Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

Team 7's Ascension

Chapter XIII – Grow the Tree III

Evening of the First Day – The Forbidden Forest

The Forest of Death was a large area adjacent to Konoha. Over time though, what was once a beautiful forest created by the first Hokage mutated beyond belief. The origin of these mutations was unclear, a lot of it could have been explained had unsavory experiments been conducted there, but no reports about such deplorable activities existed. Seemingly on its own, the forest developed in a way that no one could have foreseen. The trees grew to gigantic height; the plants appeared to gain a consciousness of their own, becoming aggressive in nature and imposing in size; the animals mixed and intermingled, creating some of the fiercest beasts mankind could imagine. Some rivers remained sources for fresh water; others became corrupted by an unknown force, soon turning into deceptively poisonous waste, or toxic swampland.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had seen this development with his own eyes throughout the ages and, every time the area was used, his mind returned back to the same old question – what had happened back then? It couldn't have been the death of his sensei, Hashirama. The forest continued to thrive for a few years afterward. But, neither could it be the work of his wayward disciple Orochimaru as the young – now old – genius with a penchant for sick experiments hadn't been born yet when the forest started to change. The veiled circumstances of the forest's mutation still concerned the Sandaime after all these years, but when the first few research teams had found nothing he hadn't dared to waste more resources on the matter. Nonetheless, the interesting detail that the forest never grew over the fence surrounding it was most puzzling.

He climbed the steps toward the highest room of the tower with a dignity seldom seen in any man or woman; not one speck of dirt matted his pristine robes. Once he had surmounted the circular stairs and halted on a small platform, a member of ANBU stepped out of the shadows next to him.

"When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames." The voice that came from behind the white porcelain mask sounded incredibly distorted.

"The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew," answered Hiruzen.

Again, the distorted voice echoed in the small, confined space, "Spring blinks and withers; sheds its skin then dons a cloak of sunset gold."

"Spring stretches and bursts; spilling forth life – but not me; my spring was last year."

After the last sentence, the cloaked shinōbi bowed toward his leader. "Welcome, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded and proceeded toward the entrance, while the guard sunk back into the shadow – his duty fulfilled. The instant his feet touched the ground of the commando central, eight shinōbi in Chūnin gear knelt before him.

"Hokage-sama, you have arrived."

The Sandaime walked up to the Chūnin and observed them for a moment, before clapping his hands together twice. He smiled, pleased by their perfect posture and graceful movement as they rose as one singular unit.

"Indeed I have, Yūgao."

The spokesperson for the group, a woman of great poise, stepped forward. "Was your journey pleasant, Sir?"

"As pleasant as a hike through old underground tunnels can be," answered Hiruzen. He glanced at the group of Chūnin, then back to the woman next to him. When he noticed a few purple strands of hair peeking out from under the woman's gray bandana, his eyes lit up in amusement. "ANBU, you can change your gear now. Yūgao, do take off that ridiculous bandana and fill me in."

The other Chūnin beside Yūgao immediately removed their vests and stored them in seals on their body; roughly a minute later, all seven of them stood at attention decked out in their full ANBU paraphernalia. The sword-prodigy from the Uzuki clan had simply removed the headpiece that restrained her hair and escorted the Hokage to a large marbled table in the middle of the room.

"It is as you feared, Sir. We investigated each team with our Kage Bunshin as instructed, and there are quite a few foreigners with skills far above those of a Genin in the Second Task. After checking in with Foreign Intelligence Bureau, we verified that those shinōbi are nevertheless classed as Genin in their villages.

"They trained them up and deliberately held them back until this Chūnin Exam?"

Yūgao nodded. "It appears so, Sir. The admission of that many teams from other nations is highly suspicious; the only village not represented is Iwa."

The Sandaime took place at the table and with practiced hands stuffed his pipe before igniting it. "Thank Kami for small favors – just imagine this task with Iwa in it… that's not something I want to have happening next to my village. Now, how has the first day panned out? I take it everyone believed that the chips are made of gold?"

"They have, Sir. It changed the situation in the forest considerably though, and none of the earlier estimates we procured with scrolls in mind have any value now. In addition to that, the large amount of participants has led to some interesting developments."

"Oh? Do tell," said Hiruzen and leaned back in his chair.

Yūgao unfurled a large map on the table. "To be frank – it's chaos, Sir. Many teams from the same village have formed large groups and struggled desperately to unite when they started from different gates. Quite a few teams are still traveling alone, but it is only a matter of time until they will be hunted down by the large alliances. Other teams have abandoned the goal of winning the task completely and focus on hunting weaker teams to gather as much gold as they can."

"Won't they come under fire once they have accumulated enough chips?

The ANBU Captain shook her head. "The teams that focus on gold have – for the largest part – at least one sensor in their line-up. We estimate that most will try to gather around nine to ten chips and then take the quickest route to the tower."

Hiruzen puffed calmly on his pipe; seconds later though, a sigh escaped him. "Elder Danzo was right then – greed truly is the best way to thin out the ranks of so many hostiles."

