Birth of an Assassin: Heir to the Namikaze

Chapter 12

Namikaze to the Rescue

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Naruto.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

"Jutsu"

"Tailed Beast Speak"

Pairing: NaruxSaku

Assassin!Naruto

Fun Fact: Even though assassins are secretive, in Naruto's world many high ranking shinobi such as Kage are in fact members of the Order. This has led to the assassins being dominant on the continent for many decades.

What's up guys, back again for another chapter of Namikaze Assassin. We left off with Team Seven entering the Forest of Death and immediately getting assaulted by other teams including none other than Orochimaru himself. With Sasuke incapacitated from his seal, Naruto and Sakura have sought shelter until their team-mate recovers.

In the mean time, Naruto leaves his team temporarily to go find Anko as she comes under attack from Orochimaru. What kind of information did he wish to gain from her and why does she refer to him in honorifics? Not to mention that the Sound ninja are waiting for sunrise to launch their attack, will Sakura be able to hold them off or will Naruto not make it in time?

I also have a poll on my profile pertaining to an old story of mine, Namikaze's Homecoming, that I took down from the site that many want me to re-write. It has come to my attention that someone who read it has since written his own version of it, taking many of my plot points and ideas. Considering when I took it down the general idea of course I figured to be fair game but he didn't even ask for my permission or tell me he was writing it which kind of puts me off. I'm not sure I would like to write the story at this point, so go let me know what you think.

000

Konohagakure

44th Training Ground

000

"So..Orochimaru is on the move again."

"Yes, Naruto-sama."

Naruto sat with Anko in the treetops as the moon began to fade in favor of daylight. She had been recounting to him the suspicious events occurring in Konoha as well as what the snake told her during their fight. His presence would make the Chunin Exams difficult to continue but they both knew the Hokage would continue the exams to avoid conflict.

"It's clear that the Oto ninja enrolled within the exam are his own spies, but..there is something off about a particular Konoha team."

Anko squinted her brow in confusion.

"Which team would that be? They all seemed to be pretty run of the mill genin."

Naruto's thoughts drifted to Kabuto and his squad, it was clear to him that there was a link between him and Orochimaru.

"It's the team with the older students, Kabuto being one of them. I was able to decipher that he has some sort of link to Orochimaru."

This surprised the Special Jounin that the son of the Medical Chief was in league with a rogue criminal. If it was true then he would have to be apprehended before he could deal any damage.

"Naruto-sama..we should report this to the Hokage. Orochimaru's presence here is already too much of a problem but if we let too many of his spies roam around.."

Anko had a point but there was a risk to that. If they made a move on Orochimaru's forces then he could move up his invasion schedule or make things even worse. Not to mention that Kabuto was clearly hiding his strength and would not be so easy to capture.

"It's too risky Anko, Orochimaru is too unpredictable as far as what his plans are for Konoha during these exams. If we try to apprehend Kabuto or dispel the Oto ninja it will only provoke him into something worse."

They noticed the time and prepared to head out. It wouldn't be too much longer and they would already be missed at their stations so they would have to separate. Naruto was worried about Sakura and knew he should head back before another team stumbled upon their hiding spot. Anko turned to him and waited expectantly.

"So what are your orders?"

Naruto crossed his arms in thought before nodding in satisfaction.

"Alert the Hokage of Orochimaru's presence and his demands. It wouldn't hurt to have the village on alert if he really is planning a war."

Anko nodded.

"And Kabuto?"

Naruto scowled, remembering his stench.

"I will take care of him..myself."

He saw the look of worry come over her face and walked toward her. When Kakashi had abandoned him at his father's home, Naruto had been alone for the first few months. Then, as if a barrier had been removed, Anko had arrived and began to take care of him.

He did not know why she was allowed there during his younger years as she wore no clothing that would identify her as an assassin. It was only until he grew older did his father tell him of Anko's past and her brush with the Namikaze, how she became their agent within Konoha. As he was the next heir it was her duty to serve him, and that she did.

