that they could transmit their findings to Shino should the need arise. "The perimeter is secured," the Aburame reported and watched as the elder genin's eerie silver eyes reverted back to their normal milky lavender. "But, I concur with your initial suspicion, Neji. Someone is indeed following us, but I have yet to pinpoint their exact position."
"Kiba, do you and Akamaru smell something? I caught ripples of chakra signatures, but they seemed to dance on the edge of my range, I suspect it's one of the 'ANBU' cells and reluctantly I have been unable to fully gauge their location as well."
"I caught a whiff of them actually as we passed the river earlier; two of them are female and one of them is a guy. Actually, come to think of it one of the females smells kind of like you Neji…"
"That explains how they knew to stay out of the range of your Byakugan and managed to follow us despite our diversionary tactics," Shino started the obvious before pushing the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "If it truly is a Hyuuga, I will be unable to pin them with one of my Kikaichuu, their chakra signature will give them away."
"Then it seems we have little choice but to make our stand. Kiba, you back me up, I'll tackle the Hyuuga with my Jyuuken while you cover my flank and try to distract the other two. Shino, you know what to do once they are thoroughly distracted; alright? Try to get one or two of Naruto's clones to assist us as well if possible."
The Aburame analyzed the situation and found no fault in the prodigal Hyuuga's plan so he nodded his acquiesce to it faintly. In truth, despite the slight tension between him and Neji on a personal level, the bug-user guiltily admitted that no matter how much he cared for Hinata it was a refreshing change to have an assertive teammate that wasn't afraid to argue with his logic and take the lead.
"Don't forget they're leaf-nin too, guys. It kinda sucks but we gotta be careful not hurt or kill'em," Kiba commented as he reached for his ninja pouch and tossed his faithful canine companion a soldier pill.
"Duly noted," Shino commented and Neji grunted his approval as the three prepared for battle.
Temari and Kankuro looked back only for a moment, watching as Gaara spread his arms across his body and the sand from his gourd slithering across his limbs like a golden miasma. They gulped at the gleam in their little brother's eyes and how his chakra spiked but they knew they didn't have time to get distracted.
They needed to tackle the other two leaf nin that split up and tossed shuriken at them once they climbed the trees with chakra. The felt chakra shifting and knew something was amiss as they easily weaved through the meticulous hail of lethal steel.
"Che, their aim leaves little to be desired. Let's finish this quickly Kankuro, I'll take the blonde; you take the guy." The wind manipulator ordered her puppeteer brother as she reached behind her back, grasping her massive battle fan.
"Tch, fine then, Fifty Ryou says I kill mine first," Kankuro dared her as he deflected a kunai and reached from the bandaged puppet on his back.
"You're on!" Temari crowed and grinned evilly.
"It won't be so easy!" Ino's disembodied voice whispered behind Temari Just as she landed on a branch.
The Suna Kunoichi spun around while removing the fan off her back. While in mid-rotation motion she opened her battle fan and unleashed a massive gale of cutting blades. Her eyes followed her target, the younger blonde's body dissolving into static before the dispersing particles crackled like electricity.
Temari's eyes widened faintly as the electric flashes extended into bolts of lightning that wrapped around her, shocking her body repeatedly. She gritted her teeth and looked down at her feet, noticing the electricity wasn't emitting light or casting shadows. Her eyes narrowed at that "So…this isn't ninjutsu after all," she realized and bit against her lip hard enough to draw blood.
The pain vanished and she sagged for a split second before she heard whistling sounds and replicated herself with a log, the piece of wood pierced by multiple kunai and shuriken.
"Stand down, it's over…" Ino whispered, the cold point of her kunai pressed against Temari's jugular. Her partially distorted, camouflaged form stood behind Temari, utilizing one of her clan's concealment genjutsu to partially bend the light around her and blend with her surroundings.
"Hardly…" Temari said the moment she felt the edge touch her neck, she cushioned the back of her head with some chakra just as she swung it back hard. It was a known Suna tactic and it worked 90% of the time, catching the taunting enemies off guard, and Ino was not exception as she sure as hell didn't expect the painful head butt that smashed into her face.
Ino grunted, a bit disoriented as she felt blood drizzle down her nose. When he vision sharpened she watched the folded, thick texture of the battle fan swinging towards her. She smirked as Temari's body suddenly froze, Shikamaru's 'kage mane no jutsu' successfully ensnaring the suna-nin.