"Sir?"

"Have you not wondered why we distributed chips coated in fool's gold?"

"I assumed it would add more realism to the task, Sir."

The Sandaime smiled and his leathery lips stretched. "Realism, my dear? I dare say the forest is very real and very dangerous even without these chips. No, the reason for this abrupt change is a different one."

Yūgao bowed her head. "May I enquire about the reason, Sir?"

"You may," answered Hiruzen. "As you already know, the Chūnin Exams have become a security nightmare with that many foreign shinōbi participating. What you might not know, however, is that old treaties bind us to several conditions as the hosting party. For one, Konoha is obliged to grant every participant of the Third Task the right to stay for the month before the large tournament commences."

"Wouldn't preliminaries have taken care of that problem, Sir?"

The Hokage looked directly into Yūgao's eyes; his whole countenance had changed. "Preliminaries don't kill people, this second task does. In most cases, the competitors in preliminary tournaments know their limits and only injure themselves, leading us directly to another annoying point of another annoying treaty. We have to give those injured on our watch medical attention; an act that stations them – however injured – at the heart of this village. Turning them away from Konoha's Main Hospital isn't an option either – our reputation would shatter."

"You mean…"

"Yes." Hiruzen nodded. "These hunters, as well as the large alliances are perfect to thin out the ranks of participants, of potential security dangers. I doubt many will survive past this task."

Yugao's finger trailed over the map and along the line that marked the large fence. "What about Konoha's teams, Sir?"

"I have faith in the Genin of this village, Yūgao. Which reminds me of the reason I am here – how does Konoha fare so far?"

"From the eight teams participating in this task, only seven remain, Sir. One group of six Genin – Team 14 and 17 – ran into an ambush and only Team 17 managed to escape. The ambush was executed by a splinter group of Kumo's Alliance on their way to the main force. Several other conflicts have taken place, but our Genin won them; notably Team 9 which gathered six chips so far, and Team 7 which gathered fifteen."

"What about the other nations?"

"Suna lost six of their shinōbi to a battle with Team 7. In return though, the team of the Kazekage's children acquired nine chips and obliterated three teams from Kumo. Kiri has lost a single team and did not manage to gather any chips. Ot-"

Hiruzen raised his hand. "That's all I need to know. The great villages are the ones we have to concentrate on." He then threw a last look at the map before he rose from his seat. "I will be back in two days. If something urgent happens, you know how to reach me."

"Yes, Sir."

Night of the First Day – The Forbidden Forest

"This is highly uncomfortable, Naruto-san."

"Unfortunately, it's necessary."

"Is there really no other way?"

"I'm afraid not."

Naruto's lips quirked upward, as he heard the Aburame riding on his back sigh. The chances to worm such a resigned expression out of the enigmatic bug user were usually very slim; under the current circumstances though, it happened more and more. Bark splintered under Naruto's sandals as he moved between the trees, and he felt Shino shift slightly in the attempt to make the stay on his back more comfortable.

"I am sure that if you only give us half an hour to recuperate…"

The Uzumaki ducked under a low-hanging branch and once he was past it, accelerated again. "I'm sorry, Shino, but we have to find Team 10 as soon as possible. At least now, with you guys on board, we can scout more effectively and avoid fighting."

"True," said Shino, and sighed once more as he changed his position. "This alliance turns out to be quite beneficial for all of us."

Naruto laughed. "No kidding. You guys are great. Still got to find Team 10 though. We promised them."

Silence ensued for a few moments; then, the form of his female teammate appeared on the branch next to them. Kiba, who was riding on her back, looked highly annoyed with the whole situation.

"Kiba just smelled them," said Sakura.

Her breathing was harsher than usual, but she still seemed to be in a better condition than her passenger. Sasuke, who had the shy heiress of the Hyūga clan clinging to his back, drew level with them immediately as soon as he heard Sakura's words.

"Where?"

The Inuzuka raised his arm and pointed over Sakura's shoulder to the right. "That way; about a mile away. Although their scent's barely noticeable."

"Let's get them," said Naruto. "Hinata, can you see them from this distance?"

"Yes. They're…" Hinata stopped mid-sentence and narrowed her white eyes. "They're hiding in something."

"In something?" asked Sasuke.

Hinata nodded. "I- I can't really describe it. They're encased by some material."

"We'll have to find out then," Naruto said, increasing his pace.

Once the group touched down on the ground, they saw an imagery that could not have been more bizarre, even in the most feverish of dreams. In a very small clearing, two miles away from the gate where Team 10 presumably had started, dozens of animal corpses were scattered. It looked like the inside of a slaughterhouse on a busy day; the grass was more red than green, and the scent of blood lingered heavily in the air.

Naruto turned to Kiba. "You've smelled them with this around?"

The Inuzuka looked at the animal remains and gulped. "I told you, the scent is very faint."

"Still, not bad. Hinata, you said they're hiding here somewhere?"

"Y- Yes. They're hiding in the corpses."

"Excuse me? Could you repeat that, please?"