That was why he knew that the reason she was worried was because of her duty and the feelings she had developed for him as he grew up. He caressed her cheek in a similar way Orochimaru did, making her flinch but not pull away.

"Don't worry so much..we will see each other soon once the Second Exam concludes. If anything, I'm more concerned about you with him so close."

Anko just smiled and placed her hand over his. The reason she chose to continue to serve the Namikaze wasn't just out of honor or debt for what they did to her, it was because Naruto actually cared. That he was willing to attack someone as powerful as Orochimaru to keep her out of harm's way meant that she had made the right choice.

"Well then you shouldn't worry either..I'm tougher than I look." She gave him a friendly punch. "Besides, its thanks to your seal that he can't influence me as easily."

Anko pulled her coat down a bit so that he could see the Namikaze's seal was still branded over her cursed seal. The three tomoes were inside the curved diamond with a line crossing beneath the open triangle shaped seal. It was put on her by his father many years ago when she was first abandoned by Orochimaru to better contain his hold over her.

Although Orochimaru had temporarily broken it during their short fight last night, Naruto successfully repaired it with his own chakra resealing the deadly mark.

"I will keep in contact with you through the seal. Stay nearby in case I need your help Anko, and be careful."

She bowed as he leaped away from the branch. His urge to return to his team led her to believe that perhaps he had feelings for his team-mate which made her giggle inside. So the stone cold Namikaze had finally gotten a crush?

'I wonder what his father would say?'

000

Sasuke twitched and moaned in pain, the seal was acting up again. His team-mate reached up and got a fresh towel to wet, placing the cold rag over his forehead. Again she looked out into the forest from their hideaway to try and spot any sign of the enemy or Naruto.

As soon as they had found their spot in the forest, Naruto suddenly left and said he had business to attend to. What business could he have in this forest? It was as if something jolted him into action as one minute he had been preparing their beds to rushing out the next. It worried her but she had gotten somewhat used to his aloofness and preferred to wait.

She turned back to Sasuke and was disappointed he was still knocked unconscious. They needed to find their scroll as well as reach the tower. Neither of those could be done though until all three of them could move and fight but Sakura knew of no way to awaken the Uchiha. Their only hope now was to wait and hope he could wake up on his own before they ran out of time.

Sakura sat cross legged and closed her eyes. Breathing deeply, she began to focus her senses as taught by her teacher and team-mate, Naruto. Losing her sight allowed her to improve her hearing and soon the forest came alive as each and every creature's call and movement could be heard by her ears. She even thought she could hear people, a faint sound that resembled battle and yelling off in the distance.

Ignoring it, she focused closer.

There they were.

A squirrel scampered toward their hideaway and Sakura turned around to face it. It was quickly intimidated and ran away, allowing her to return to sitting down.

Three pairs of eyes watched as their first attempt to attack failed as the squirrel ran away. The explosive tag would go unused it would seem as the defending ninja was too smart for that. It meant they would have to approach directly. The squad disappeared in a blur, landing in the clearing in front of the hideaway; the girl defending it made no movement and just sat facing away from them.

"Pulling the night shift to watch over your team-mate? How brave."

There was no response. Dosu scowled, he didn't like being ignored.

Zaku stood up from the stone he was sitting on and yelled at the pink head.

"Hey bitch! We're talking to you!"

Annoyed, he pulled out a kunai and threw it right at her head. They watched as it sailed forward and got within kill distance unchallenged. That was when they realized something was off as the kunai actually passed through her body and got stuck in wood.

"A..clone?"

Dosu said, astounded that they were outsmarted. A wire was cut and dozens of kunai and shuriken launched from the trees above, seeking to impale the Oto ninja. What they thought was an easy attack was then turned back on them as an ambush from the Konoha squad!

'We've been tricked..'

Zaku pointed both palms up and launched wind at the attack, hoping to deflect the projectiles. While some were scattered, the shinobi were forced to separate if they wanted to survive the attack. As Dosu slid across the dirt, he tripped another wire and felt his back hit against a tree trunk. A large piece of wood attached to a vine swung down from the treetops hoping to smash him.