The Yamanaka was about to finish her off when she heard a strange shifting and mechanical sound and cursed. The blurry shape of the puppet 'crow' flew into her perpetual vision, forcing her to jump wildly out of the path of venom coated kunai and projectiles. She leaped away wildly but knew she didn't stand a chance of dodging or replicating in time; that is until Temari's fan slammed into her. "Damn it, Shika! Did you have to hit me so hard!"
The blow hurt like hell, but it saved her life as it knocked her out of their path. She could hear and sense Shikamaru on the branches above her. She faintly heard him landing above her before his whispered profanities belied his distress. They filtered in her ears just as the puppeteer Suna-nin turned his attention on the Nara; forcing him to release Temari in order to dodge several sharp projectiles.
He kept on moving, weaving through the trees in a crisscrossing manner, using the wood to cover his flank from the various projectiles Kankuro was firing off at him, all the time he kept on firing carefully aimed Kunai at the puppeteer, each blade barely dodged before it slammed into the trees around them. The shadow manipulator eventually smirked as he slipped his fingers into the ring of his final kunai; ready to put his plan into motion.
Meanwhile Temari glared at Ino, her green eyes a pair of slit orbs of molten violence as slightly pale lips parted to reveal gnashed teeth. The suna kunoichi opened her battle fan partially, revealing one violet orb and a third of its size. "That was strike one, leaf bitch. When I reach three, you're dead."
"We'll see about that," Ino murmured more to herself and channeled her chakra through her body, preparing for another genjutsu.
Yakushi Kabuto did not like uncertainty. He was a man of science, of logic and determination. Therefore the current situation made him uneasy, and when his stability was shattered his constraint went along with it. He could feel the liquid flame of his old blood pulsing in his veins; urging him to slaughter the human maggots slithering around him. He could easily kill every single genin and chuunin in this forest; but that would do no good; that'd only complicate things.
"Anko's transformation will interest Orochimaru-sama, she's seemed to devolve into something akin of his own likeness." The master spy thought inwardly, facsinated on the phenomenon and how it came to pass. He had ditched his teammates Misumi and Yoroi earlier once the 'ANBU' of the exam attacked them. He didn't care much for those two agents of the snake sannin. They were incompetent and weak experiments Amachi had concocted in the sea country base of his years ago and were of little use.
The 'message' was in his hands anyway, he didn't need them alive, and the parameters never said anything about the whole team surviving the exam. More so, the likeliness of that happening in a war scenario was actually rather bleak in most cases. He pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and smirked as he felt a faint chakra signature follow him.
"Hmm…so someone is eager to die, eh?" the silver haired manipulator thought and grinned to himself. He observed the blurry shape perched in the canopy above her. "Whoever you are, it was a mistake for you to come here."
Kabuto's instincts suddenly screamed at him, and his eyes widened. That aura, that presence; it was impossible. It felt JUST like his presence, if weaker and somewhat less oppressive.
"Kukuku…you were pretty feisty up until now, Kabuto-kun. I thought that working for my bastard former sensei taught you that prey should always be wary and respectful in the face of a PREDATOR!" a hissing, eerie feminine tone whispered behind him; hot breathes hitting the back of his neck.
"Was that really necessary, Sakura-san?" Tenten asked her teammate uncertainly. The chocolate eyed femme was in favor of defeating the enemy, but wasn't quite certain Sakura's actions were justified. "Damn, she's cold, I think that last one was about to yield before she ran her through. Neji warned me she was dangerous, but…she seemed so nice at first, was it all just a mask?"
Tenten didn't like having to kill, but felt little remorse for killing her own target, the brief and one-sided kunai throwing contest had ended with her kunai protruding from the fellow genin's left eye due to her prodigal aim and a bit of genjutsu Kurenai had taught her to blur her projectile's trajectory.
Rather, the question was referring to the fact that Danzou's puppet was now cleaning one of her blood stained on the torn cloth of a kusa-nin's corpse. The long haired female's empty eyes glared into space from where Sakura had snuck behind her stabbed her clean through the heart just as the kunoichi was trying to say something with her hands raised in the air.