"No need. We heard you, and she's right."

As soon as the group heard the muted yet distinct lazy drawl of their classmate, all eyes turned toward the large form of a dead bear. A flap in its pelt was thrown aside, and completely drenched in blood; Shikamaru rose out of the corpse. Even the more aloof members of the group, Shino and Sasuke, didn't manage to hide their surprise.

"What in Kami's-"

"Shikamaru!"

The rather scary figure of Yamanaka Ino arose from another corpse, even bloodier than her teammate, and immediately stormed toward him. Naruto watched the spectacle bewildered, but inwardly acknowledged that he had never seen a more fitting image of a woman's wrath. In that single moment, the blonde girl looked more like a battle-hardened Amazon than anything else. Not that it held for long, as she soon began to whisper incomprehensible murder at the Nara. That was another point – she had learned control, it seemed. Even in her disheveled and furious state, she recognized that shouting would be a very bad idea in this forest. Naruto was actually rather impressed.

"Troublesome… it was necessary, woman! Stop hitting me," Shikamaru whispered back.

Ino's rage was not to be defused that easily though, and only as a third form climbed out of a bear's remains, did her vengeful assault stop for a moment. Chōji, not knowing the consequences of emerging at this exact time, was wholly unprepared for Ino's fists hammering against his Akimichi chest plate.

"You too, Chōji! How could you?"

Whatever had happened, the blonde seemed very distraught by it. Naruto walked up to the Nara heir and threw him a look that hopefully expressed just how confused he was.

"… these tigers and bears were dangerous."

Naruto nodded in acceptance, but the confusion still wasn't gone. "And that's why you slept in them? To make them less dangerous in death?"

"Oh, you're witty today." Shikamaru snorted. "We killed quite a lot of them throughout the day. I had an idea, and it worked."

"Obviously it worked, you're still alive."

Sasuke, who had joined them on the sidelines, watched fascinated as Chōji endured the whispered berating of his teammate with stout silence and a fortitude most enviable. "You hid in the bodies to throw off hostile trackers?"

"Among other things… Didn't work against Kiba and Hinata apparently, but the Byakugan and the Inuzuka's sense of smell are considered to be the strongest tracking bloodlines in the Elemental Countries, so I wasn't worried."

"What about sensors?"

Kiba joined them at the same moment. "And what have you done to, well, earn that…"He pointed at the still furious Yamanaka.

"Team 10 has the lowest chakra reserves out of everyone here," answered Shikamaru. "There was a team with a sensor, but after seeing all the dead animals they just thought it were already vanishing chakra trails of a skilled group of shinōbi."

"That's more luck than anything."

"True, but there wasn't much else we could have done. I observed the general direction Team 7 was led to at the beginning… I knew it would take them quite a while to get us."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Shika. We've had some troubles on the way…"

"Don't worry, I assumed as much."

"Now, what happened to make her so…" Kiba's finger was still pointed at Ino.

"Angry, you mean? You could say we deceived her."

Naruto frowned. "How? And, even Chōji?"

"Of course Chōji too, Dobe. Look at her." Sasuke nodded toward the pair.

"Eh, I take full responsibility. Chōji just went along with the plan because I asked."

Kiba chortled. "Sure doesn't look like you're taking responsibility at the moment."

"Yes, well… I knew she wouldn't accept the plan. She's matured in Nami no Kuni, we all have… but there are certain lines she's still not willing to cross."

"Putting herself in the dead body of a tiger after its entrails were carved out is one of them, I take it?"

Shikamaru smirked slightly. "Exactly. I knew you'd understand, Sasuke. Anyhow, I asked Ino to use her mind transfer on a bird and scout the area."

"… I think I know where this is going. You're a tricky bastard, aren't cha?" Had he not been sure Ino's wrath would be directed at him afterward… in any case, Naruto was content with a grin instead of a laugh.

"What does he mean?" asked Kiba.

Sakura who had joined them minutes earlier but had kept her silence so far, looked at her teammates and especially Shikamaru reprovingly. "Think, Idiot. As long as Ino's in the bird's body and scouting, she didn't know what happened to her real body. I bet Chōji stuffed her into the tiger corpse."

"Getting her into the corpse was the easy part," Shikamaru admitted. "Keeping her there required a bit more effort."

Naruto nodded. He could definitely see that. "How'd you do it then?"

"At first through my shadows… Chōji positioned my corpse in such a way that I had very small window to see her and leash her in case she wanted to flee while I explained the situation."

Kiba snorted. "Kinky."

"Laugh all you want… I'd like to see you trying the same."

"Why is she only hounding Chōji then? Shouldn't she be killing you right now?"

Shikamaru looked pained for a moment. "I miscalculated."

"Oh? Now that sounds interesting." Naruto turned to Shikamaru, giving the Nara his full attention.

"The window worked both ways. As soon as she appeared to accept the situation and I loosened my shadows, she entered my head; ostensibly to talk with me."

"So, everything Chōji's getting now…"

"… I already got in my own mind, yes."

