THE NEXT DAY
Ayame's P.o.V.
Before I mention where I am right now, can I just say how much fun my date with Sasuke was last night? There was live music there that sounded extremely glorious. It almost makes me wish I could sing. The ambiance was so calm, but strangely electrifying all at once. Maybe it was because I was with talked most of the time, but there were times where I was just completely lost in those dark eyes of his. Those eyes that held locked-away pain and loss that reminded me how similar we are to have lost our families, but gained a new one. Even after all this time, I found that I was still falling for him.
Right, so, anyway, today is the day of the survival part of the Chuunin Exams. Anko, our protcor for this portion, told us that the arena was named 'The 44th Training Grounds' or 'The Forest of Death', which didn't sound too comforting. The goal is to, by the end of the five days, report to the structure loacted at the centre of the training grounds with both the Heaven and Earth scrolls. One half of the teams would have the Heaven scroll, whilst the other half got the Earth scroll. We had the former. We also had to arrive at the structure as an entire team, so that foils my plan of killing Sakura and framing another team for it. I mean- what.
We had already been ordered to go in, so it was officially gorilla warfare time- every team for itself. Unless you had an alliance, of course, which we happened to have. Prior to us going into the forest, when Konohamaru and his friends came around interviewing everyone for the Leaf paper, Yuki had approached me concerning the very subject. She offered to be our ally and not kill us, so long as we do the same. Of course, I agreed, but I would have to inform the rest of my group of that soon. It might as well have been that second.
My team and I were regrouping under some foliage that concealed us perfectly so we could discuss strategy.
"First and foremost," Sasuke pointed out, "we need to find an Earth scroll as soon as possible." I held up a hand to have him pause.
"Before we get to that, I have to tell you that I've formed an alliance with the Amegakure team," I informed. Sasuke's eyes gleamed with frustration for a fraction of a second, but, much to my surprise, he said:
"Fine, it's not like we can do much about it now anyway. Can I continue?" He asked. I blinked, bewildered, but nodded.
Sasuke hatched a scheme in which we would simply pound away at the competition until we found a team with an Earth scroll. It was easier said than done, though. Sakura made a point that we didn't know of all the other teams' strengths and weaknesses. To that Sasuke replied with another tactic of survelliance. We were to scope out the other teams and hit them with surprise ambushes.
During the entire conversation, I kept the searing pain of my shoulder to myself. I was glad that I we wearing a jacket over my tank top to cover up my mark, but merely shielding its existence from the world wasn't enough to stop the burning sensation. Why now? Why did I have to be in pain right at this very moment? Subconscious stress may be the cause, but I doubt it. I gripped my shoulder with my left hand, willing the pain to subside in vain.
"Ayame, do you agree with the plan?" Sakura asked me, successfully gaining my attention.
"Yes, I agree," I affirmed, though I had no idea what the plan was. Sasuke nodded at me.
"Then use those powerful ears of yours to find the nearest team so we can get this over with." Oh, so that was the plan.
"Hai," I said, staccato. I removed my hand from my shoulder and sat on my knees, placing my hands on my thighs. I could feel my team's eyes on me as my eyes closed, but I ignored all of them as I controlled my chakra to go to my ears, hypersentsitising myself to the noise around me. It's aways a different feeling whenever I do this. Sometimes I can hear the some trickle of a forgotten creek, other times I can pick up on a butterfly's beating wings. But for now, Most of what I heard was heavy footsteps going in all directions. I picked out the treading that was closest to us. I could faintly make out what they were saying.
"Now we have to find someone with an Earth scroll," I heard a gravelly, rough voice state. So, they had a Heaven scroll, too. I abandoned that group and focused in on another one that was only a little farther away, but they had stopped travelling.
"Man, if I had known this was so troublsome, I wouldn't have signed up," I tensed. That was Shikamaru.
"Oh, shut up, yes you would have," Ino said that one. I heard something that sounded like feedback, but I realised that was probably just Chouji munching on some potato crisps. I felt a bead of sweat run down the side of my face. Was I already using too much chakra? I should stop just in case.