The crimson haired psychopath shrugged her shoulders and sheathed her kodachi. "Yes, you all know alliances are shaky, these 'allies' will one day become 'enemies' and one less enemy is one more comrade that won't have to risk her/his life."
"B-but Sakura-chan! They were weaker than us; we didn't have to attack them in the first place…" Lee hesitated as well, looking a bit squeamishly at the corpse at his feet. He hadn't meant to hit the guy so hard, but his bojutsu coupled with his speed coupled together into such strength a single blow had split open his target's head like a watermelon; a grotesque, crimson and whatnot watermelon.
Sakura frowned, gritting her teeth as the sighing sound of her alter-ego murmured profanities echoed in her mind. Her patience was wearing thin with this hesitation and uncertainty, they were ninja, they were raised to kill the enemy, why didn't anyone seem to get that simple notion was beyond her. "C'mon you guys, stop being so naïve, damn it! They may be losers now but who knows what they'll be several years down the road. If it had been the other way around they wouldn't hesitate to kill us, we're ninja, our entire lives are about 'kill or be killed'"
"I know that! Don't patronize me, Sakura! You keep on 'advising' us but in reality you're lecturing us! Who do you think you are? You're nothing special despite how high and mighty you act all the time, we're been genin longer than you, remember?" Tenten hissed impatiently and glared at the younger kunoichi. "Besides, you're always bitching about fulfilling the mission but we weren't in a bind, they didn't even sense us and our mission is supposed to be about laying low! Not exposing ourselves to danger by hunting down other teams, what's up with you suddenly being so reckless?"
Her alter ego, the side of her that was darker, less emotionally attached or minding of the 'bonds and friendships Sakura sought hissed venomously in the Haruno's mind. "Can you believe this stupid little cunt? Who does she think she is, looking down on us? We could kill her in our sleep?! Che, I don't think she likes you anymore, by the way. So why don't you just let one of the enemy ninja take her out next time? That way we don't have to tolerate her 'attitude', Sakura-chan"
The main persona screened out her vindictive and homicidal inner-voice, knowing as much as Tenten's tirade pissed her off right now, she couldn't afford to lose it and there was the minor fact she knew the weapon mistress was right. The only reason she actually engaged the enemy was her secret mission from Danzou. Besides, Tenten probably didn't mean everything she said, it was just the heat of the moment and nervousness of the exam on doubt. She never said anything about Sakura before, so there was no reason to believe things had changed so quickly.
But despite her restraint she could not completely contain the influx of violent emotions her inner persona flushed through her mind and therefore she compromised by whispering out her retort in a clipped and icy manner. "Calm down, Tenten. You don't get to talk to me like that, you are not my sensei, you're my teammate so calm down and back off. And for your information this isn't just an exam; this is the future of our village in the motion. The more of these losers we kill or cripple now the less we'll have to deal with when the shit hits the fan or haven't you noticed the other great four are breathing down our necks?"
Lee's eyes widened in alarm as both females seemed to prepare for battle and so he got in between them. He held them both back bodily and spoke in an urgent manner, "Both of you stop this, please! This is neither the time, nor the place to argue about our ideals. We're in the middle of an exam, Gai-sensei would be ashamed of us all. Our 'spirits of youth' and teamwork must persevere above personal disagreements. Let's just all agree to look for a good place to settle a base and then we can decide what to do next, ok?"
"Fine" was the reply both females hissed out in unison, both sharing a heated glare before the team headed off to a new location, the first seeds of schism within the modified team Gai had finally come but what their repercussions would be only time would tell.
Meanwhile, the two Jinchuuriki squared off, Gaara's descending to the ground on a platform of sand. The two containers glared at one another, their respective chakras spiking violently. The air seemed to charge with raw power as their life forces brushed against one another.
Gaara spoke first, "my name is Sabaku no Gaara, what's your name?"
Naruto's stance shifted, the air around him starting to spin; emitting a soft whistling sound. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and the only way I plan to 'prove your existence' is by introducing you to a lifetime of pain!" The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki exclaimed and mirrored his enemy's feral grin.
Words seemed to have exhausted themselves and so the sand manipulator didn't miss a blink and simply pointed his palm at Naruto. The earth around them trembled faintly before it dissolved into golden-brown and rushed forth.