"That's gold, pure gold."

Sakura looked at Shikamaru with narrowed eyes. "You deserved it."

"That's debatable, but as I said, I'm taking full responsibility."

Sasuke cleared his throat, getting the attention of the group – with the exception of Ino and Chōji. "We're still in the Second Task."

Naruto's eyes widened minutely. For a moment he had forgotten just where they were bickering and chatting like old people. His countenance changed quickly and in the blink of an eye, the battle hardened Genin who had slaughtered his way through the forest with his team, stood in front of the Alliance.

"Sakura, calm Ino down and bring her and Chōji here."

The group of nine was soon fully assembled, but before Naruto had the chance to address them, Shikamaru stepped up. "Naruto, I know there's a lot to plan, but you're dead on your feet. We all can see it. The same goes for you, Sakura, Sasuke."

Naruto frowned. "What would you have us do? We can't waste too much time."

"Team 10 had no fight whatsoever with other shinōbi," Shikamaru admitted. "We're a bit tired, but not exhausted like you guys. Let's search a less bloody place nearby. You can catch some shut-eye while we take shifts to guard you."

"That's-"

"Only till sunrise. As tired as you are at the moment, we could beat you."

"I-" Naruto sighed. "Okay. But only till sunrise."

"I promise."

Night of the First Day – Southern Area of Kaze no Kuni

It was an extraordinary clear night in the Land of Wind – the full moon shone on the large dunes; countless stars glittered in the pitch-black sky, and a light breeze made the air bearable, even for those who were unfamiliar with the unforgiving desert and its many perils. Under different circumstances, Kakashi might have taken the time to admire the incredible scenery, for even in Konoha such beautiful nights rarely occurred. He let himself fall into the sand and panted harshly. The happenings of the day had been torturous, but necessary as his plan's success depended on them. For hours on end he had run at exhausting speeds to make it to this place; doing so while leaving enough trails to make Suna believe that he was still alive, that his capture was only a matter of time – a formality – hadn't been easy.

But now he was here, and this mad chase would finally end. He regulated his breath the best he could, rose from the sand and dusted himself off. His healthy eye looked critically at the large city only a mile away. Large towers shadowed the palm trees in front of the city proper, oil lamps lit up the humongous gate in the middle of the wall, and on the massive defensive structure itself, he noticed several torches moving in regular, ordered fashion – patrolling guards, no doubt.

This was Bōeki Toshi, an ancient city built in a time when shinōbi had been nothing more than nomadic clans clamoring for fame and glory. Situated on the southern coast of the Land of Wind, it was also the largest trading hub in the area for hundreds of miles. To the east, the short way over the Hanguri Gulf made trade with the Land of Tea a very profitable venture; while, to the south, the Nanmen Ocean promised great business with exotic wares of all kinds from lands far away. Its comparative independence from Suna, as well as the fact that many regulations were somewhat loose in this city, made Bōeki Toshi into one of the great metropolises of the Elemental Nations.

In this port city, everything could be found if one knew where to look for it. Still, despite these loose regulations and its famed independence, Kakashi wouldn't risk his next move being traced back to him; simply walking through the gate was impossible. He took a deep breath, blinked once, then ran toward the large wall and scaled it, before landing on it in a graceful somersault. His feet touched the ground, and the light that flickered to his right told him everything he needed to know.

Two armed guards – one holding a lit torch – had spotted him.

"Halt! Stranger, who are you? Identif-"

Kakashi unveiled his Sharingan and the spinning wheel put both into a trance. One of them struggled, but after reinforcing the Genjutsu with a bit more chakra, he too succumbed to it; apparently, these guards had undergone some basic training against shinōbi. Not that it helped them overly much. The Hatake took the torch and mounted it on the wall after scavenging the two sleeping guards for their money. Once both of them woke up, no memory of him, or anything else suspicious would remain – they simply drank all their money away on patrol duty and then fell asleep. With a single leap, he vanished from the wall and into the shadows of the city proper.

Landing in a deserted alley, he looked around and frowned. There wasn't much time to enact his plan; his pursuers were only a few hours away at most. Still, he couldn't help but be overcome by memories. Kakashi had been in Bōeki Toshi before, only once, but it had been a visit he wouldn't forget any time soon. The memory still played vividly in his mind after all these years. This coastal city, as much as it tried to portray a noble and auspicious image, was not just a place for rich traders and trustworthy merchants. No, it was much more than that. Assassins, whores, bandits, mercenaries, pirates, smugglers, criminals… the dregs of society; and the list could go on forever. Kakashi snorted in self-deprecation – after the things he did for the sake of his village, all these titles fit him in some way or another.

Nevertheless, he needed a body; an untraceable body, and this was exactly the place where to find it. Bōeki Toshi – not just a city, but also a cesspool of depravity and all that was wrong with humanity. In theory he should feel right at home, yet he didn't and a shiver ran down his spine as he walked deeper into the alley.