With one hit from his melody arm, the wood shattered to pieces saving him from death. Before he could go far though, wires launched from behind the tree and tied him tightly against it. Every move he made only made the material dig into his skin and put him in even more pain.

Kin had rolled away from the shuriken when she detected a presence on her right, sweeping out with a kunai to try and hit it. When she saw nothing her vision went blank as she was kicked in the back of the head. The attack sent her flying into the bushes and knocked cold. She didn't stand a chance when the attacker hit her blind spot with enough pressure to knock her out.

Zaku watched as his team-mates were attacked as they had desperately tried to dodge and found himself enraged. How were they being beaten by someone they couldn't even see? They were supposed to be weak and easy prey after getting done with Orochimaru. How could some girl beat him?

He heard a twig crack and turned around as Sakura ran at him from the bush, hidden blade poised to strike. There she was, he thought as he pointed his palms at her and fired a strong gust of wind. It was then to his horror that the attack went through her and the clone disappeared, a trick.

"Looking for someone?"

Zaku tried to turn around but felt his right arm pulled behind his back and cried in pain. Before she could get an advantage he pushed his leg back and forced her to slide away. He turned and fought her in hand to hand, trying his best to dodge her blade attacks.

Sakura countered and hit back when she could but close combat was not her strong point. She had gotten lucky that she was able to knock the other girl out as it narrowed them down to only two. With Dosu immobilized against the nearby tree it was only Zaku that posed a threat. If she could take him down then she could finish the rest off easily.

"Damn you!"

Zaku kept launching bursts of wind but at the last second Sakura always pushed his arm away, leading the attack to go astray. He noticed she was getting tired and kept laying the pressure on as he slowly pushed her back to the little cove where the Uchiha lay.

'You are almost done you little bitch.'

000

"Oh no! Stay away from me!"

Karin ran as fast as she could as the large bear came bearing down on her. It was bigger than anything she had ever seen in her life, what did it eat in this forest to get so big? She had been out getting water for her team when the bear came upriver, looking for fish. Once it saw her she had been on the run from it ever since.

It roared in annoyance as she just barely ducked under its swing, claws missing her head by inches. If this kept up she would really die!

"Somebody help-" She tripped on a root and collapsed on her stomach. "Ouch!"

Her glasses had come off during the fall and she scrambled for them as the bear growled. Looking up, she could only watch helplessly as it prepared to pounce on her and have her for lunch. Tears began to fill her eyes as her life wishes failed to come true because of some stupid bear.

'This isn't how I wanted it to end..'

That was when she saw a white flash appear above the beast's head and knock it out with a single axe kick to its skull. The red head's hands found purchase on her glasses and she quickly put them on to look at her savior. Immediately her eyes widened on recognition, it was the same assassin from a few months ago!

"You.."

She blushed as his warm chakra radiated from his body, overwhelming her senses. It seemed he recognized her too as he hesitated for a second as he looked her over.

"I remember you..you are from Kusa."

Naruto leaped down to join her as the bear slouched over, losing its balance. Karin struggled to get up but was too distracted by the blonde. Noticing her hesitation he held out his hand to help her up and she quickly obliged.

"Yes.." Was all she could say in response.

Naruto looked her over and saw she was alright save for a few scrapes. He had heard her screams and the bear's footsteps from far away and decided to come to her aid for some reason. Although it looked like she had the same scroll as them he was glad he could help the beautiful girl from before.

"What is your name?" He asked her and she suddenly fumbled for an answer.

Her face down in embarrassment, she slowly looked up to face him with a deep breath. Pushing her glasses to the bridge of her nose, she found enough courage to speak.

"I'm Karin.."

He seemed intrigued by her name for a while, surely saying it over a few times in his head. It was odd for her to be so enamored by a boy as usually it was the other way around..but his chakra, it set her on fire. She just wanted to..oh the things she wanted to do to him were unspeakable!