How long is this going to take? I heard just before I dismissed the chakra in my ears. It struck me, that voice, because it sounded exactly like Sasuke. It was Sasuke. I opened my eyes to look up at him and I saw that his jaw was set, like he hadn't said anything.
"Well?" Sakura asked, kneeling to my side. "Where is the nearest team?" I heard her talking, but I couldn't quiet grasp what she was saying. I just stared at Sasuke. First it was Yuki's mind at the lobby of the Writing Portion, now it was Sasuke here. What in Hell is going on!? I shouldn't be able to do this!
"I couldn't find any teams with the Earth scroll," I said finally. "There is a group to the east with the Heaven scroll and they're currently looking for an Earth scroll. Maybe after they battle for it we could jump them when they're weak and grab the scroll."
"Or if they fail, we could attack the other team," Naruto added, rather smart for his character. I nodded.
"Let's head out," Sasuke said. I stood up and he shot me this look, but I wasn't sure what it was saying. All I knew was that we were headed east.
. . .
*"Well, that was a peice of rice cake!" Naruto said with an enormous grin stretched across his face. "I can't believe that actually worked! We got so lucky!"
"We had the element of surprise on our side. Cha!" Sakura giggled, relieved that our plan was successful. To be perfectly honest, I was, too.
We were racing across the tree tops, still having a long way to go before reached the centre of the forest, but we had both scrolls anyway, so all we had to do was stay on track and not take any detours, and we should be there by nightfall. Sasuke had the scrolls in his pouch because he was the fastest and could evade anyone who wanted to get the scrolls. He was leading the group and I followed closely behind with both Sakura and Naruto on my tail. It was smooth sailing until-
"Stop!" Naruto shouted. We all came to a staggering halt. I turning around worriedly to see Naruto with his legs crossed and eyes watery. "I have to go to the bathroom." I slapped my hand across my forehead, leaving a stinging sensation on my skin.
"Why didn't you go when I asked earlier?" I groaned. Naruto jutted out his bottom lip.
"I didn't have to go then!"
"Just hurry up, Dobe!" Sasuke barked. "We haven't got all day." The blonde, whiskered boy stuck out his tongue at the young raven and jumped down to the ground. He disappeared into the trees so he could do his business in complete privacy. He has a nervous bladder.
It was about five minutes later, when the remaining three of us were sitting back-to-back-to-back on a big tree limb, when it happened. Just after I started to feel the all-too-familiar burning pain on my shoulder, an enormous snake just appeared out of nowhere and crashed into our limb, sending us flailing backwards. I heard Sakura scream, probably more in fear than anything. I landed on the ground in a crouching position, feet sliding against the dirt ground until I came to a halt. I looked up and saw that Sasuke had jumped up on a higher branch to avoid ending up on the ground like I was.
The snake's head was staring me down with its beady eyes, slithering its forked tongue through its pointed, venomous fangs. Its scales were a dull creme colour- scarred from previous battle. This is not the work of a Genin. Who was this? I looked up and saw a person standing on the serpent's back. I couldn't make out any details, but it was clear this ninja was up to no good. I could sense the ninja's eyes on me, and I saw him tilt his head slightly, like he recognised me from somewhere, but he moved when Sasuke lunged at him.
"Stop, you idiot!" I yelled at him. I had to find Sakura and get my team out of there. I turned my back to the snake, not a good idea, but I had to anyway, and searched for my pink-headed teammate. "Sakura!" I called out. I heard a groan and hurried to the location. I travelled a few feet before coming across the Haruno girl sitting on her butt, rubbing her shoulder. Come to think of it, my shoulder was bruning even more fiercly than before. "Are you all right?" I asked through the agony.
"Yeah," she said. I offered my left hand to help her up and she awkwardly accepted. "I was just thrown against that tree right there." She nodded to the right. "Where's Sasuke-kun?" I turned around, indicating that he was on top of the snake, battling the myster guest, but I gasped when I saw him being pinned against a tree.
"Sasuke!" I screamed just before the serpent master bent his head towards Sasuke's neck and bit him.