Early Morning of the Second Day

As soon as the first rays of sunlight shone through the canopy, Shikamaru, who hadn't forgotten his promise to Naruto and wouldn't break it for some misguided attempt at letting Team 7 rest, woke the blond and his teammates with haste. Now that the Alliance was finally gathered at one spot, Chōji could – in the meantime – lay his fears of attracting unwanted attention with a small fire to rest, and quickly went about to prepare a bit of bear meat for everyone.

Soon, the members of all three teams had gathered near the small fire pit in hearing range of the Akamichi so that he could listen in while still preparing the meal.

"I hope you're rested, Naruto. We're basically blind in this forest, and from what I've gathered so far the situation in the deeper regions might be akin to a warzone," said Shikamaru.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it is," answered Naruto. "We've seen the other alliances form, even before we entered the forest."

"Other alliances?" Kiba asked bewildered.

Sakura looked at Kiba and furrowed her brows. "Haven't you noticed yesterday? Teams sent by the other Great Nations have formed groups of their own; most of them bigger than this one."

"Indeed, I noticed something similar as well," said Shino.

Naruto looked at his classmates, then to Shikamaru specifically. "I can only speculate, but I do think you're right. Larger groups like us possess a higher amount of chips – it makes us juicy targets, but also nearly untouchable. We know that Kumo, Suna, and Kiri have formed such groups."

"But what about the other, smaller villages?" asked Ino. "We've seen a lot of these teams too."

Sasuke shook his head. "If they really stay alone, then they'll be picked off eventually. The moment groups were formed; this task became impossible for single teams. I'd wager it'll come down to large scale battles against the other groups."

"I agree," said Naruto. "The first days will be used to get as much chips as possible from the single teams. The real fight starts once the groups target each other."

"We are a group." Kiba sat down and patted Akamaru. "Will we do the same?"

"In a sense, although we're also at a disadvantage."

"How so?"

Shikamaru plopped down on the ground next to Kiba and leaned back, looking skyward. "It's easy, really. Even with Team 7, our group is one of the smallest around. They also know from our age that we're probably rookies. We'll be targeted soon, I bet."

Hinata seemed anxious, but her stutter was absent as she spoke. "But we have a plan, right?"

The Nara heir glanced at Naruto, then his lips quirked upward. "Ask the team of our future Hokage over there. They're the only ones that know this forest."

The others' eyes immediately focused on the members of Team 7. Sakura, standing behind the Uzumaki and next to Sasuke, laid her hands on the blonde's shoulder and squeezed them encouragingly. Naruto himself regarded his friends with an indecipherable look. Behind his calm countenance though, his mind worked furiously and an endless stream of emotion rushed through him.

Wasn't this what he had always dreamed about, the recognition of his peers? Shikamaru had even called him the future Hokage. Did he mean it? Did Shika believe in his dream? Sakura and Sasuke were silent, too. Did they want him to take the lead?

'…but it also reflects our indomitable will; the will to stand up against overwhelming odds, despite the fear that grips us. A shinōbi with a will of steel, fire in his heart, and the determination to do right by his village shall never be defeated.'

Again Sarutobi-ji's words rang through his head, just as they had done when he challenged the bear back in his first week in the forest. His eyes narrowed and he looked at the people surrounding him, most of which he had shunned out of the misguided belief that his team was the strongest of them all; what a fool he had been. He clenched his fists and branded their expressions into his memory – the fear, the anxiety, the hope, the confidence, the concern… all of them.

He would do right by his village. And, at the end of their days in the forest, all of them would still be alive, wearing expressions of victory that screamed their triumph to the heavens and above. He would make sure of that.

Reassured, Naruto addressed the small crowd in front of him – Sakura and Sasuke had joined them in the meanwhile. "Fighting the other groups in an open battle is out of question, as is ambushing them. They outnumber us heavily, and we'd run to our deaths."

He began pacing from left to right. "We have two advantages though, and we'll make sure to use them. Firstly, we know the terrain. Secondly, we know that they'll come for us eventually. There's a special place a few miles to the west of here that's easy to defend. I propose that we go there and set up shop."

"Easy to defend? So we're not attacking the single teams?" asked Kiba.

"Oh, we will… but we have to restrain ourselves quite a bit, or we'll overextend. I have a few ideas, but first we should reach the place I'm talking about."

Shino stepped forward. "What if there's already someone there?"

"Then we'll take it back."

"What pleasure to see you here, Orochimaru-sama. You have found your target then?"

The pale face of a woman stared back at the gray-haired boy who had uttered these words. "Indeed, Kabuto." Her thin lips stretched into a smile. "He is most interesting."

"The whole task is rather interesting. I can't remember another Chūnin Exam quite like this."

The woman chuckled. "I truly wonder what sensei believed this would accomplish. Then again, this smells more of Danzo than him."

"May I ask why you haven't taken the Uchiha just yet?"

"You are very curious, Kabuto."

"I am sorry if I overstepped my boundaries, Orochimaru-sama."