"I see, it's a pretty name Karin." Her blush intensified. "My name is Naruto..I'm glad I got to see you again after our meeting in Kusa."

She just nodded.

"It was good to see you again too.."

'She is so soft spoken..I wonder if she is like this all the time? Regardless, her hair is so..'

Naruto watched as her head would slightly move as she would look at him and then around the forest. Her hair would swish back and forth, the bright red only intensified its beauty.

"Not only your hair..but your eyes are red too." He smiled but lost it when she frowned.

"You think its weird too?"

He quickly shook his head as the girl looked back at him, surprised.

"No..I think you look beautiful." Her heart skipped a beat as the breeze picked up, making her hair lift from her neck. "I don't know what it is but..I think red hair looks great."

Karin quickly pulled her hair back down, petting it slightly.

"Really?"

Naruto noticed her voice changed to what sounded like a normal, confident tone.

"Yeah."

That made Karin happy to hear that he didn't think her odd. She fidgeted with her black skirt and glasses while Naruto looked around, trying to listen.

"I hate to leave so soon Karin..but I think my team-mates are in trouble." Her eyes widened as he prepared to go.

"Wait!"

Naruto turned around and looked at her, giving off a smile.

"I hope we meet again and can really talk to one another..I'd like to get to know you."

And like that he was gone. A few leaves and dust kicked up to show he had been standing there. The girl remained motionless in the clearing. Her blush did not allow her to move for a little while longer as she kept playing his words back in her head. It was the first time anyone had shown any real interest in her..it made her happy.

"I.." She swallowed and then made a cute smile. "Would like to see you again too!"

000

Zaku crouched and did a sweeping kick, knocking Sakura off her feet. They had been fighting one another for a while now and he knew she was almost out of energy. Now that he had the advantage, he took out a kunai and tried to stab her.

Breathing heavily, Sakura quickly kicked him in the stomach and forced him back. She rolled away and realized she couldn't run any farther as they were right where Sasuke was. Her eyes wandered to Dosu as he was finally getting himself untied. The bushes began to rustle when Kin finally woke up, holding her neck in pain.

This was bad, all three were back up. Zaku just smirked as he approached her, knowing that she was out of tricks.

"You thought you could beat us all alone? What a joke."

Sakura's eyes went back and forth looking around, trying to find something to give her an advantage. She was running out of options as their attacks took their toll. Her body began to give out as she fell into a crouch, holding her side.

It wasn't long before Lee arrived in the treetops above, looking down on the arena that the two squads had been in for the morning. It looked like his beloved Sakura was in danger of losing to the Oto ninja and that was something he could not allow.

'Do not worry my flower, I will protect you!'

Just as Lee prepared to jump, a shadow covered the sun for a second and made him look up.

Sakura watched from under her hood as he arrived. Like an eagle to a mouse, the assassin swept from the sky and landed on Zaku with practiced precision. His eyes went wide as the sudden weight and pressure against his back pushed him to the ground. He did not have the time to yell as the blade slid deep into his neck.

As Naruto's cloak completely enveloped them, Dosu and Kin could not see what had happened from behind Naruto. They watched as the cloaked assassin slowly got up and turned to face them, the still dripping wrist blade protruding from his forearm. Their eyes widened as there lay the body of Zaku, unmoving.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Naruto asked as he kept his eyes on the other two still stunned from his attack.

Sakura struggled to stand so she could fight beside him.

"I'm fine Naruto..just a little tired."

He looked back at her and saw her frail body shaking as her legs tried to support her. The wound she had inflicted on herself had yet to fully heal, not to mention the lack of rest she had from guarding Sasuke all night. Even in this weak state, he was so proud of her and how far she had come since they met.

"Just rest Sakura.."

Dosu and Kin took it as their chance to charge forward and take Naruto out once in for all.