Naruto made several rapid hand seals and inhaled deeply unleashing the "Fuuton: Sensai Shindoudangan." A small, shrieking sphere of compacted, green-tinted wind shot out of his lips. The projectile slammed into the wave of sand with an audible explosion, dispersing it.
The sound of wind propelled kunai shrieked through the air as they flew towards Gaara. The Ichibi incarnate didn't even budge as the sand from his gourd rose to his defense, blocking and stopping the projectiles; though it wasn't easy as they dug halfway through the thick substance.
The Uzumaki heir frowned before he heard a soft exclaim that chilled his blood: "Sabaku Kyuu." The earth around his feet broke and sand shot upwards, ensnaring him in a manner of moments. His eyes widened as his attempts at moving were futile and the constricting force choked the life out of him, as the sand started sinking down his throat he heard another exclaim. "Sabaku sousou."
Gaara watched impassively as his prey was destroyed and sighed. "How disappointing; that was entirely too easy…" the crimson haired murdered pondered as he withdrew his sand. He expected to find Naruto's broken and bleeding corpse but was surprised to find nothing.
Two blurry Narutos charged him from opposite directions. One of them unleashed a wind propelled side kick at the Kazekage's son whereas the other thrust both of his palms forward; unleashing a focused torrent of compacted wind. The first ninja's body was pierced by sudden spikes that rose from within the sand while simultaneously a barrier of sand protected Gaara's back from the wind jutsu rushing from his flank.
The original Naruto was perched on a branch above the suna jinchuuriki, his blue eyes narrowed as he watched the second clone disperse when several sand projectiles slammed into him. His lips twitched as he spied on the apathetic Gaara. Before last month he would've probably still charged at the homicidal Jinchuuriki with his own body. But Fukusaku and his godfather had pounded reason and restraint into him literally this past month and he had to admit, a little patience went a whole long way most of the time. (Though he personally thought there was merit to spicing things up by hiding himself amongst his charging clones here and there to catch his enemies off guard.)
So he had taken to using his kage bushin to mimic his various sensei that always gauged their enemies before going all out. He knew such a tactic wouldn't always work, especially against someone with good senses or a bloodline limit. But in such a jungle area with an enemy who didn't seem to know or care where he was, using his clones and keeping hidden was actually better than gambling with his life recklessly.
"So the sand reacts automatically when it defends him. And by the way he didn't move no matter how I attacked him it seems like he's pretty reliant on it. Alrighty then, I know how to kick your ass now, so let's rock!" He made a series of hand seals and finished it with the monkey seal. His chakra spiked as he forced his life force into the air around him – it was time to get serious.
Jutsu list:
"Fuuton: Sensai Shindoudangan" - Wind element: Shearing Impact Bullet" – Fuuton jutsu – This Uzumaki clan ninjutsu will have the user will unleash a whirling projectile of 'cutting winds'. The sphere will fire off at high velocity and upon contact implode and unleash a vortex or razor sharp wind to shear and slice anything in the explosion's path.
"Sabaku Kyuu" – Desert Coffin - Sabaku Kyuu is a Ninjutsu technique utilized by the Sand ninja Gaara. Gaara will cause sand to rise from the ground and wrap around the legs of his target, restraining them in place. The sand will then rise up to full encase the target. This technique alone can crush the bones of his opponent but the technique is usually used to prepare the victim for the Sabaku Sousou technique.
"Sabaku Sousou" – Desert Funeral - Gaara will cause sand to rise from the ground and encase his target using his Sabaku Kyuu technique, making them captured in place. Gaara will then do this jutsu to constrict and crush his target killing them. The blood of the victim will then mix with the sand which returns to Gaara's gourd. The blood then gives more power to the Shukaku demon imbued in Gaara.
"Kage Mane no Jutsu" – Shadow Imitation technique - Kage Mane no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu technique developed by the Nara clan. It's original purpose was as a skill to help delay any pursuers. After forming the needed hand seals, the clan member is able to manipulate their shadow along any surface. By using other nearby shadows they can further extend the reach of their shadow; however they are limited to the surface area of the original cast shadow. Once the clan members shadow reaches the target shadow, it will attach itself. While attached the target will be frozen, only able to replicate in mirror form the actions of the clan member. If the clan member is low on chakra, the Kage Mane will falter and the shadow will return to its normal form.