Again, the woman laughed and a chill ran down the gray-haired boy's spine. "Do not take me for a fool with such false apologies. You will notice once you've overstepped your boundaries. As for the boy… I admit, this exam amuses me to no end. It's a fascinating study, don't you think? Rather like the Elemental Nations, just on a smaller scale."

"Isn't it risky to wait too long?"

"Nobody suspects me being here – the only risk is treachery. Are you a traitor, Kabuto?"

Kabuto stepped back. "Of course not, Orochimaru-sama."

"Good." The woman licked her lips. "I will let them play some more before I involve myself. This truly is an interesting study."

Noon of the Second Day

Hours went by as the Alliance moved through the forest, and every step they took was cautious and planned. Aside from the dangers of nature – the vicious animals and poisonous plants – there was the constant prospect of an ambush from forces vastly outnumbering them; and, to attract attention, could only end in a catastrophe as long as they had not fortified their position. The vanguard was led by Sasuke, who had picked the Hyūga heiress and the Inuzuka to assist him. Their clan techniques were invaluable when it came to scouting out the terrain and avoiding other groups.

As always, the Forest of Death was a conundrum; the cold winds from the night and early morning soon changed into sweltering waves of heat, leaving the people who weren't used to such conditions with the problems of sweat, thirst, and exhaustion.

Naruto slashed with his kunai at a vine that tried to ensnare Chōji's leg, and helped the Akamichi to regain his balance. He noticed Sakura breaking the formation; then she appeared next to him.

"Sasuke has stopped."

The Uzumaki turned away from Chōji and looked into the direction of their vanguard. "Let's catch up with them."

He gave Chōji and Ino a sign to follow him, just as Sakura did for Shino and Shikamaru in the rear. While still being careful not to produce too much noise, it didn't take them long to reach Sasuke's team. Naruto stepped up to Sasuke and threw him a questioning look.

"We're nearly there, but Hinata spotted hostiles," said Sasuke.

Naruto clenched his fist in frustration. After a moment, he looked at Hinata. "What can you tell us about them?"

Hinata stepped forward, her Byakugan still activated. "There are two teams from Ame – five men and one woman. They look exhausted."

Her voice sounded hesitant and Naruto had a rough idea as to why, but this wasn't the time for comforting her. It was a general problem he would have to talk with the Alliance about as soon as their position was secured.

Naruto readied a few shuriken. "Sasuke, take your team and flank them from the right. Sakura, it's the left for you."

His teammates nodded and left with their respective teams to their assigned positions. The place Naruto had chosen for the Alliance was a clearing that bordered at one side on a rock formation. Thus, the Ame-nin were surrounded from all possible sides.

Chōji and Ino stood next to him. Both looked pale, but determined. "Ino, I want you to support Chōji with long range attacks whenever you can. Chōji, choose one enemy and stick with him."

The Akamichi brought himself under control and gripped his Bo-staff tightly. "When do we attack?"

"Sakura will initiate the fight. Trust me, you'll notice."

They only had to wait for another minute, before the Ame-nin began to walk and move strangely. Ino heard Naruto's fiercely whispered command to attack, but everything happened so fast that she was barely able to keep up with the situation.

It took only a moment for the hostile shinōbi to recognize the Genjutsu and dispel it; this moment, however, was more than enough to sow chaos in their ranks. Ino saw Sasuke appearing in the midst of one team, swiftly ducking beneath a kunai strike and kicking one of the enemies away from their shoddy formation. The Ame-nin flew through the air and was ripped apart as Kiba's Gatsūga met him head-on. To lighten the burden on the Uchiha, who was fighting against two now, Naruto had quickly involved himself and spat combinations of water techniques that impaired the opponent's movement.

On the other side of the clearing, Sakura's team was trying hard to subdue two Ame-nin who showed great agility by dodging Shikamaru's shadows, as well as Shino's bugs. Ino blanched. Chōji, where was Chōji? She frantically looked around the clearing, until she found the Akimichi locked in furious exchange of blows with the enemy team's Kenjutsu specialist. He parried a sideward slash with his iron padded Bo-staff, but each time he avoided the lethal attacks, he lost ground to his opponent. Ino knew that the training with his father had advanced Chōji's skill with his weapon tremendously, but a few weeks simply weren't enough to get proficient enough to beat someone who had, presumably, fought with a sword for a large part of his life.

Ino reached into her pouch. Chōji wouldn't die, not when she had been assigned the duty to support him. She threw the shuriken she had pulled out, and her determined expression turned into a grimace as they missed her moving target completely. Chōji in the meanwhile had lost his weapon and landed painfully on his back as the Ame-nin swiped his legs.

No, he wouldn't die.

The Yamanaka gripped a few kunai and let them fly; her eyes glinting with purpose. The Ame-nin stood next to Chōji and readied his sword to deliver the fatal blow, as a small number of kunai forced him to abandon his position and jump away. One kunai nicked him in the leg, but it was only a small scrape.

"Now, Chōji!"

He looked up to the place where the kunai had come from, and saw a blonde girl standing on a branch, her hand extended. Her lips formed words, and as soon as the sound reached him he quickly turned around to his former opponent.