Sakura watched as they closed in while Naruto was still paying attention to her. She started to yell for him to turn around when his fist swung to the side and sent Dosu flying back. Kin hesitated when she saw her team-mate hit so hard and, as soon as she landed next to him back flipped away. Naruto turned to face her and showed his free hand with a single wire tied around his finger.

With one pull, she felt her foot pulled forward and fell on her back. Looking down in a daze, she saw the wire tied tightly around her foot and realized he must have put it there when she landed next to him. How was he so fast? A clone appeared next to her and pulled her up by her hair, forcing her onto her knees. Before she could struggle, a blade was put to her neck and made her cease any movement.

Sakura watched in amazement as another clone appeared from the bushes carrying a dazed Dosu under his arm. It quickly dropped him and hoisted the bandaged teen onto his knees. A kunai appeared in the clone's hand and he stabbed Dosu's melody arm making the Oto ninja scream in pain. With the arm rendered useless, he was then placed in the same position as Kin with a blade to his throat.

And just like that it was over in the span of less than five minutes. The pink haired girl could only look up at her boyfriend in amazement, how was he so strong? It just showed she had so much to learn before she could get anywhere close to his level.

"This battle is over."

The blonde declared with no argument from the other side. Their eyes were focused on him, wide in fear. He watched in amusement as their bodies shook, taking deep shallow breaths and trying their best to not make any sudden moves.

"Please..just take our scroll. We mean you no further harm Konoha-sa-" Dosu shut up as the blade was moved close to his neck, with one slice it would spill blood.

"Shut up." The clone said in a serious tone making them realize they would not be able to leave so easily.

"Your team-mate is dead..that means you will have to forfeit this round."

Eyes wandered to Zaku's dead body and they knew he was right. How could they come so close and be beaten in the blink of an eye?

"We all know your lord and master Orochimaru is here and that he has plans in Konoha. We also know that you two are just pawns in his game, pawns that can be thrown away."

They said nothing, eyes wide in realization. It was true, why else would he send them to attack the Uchiha's squad when he knew of such a powerful member on their team? They meant nothing to Orochimaru.

"You have attacked me and my team for the last time." Naruto strode forward, their bodies seized up in fear. "I will make sure you are properly punished."

Naruto looked between his two clones and nodded, giving them a signal. Both Sound ninja closed their eyes and waited for the end to come, hoping it would be swift. Instead, the clones formed a hand sign to focus their chakra and then pressed their fingers onto the genins' necks. Both screamed in pain as the chakra painfully inscribed seals on their skin, forming the Namikaze emblem.

"Your service has only just begun."

That was the last thing they heard before they fell over, unconscious. The clones carried them into the uprooted tree and then disappeared, leaving Naruto alone with Sakura. She looked over their bodies and got a good look at the seal; the skin around it was red and indicated it was very sensitive from the pain.

"Naruto..what did you do to them?"

He sat down next to her and placed an arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. Blushing at their closeness, she couldn't help but let go a sigh of relief as she leaned on him. It had been a long two days for both of them with little time to rest.

"Just rest now..I'll tell you later."

Sakura just nodded into his shoulder, too tired to disagree. It wasn't long before she fell asleep in his arms and he quickly laid her down in a bed roll for proper rest. He looked at her face and how peaceful it had become since closing her eyes. She looked so beautiful when she was calm like that, he thought as he brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.

A surge of chakra made him look over at Sasuke and see something he wasn't expecting. The curse mark expanded over his skin and a rush of chakra flooded through him. The Uchiha slowly got up and looked around with an angry look in his eye, turning to face Naruto.

"You.."

Naruto watched cautiously as Sasuke approached. He didn't want to hurt him but he wouldn't let him near Sakura with that kind of evil chakra running through him. Even in his exhausted state he could feel the killer intent being released.

"Stop it Sasuke, get a hold of yourself!"

Naruto rushed forward and tried to punch him in the gut but somehow he was faster. Sasuke blocked the punch and threatened to twist Naruto's wrist, but he pulled away in time. A clone appeared next to Sasuke and grappled him, able to throw him out of the tree's cover into the clearing. With a sharp elbow over his shoulder, the clone popped and Sasuke was back up.