Sasuke let out the most agonising scream I've ever heard. It was shrill, even for Sasuke and I was terrified. Before I knew it, I felt hot tears stream down my cheeks and Sakura was screaming. That's when I knew I had lost my cool. I felt my spine begin to arch inwards, making me crouch down in a ready-to-pounce position. My jaw felt numb as it started to grow and I bit into my cheek as my teeth grew to points, filling my mouth with the metallic taste of blood. My fingernails grew like talons, ready to be sunken into my prey. I released an incredible howl which echoed off the tree tops and bounced back at us, sounding menacing and blood thirsty. I was the beast that was inside of me.
I sprinted on all fours towards the snake. It struck at me, but I dodged out of its way. Sakura was calling after me, but I couldn't hear her. I was too focused on ripping this ninja's throat into pieces. I used my claws to climb up the snake's body and I was up there in no time, hate, adrenaline, and fear fueling my speed. I finally reached the unknown subject, who still had Sasuke's throat in his hand. Seeing him up close, I saw the bastard's pale, white face show off a smirk as he dropped Sasuke's convulsing body to the ground. I was on all fours as I released a low, vicious growl. The evil man chuckled.
"So, that's what Noroi did, ne?" He purred out. All I did in response was flash my dangerous teeth and hiss at him. I can't talk when I'm in this form- I can't even think clearly. "Oh, how rude of me, do you know who I am?" He kept that smile on his face and I pounce on him, snapping my jaw at him, trying to puncture his skin, but he pushed me out of the was as if I were a fly. "That isn't very polite of you, dearie." He laughed a maniacle laugh. "I'll see you again when you learn to behave. My name is Orochimaru."
All of the sudden, the bastard Orochimaru was gone, so was his snake. I was on the ground, kneeling over Sasuke who was in the fetal position, mouth agape as if he were silently screaming in pain. When I looked up, I saw the horrified faces of both Sakura and Naruto, the latter must have just come back. Sakura took a step forward, but I picked Sasuke up and ran with him. I was so fast, Naruto and Sakura lost me. I had to keep going though- Sasuke's life depends on me getting in the that building in the middle of this Kami damned forest!
I was running like the wind, more than halfway there when I was stopped by a group of three. It was the very group in which I was suspicious of in the first place. The ninja of the Sound village. They entrapped me on three sides, but my rage was still high and I was pissed. I gingerly set Sasuke, who was on the verge of passing out, on the ground.
"What is she?" The girl of the team asked, voice soaked with confusion and a touch of hesitation. I don't even remember what she looked like, I was so blind with fury.
"I don't know," said one of the guys, "but she's got Sasuke." I let out another wail as I went after the one guy who just spoke. I caught him off guard and he put up his arms to defend himself, but I bit into his limb so hard, I broke his bone. He shrieked in anguish as the remainder of his team went to aid him. I was running out of time, so I just left them there to watch their friend bleed out.
Running was all I had to do now. I looked down at Sasuke, whose eyes were glazed over in horror, pain, and shock. It pained me to see him like that, so I went faster than I thought was humanly possible when it occured to me that I'm not entirely human. I saw the building peek over the horizon and I ran up to the top of a tree at full speed and launched myself into the sky, soaring over the plant life and getting closer and closer to my destination.
Soon enough, I was there. I was out of breath and I started to gain my human qualities again. I felt my knees wobble as I carried Sasuke up the steps. I leaned my back against the door and slid down, Sasuke's head in my lap. He had passed out before I'd gotten there. Bitter tears stung as they escaped my tearducts. I could hear his beating heart, but it was faint. I banged my head against the metal door. I was depleated of my chakra. I spent it all to increase my speed, and now I'm completely empty.
Before I knew it, Naruto and Sakura came. Everything is blurry after that, but I remember being hauled inside I brightly lit room before I eyes felt too heavy and I let them close.
*So basically the entire idea for half of the chapter was given to me by my fetch friend NAt a.k.a. imma dino hear me roar-MIA so much props go to her and I love her and she gets a candy bar for her brilliance.
Sorry this took so long.