"Bubun Baika no Jutsu (Partial Multi-Size Technique)!"

It was too late for the Ame-nin, and Chōji's massive fist crashed into his face before he had the chance to make another move. He sensed his nose and jaw breaking, noticed the wind whipping against his body while he flew away; then he felt nothing as death embraced him with cold fingers. Chōji looked wide-eyed after his enemy, who had crashed violently against a tree. He had killed him.

His first kill…

Unbidden, tears came to his eyes and he furiously wiped them away. There was still the sound of combat to be heard around him, so they hadn't won just yet. Still, he was in a stupor, and no matter how much he wanted his body to move, it didn't heed him. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed the blond tresses of his beautiful teammate as she landed next to him.

Clang.

The sound of metal so close to his ears alerted Chōji, and with trepidation he turned his head around. Ino stood at his side – a kunai held with both hands – and blocked the deadly attempt on his life by an Ame-nin wielding a large knife. Her arms trembled under the force of her opponent, yet she stood her place; and Choji, whose legs still refused to move, cursed himself for his weakness as he tried to stand up, but simply fell over once more.

"Move!" he shouted at his legs, staring at them in desperation.

Clang.

Again, the knife met Ino's kunai. This time the force of the attack drove her back a step and she fell down on one knee. Anticipating the third attack, Ino steeled herself and opened her eyes wide. This wasn't how she had imagined her career to end, not at all. But, as she thought about whom she was defending, a small smile blossomed on her face. It wasn't how she had imagined it, but this wasn't too bad either.

The shinōbi in front of her lunged forward with the knife, but stopped midway in his motion. Behind him stood Sasuke, who had plunged his sword directly through the man's heart. Ino's smile froze as blood splattered over her head, tinting her lips and hair red. Choji, too, looked up to the Uchiha. Before they could say anything though, Sasuke had already turned away and raced through several hand seals.

"Katōn: Endan (Flame Bullet)!"

The unstoppable ball of searing destruction flew toward an empty place, as far as Ino could see it. Then, however, Naruto appeared in its target area and quickly jumped away. Another Ame-nin – the last one apparently – had followed the Uzumaki, but didn't notice Sasuke's incoming technique. The screams of anguish were all Ino heard, as the kunoichi came into contact with the fire.

She looked at Chōji, who still tried to stand up; and although her smile remained in place, tears flowed freely from her eyes. The others gathered around them with somber expressions, while the members of Team 7 jumped from corpse to corpse and gathered the six golden chips. Soon, they too joined them.

Naruto looked at the faces of his comrades and spit seemed to glue his throat together. How did a leader handle the first kills of his people? It wasn't just an issue that concerned Chōji, but also Team 8 who had fought on their own during the first day. Kakashi had made sure that they quickly became accustomed to death – for Team 8 and 10, however, these two days had been filled with more blood and gore than they had ever seen before. He had come to like his sensei, but the same method would never work on his comrades.

What would Sarutobi-ji do? He couldn't answer that question either. For all the time he had spent with the old man, the Hokage still remained as enigmatic as always. Naruto stared at the dejected faces of Hinata, Ino, and Chōji. They looked to be the most affected ones; yet, the longer he observed them and their reactions, the clearer it became that he had no idea what to do.

Sakura tapped him on the shoulder and he twitched, before shaking his head. No, he couldn't make her do it either. How could he call himself Hokage in the future, when he didn't even manage to help the few people who now put their trust in him? Naruto gave Sasuke and Sakura a few hand signs, telling them to enact the original plan and build the camp.

Then, he reached out with his hand and helped Chōji up from the ground before looking at Ino and Hinata. "Follow me, please," he whispered.

It took four, maybe five minutes until he had led them to a secluded place with a small pond. He created a few Mizu Bunshin that scattered in every possible direction to act as sentries. Turning around, he saw that all three were looking at him expectantly. They had no idea what he wanted, and his throat dried out.

"I-" Naruto took a deep breath. "I want to talk with you about what happened."

He sat down on an overturned tree trunk and noticed the uneasiness that pervaded all of them. Chōji looked at him with glazed eyes and Naruto could guess what he just thought about. The same went for Ino and Hinata, although the former hadn't even killed yet.

"There is nothing you have to explain, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled weakly, her countenance being almost sickly.

Ino, too, plastered a false grin on her face. "She's right. No need to go into detail. We paid attention in the Academy."

"And you know that most of it is crap anyway." Naruto sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, I don't even really know what to tell you… but I can't just let you go on like this."

"I'm sorry," said Chōji with bowed head. "Hadn't I frozen-"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Chōji," Naruto said. "I knew the Chūnin Exam would be brutal, but I never expected something on this scale. Ino, you did great. As did you, Hinata. And you, Chōji. All three of you have shown the core principles Konoha shinōbi live by."

Hinata's pearl-white eyes became wet, but no tear left them as she asked, "Does it get any easier?"

All three of them were waiting for an answer, but Naruto could only look past them. "A bit. You should be worried though once it becomes too easy. These feelings of regret and sadness are precious – make sure you never lose them."