Naruto crouched in the entryway to their hideout, breathing to catch his breath. What kind of seal was this that made Sasuke as fast as him? The chakra gave off a disgustingly evil feel but he couldn't understand why Sasuke wasn't shrugging off its effects. It was clear to him that he would have to incapacitate him again if he wanted Sasuke to go back to normal.

"Alright..guess I'm doing this the hard way."

Naruto began to run forward, gathering lightning chakra in his hand. Sasuke charged him and grappled his wrists, turning the battle into a sudden test of strength. Their heads butted against one another as Sasuke tried his best to hold onto Naruto's strong arm but slipped, breaking his hold. The blonde then gripped Sasuke's wrist and sent the lightning flooding through his body, making him scream.

He followed up with a punch to his gut and then an uppercut that sent the Uchiha flying. Eyes watched Sasuke land onto the ground and roll over, the seal slowly receding. Lee had waited around to make sure Naruto had handled things safely and to make sure his Sakura was alright. Now that things had settled down, he took that moment to leave.

It was also at that point that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji watched from the bushes stunned at Naruto's strength. They had come to find out what the source of the ruckus was but only found the assassin beating on the Sound ninja then Sasuke. Even if Ino wanted to yell at him for touching her crush, Shikamaru easily talked sense into her when he made it clear they stood no chance against him.

"I know you are there..get out of here before I kill you too." Naruto shouted as he picked up Sasuke's body and began to carry him inside.

That was enough for those three and they ran off without even looking back once.

With all that drama out of the way, Naruto dropped Sasuke on his bed and fell to his knees in exhaustion. Kyuubi had watched the entire exchange and knew the boy was barely functioning so he gave him the best advice possible in that situation.

"Just go to sleep boy.."

And with that, the blonde collapsed into Sakura's bedroll. Team Seven had gone through enough trouble during the Second Exam but it was only going to get worse.

000

Forest of Death

Tower

000

"Orochimaru is here?"

"The exams need to be cancelled right away!"

"We need to find him before he can cause any trouble."

Anko had just alerted the gathered instructors as well as the Hokage of the criminal's presence in Konoha. An uproar followed as they all voiced their opinions of how to handle the situation. It wasn't until the Hokage cleared his throat did they stop and allow him to speak.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention Anko. The village will be alerted and prepared should he try anything."

She then went on to explain his plans and that he did not want the exams canceled. It put them in a hard spot as Orochimaru was danger not only to their village but to the visiting genin. If he were to kill one it would make an international incident with Konoha at fault. At the same time though his threat made it clear that stopping the exam could be even worse.

"Hmm..It would seem we are stuck. Either way we are taking a risk.." Hiruzen sighed, his former student was not making his life any easier.

"What are your orders Hokage-sama?"

The Jounin and Chunin present waited for his word before they would continue. It was time for a leadership decision.

"We will continue the exam but raise the alert level. There is a chance we can diffuse the problem before it gets out of hand. Keep your eyes open and report anything odd immediately."

The gathered shinobi dispersed and went back to their stations which allowed Anko to slip out. Walking through the tower, she found a secluded hallway and leaned against the wall. Concentrating, she focused chakra to her seal in an attempt to contact Naruto.

"Anko, report." He spoke in her mind meaning he had felt her activate the seal.

"The Hokage has raised the village's alert level but will continue the exam. Have you seen any sign of Orochimaru since?"

"No, but the Oto squad attacked us in an attempt to fight Sasuke. I was able to kill one and capture the other two..in fact I need your help with something."

Anko's brow creased, it wasn't often Naruto captured an enemy and let them live. They must have had some importance in his plans.

"What is it?"

"I need you to travel near gate #16 and pick these two up. I applied my seal so they won't be conscious until I allow it, just take them to my compound."

That surprised her even more that he had applied his seal to them.

"Your seal Naruto-sama? Are you sure its wise to use Orochimaru's pawns against him?"

Naruto chuckled a bit.

"I don't think they will have much love for Orochimaru for very long. Besides, they fear me just as much as they do him by now after I made their team-mate an example."

"Very well..I will do as you ask."

"Thank you Anko, we are on our way to the Tower as I speak. I'll see you there, travel safe."

Anko opened her eyes after the telepathic conversation and began to walk off as if nothing happened. For too long she had just been gathering information and waiting for Naruto to grow old enough to lead. Now that he was making plans, the Namikaze were finally on the rise again. It gave her some pride to know she was a part of that.

Without anyone suspecting, the Special Jounin slipped out of the tower and proceeded with the task given to her. If it was for Naruto, she would not fail.

000

Forest of Death

000

"Sabaku Kyū."

The Rain shinobi were quickly wrapped in sand that suddenly appeared at their feet. Hands grabbed their legs and kept them from escaping as the attack took its time enveloping them. Gaara forced them to rise from the ground, guiding the sand with her hand.

"I'll kill everyone that gets in my way.." She said out loud, sending chills down Team 8's and her sibling's spines.

With one hand holding a fallen umbrella, the other controlling the sand closed to finish her jutsu. Screams were silenced in mere moments as the entire squad died in one go. Blood launched from the sand cocoons, pelting the surrounding area.

"Sabaku Sōsō!"

Kankuro walked forward after the rain of blood had finished and picked up their scroll. He smiled, a Heaven scroll, how convenient.

"Looks like we got what we need, let's head to the tower."

He looked back and saw Gaara eying the nearby bushes where Team 8 hid. His gut was unsettled as he knew Gaara would want to keep fighting which wasn't something they could afford. If they wanted to stick to the plan they needed to get to the tower as quickly as possible.

"I'm not done yet..there are more I want to kill."

She held her arm up again and sand began to drift toward her target. Kankuro walked toward her as Temari tried desperately to calm her sister down.

"Gaara-chan, let's just go. There will be plenty more fighting in the next exam.."

"Yeah Gaara, don't-"

"Shut up!"

They both were shut down by their sister as she continued to track the Konoha ninja. Frozen in fear, Kiba and the others could do nothing but pray she backed off. Kankuro walked up to his sister and gripped her sash that held the gourd to her back. Her aquamarine eyes locked onto him and he felt a killer intent directed at him.

"Listen to your older brother, we are going!"

"I've never seen either of you as siblings.." Gaara slapped his hand away then pointed her attack at him, making him freeze. "I will kill you if you stand in my way."

"Gaara..please calm down and let us get going. I'm asking you as your big sister.." Gaara did not move for a long pause before she moved her hand back toward Team 8.

They expected an attack but instead Gaara just collected the cork for her gourd and placed it back on. As they silently breathed a sigh of relief, the red head slowly began to make her way toward the tower.

"Let's go."

The two siblings quickly followed behind not wanting to anger her. Gaara's insides shook at the thought of fighting and blood, the Rain ninja were nothing compared to what she really wanted. Ever since she had locked eyes with that assassin she knew she wanted to kill him. Her thoughts would wander as she tried to imagine what sound he would make as she slowly suffocated him.

Shukaku could only find amusement in how the girl was fixated on the kid with his brother inside. That bloodlust flowing through her veins was like pleasure to both of them. He knew her bones ached to get a hold of him, but what he found odd was why she was so fixated on him. Perhaps it had something to do with a past experience, not that it mattered much to him.

Blood was blood and Shukaku anticipated that Gaara would make Konoha drown in it.

000

Naruto and his squad were running through the forest in the general direction of the tower. It was getting dark and he wanted them to avoid as many enemy shinobi as they could. Each were on different levels of the forest to avoid larger traps that could endanger closely packed teams.