The Uzumaki turned away from them and bit his lip. "Have you remembered the way?"

"Yes," answered Chōji.

"Go to the camp, please. Tell the others I'll be there soon."

"Is there a problem, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto chuckled, but Hinata noticed immediately that it was faked. "Don't worry 'bout me, guys. I'll be back soon. There's something I have to check out."

Ino, too, had noticed the shift in his mood, but she took Chōji and Hinata by their arms and slowly led them away from the blond. The moment the three were far enough away, Naruto punched the tree next to him with enough force for the bark to splinter beneath his fist. He chuckled, he laughed; yet both were intermingled with sobs and tears as he stared at the tree.

"What a fucking hypocrite I am," he whispered.

How could he even dare to give advice like that, when for him it had already become way too easy to slaughter his way through the forest. Only against the Kusa-nin on the first day had he felt something akin to regret, and even then it had been buried quickly beneath a layer of pure killing intent. He pulled his fist out of the tree and turned his back to it, slowly sliding down its trunk until he sat on the moist grass it overshadowed.

The tears had already vanished again, but his smile remained hollow as he stared at his bloodied hand. He had entered into servitude to the Will of Fire nearly a year ago, and in all that time he had already lost count of the people he had killed. Bandits, mercenaries, thieves – still people; shinōbi from different nations – still people. He laughed, and it echoed through the trees nearby. His talk with his comrades just now had been laughable, truly. Was he really cut out to be a leader, if he himself was already trapped in the same pitfall he had warned them of?

When Naruto returned to the clearing where the Alliance wanted to set up shop, he saw that Sakura and Sasuke had worked hard with the others. Shikamaru, it appeared, had immediately noticed the value of the place and didn't even have to be told what to do. In the rock formation to the north of the clearing, there were two caves – one which was large enough to house them all, but would only serve as a decoy, and one who was very small but had a hidden underground river pass through it.

Most hadn't noticed during the fight, but the clearing was more of a small hill – the trees still towered over it – and everyone who attacked them from the ground had to fight an uphill battle. Only three sides to defend from a heightened position, a steady resource of water… yes, Shikamaru easily saw why Team 7 had chosen this place.

Naruto stopped in the middle of the camp and uttered a low whistle that alerted the Alliance to his presence. It took a few moments, but soon everyone was assembled around him.

Before he could say anything though, Kiba stepped forward. "Why can't we use the large cave? I get the decoy stuff, but couldn't we use it anyway? Why do we need a decoy?"

It was Shikamaru who answered, "The caves are dangerous. The enemy only needs one Ninjutsu specialist with an affinity for Earth, and the whole thing will come crashing down on us."

"Oh…" Kiba quickly fell silent.

"Okay guys, listen up. We've got a good position here. Now we have to defend it and still get some chips," said Naruto. "First of all, we have to trap the living shit out of the area around our camp. Everything goes! Some of the other alliances outnumber us so heavily that we have to rely on traps to even have a chance at surviving."

"What about getting chips then?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "The plan is to always have six people in the camp and a group of three outside to hunt for some of the other single teams…"

"… these expedition teams would always have two fighters and one sensor to avoid trouble if large groups are in the area," continued Sakura.

Shikamaru nodded. "I take it that one of these fighters is always going to be a member of Team 7?"

"You're right. We know the terrain the best, after all. This way, there are always two sensors in the camp to look for enemies," Naruto explained. "The outside team will also act as a scouting team. We need to know when the other alliances make their move. Sooner or later, they'll come for us. I just hope that it's not at the same time."

Chōji, who still looked somber shouldered his Bo-staff and glanced at the large trees surrounding them. "Do we start with these scouting teams today?"

Naruto looked at the three Genin he had spoken with half an hour ago. Originally, he had planned to send out these expedition teams as soon as possible. Now though, the circumstances had changed. He had the constellations for the teams already in mind, but it wouldn't do them any good if they were exhausted – mentally as well as physically.

In the end, he shook his head. "No, we'll start tomorrow morning. For now, just make sure to trap everything you can."

Sasuke, in the meanwhile, had stepped up to Kiba. "Can you sniff out a bear, Inuzuka?"

"Of course I can, Uchiha," Kiba answered; a low growl was slowly building up in his throat.

"Good. Then let's hunt dinner."

Naruto noticed them, and appeared next to the duo. "Wait a sec. Give me your chips first. I'll pool them with the others. From now on, no one leaves the camp with chips in his pockets."

Sasuke and Kiba gave him the chips before continuing on their way into the forest. Naruto was quick to visit the other members of the Alliance and soon had gathered every chip in a large pouch that he hid in the small cave with the underground river.

Shikamaru joined him shortly thereafter. "How many chips have we got?"

"Thirty-three," answered Naruto. He snorted after the Nara whistled in appreciation.

"That's quite a lot."

"Not enough for all of us to pass"

"True."

AN: Well, that's it. The Alliance has found their position, but many dangers await them still.