Naruto took the arguably most dangerous position at the bottom of the forest floor, running through tall grass and avoiding tripwires set by teams already past them. Sasuke jumped through the lower branches and tree trunks, skillfully avoiding the poisonous animals and diffusing any traps he saw hiding away in the leaves. Sakura took the higher branches to keep an eye on the both of them but kept her own eye out for any sign of enemy teams or natural predators.

Every once in a while they would come across another team that had already fallen to a trap. Bodies slumped over with kunai imbedded deep in their skin, the blood already dried. Whatever valuables they had were taken as well as the scrolls they had died protecting. Team Seven never lingered in one area for long and would move on quickly.

Naruto would leap over tripwires, dodge falling rocks and kill any animal that got in his way. It was his hope that they would arrive at the tower just as night was setting in. He was also hoping that they wouldn't encounter any more opponents although with Sasuke back up, their chances of victory went up too.

'But he is too unpredictable now to rely on..' Naruto thought with a glance upward, seeing the Uchiha jump over his head.

A whistle from overhead indicated Sakura saw something coming so Naruto quickly sidestepped and melded with the shadows the trees cast. Sasuke hid among the leaves that covered the branches, watching for any sign of approach. They watched as a single figure appeared on the forest floor and two of the three members relaxed their guard.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he identified Kabuto Yakushi as he waited for them to come out. With another sharp whistle, he indicated it wasn't friendly and readied his blade. The other Konoha ninja just looked around in the trees as he knew they were close but did not know exactly where. He must have expected them to come out peacefully but Naruto wasn't so naïve.

Even if he wasn't there for his team's scroll it was clear that he was a spy for Orochimaru. Taking him out under the guise of the Second Exam's rules would be a perfect excuse for his death. Using the shadows, Naruto crept through the brush on his approach.

Sakura had been the one to spot Kabuto first but didn't know exactly what his intentions were. When Naruto gave the warning that he wasn't friendly, she stayed in the treetops waiting for someone to make a move. It looked like the older genin hadn't spotted them yet so she decided her advantage would be surprise.

Kabuto tried to listen for them but they weren't even making any sounds. What he thought was Sasuke's team could have fooled him into an ambush that he didn't have time for. Orochimaru wanted to make sure Team Seven got to the tower safely so he had been ordered to accompany them but it seemed a fight was the thing waiting for him instead.

'Seems like they won't be fooled as easily as I thought.'

Kabuto waited until the inevitable attack began and he didn't have to wait long. Kunai launched from the trees above forcing him to roll away. A presence behind him made his head twist around in time to see the flash of a blade cross his vision. He was able to push the attack away and grapple the wrist but not for long.

Naruto initiated a counter and broke his wrist free, grabbing Kabuto's arm and throwing him over his shoulder and onto the ground. Momentarily stunned, Kabuto barely escaped another stab by rolling away and struggling back to his feet with Naruto close behind. They engaged in close combat with Kabuto countering his attacks, evenly matched.

Another barrage of kunai signaled another attack and Kabuto caught Sasuke's kick in mid-air. The Uchiha's sharingan flared and he twisted upside down, launching a strike at the spy's abdomen. Not expecting it, Kabuto took the hit and flinched. Sasuke crouched and rolled away letting Naruto get underneath Kabuto and send a kick right to his chin, launching him in the air.

Stunned, Kabuto watched as a shadow covered the fading sun from his eyes. Something above him was falling toward his body and he soon realized it was Sakura. He brought up his arms but was unable to completely block her kick that sent him flying down to the ground, landing in a heap. As he struggled to get up, his cracked glasses caught Naruto walking toward him with his blade out.

'Dammit..they were actually able to ambush me?'

Naruto was almost in striking distance when Sakura whistled again from a nearby branch. The blonde launched backward as a clone rose from the ground in front of the wounded Kabuto. Dozens more started appearing on the ground floor as well as the tree branches. They quickly were identified as some Ame ninja's attack and when Naruto effortlessly stabbed through one he realized it was just an illusion.

"Head for the tower!" Naruto ordered his squad as the clones started to converge on them.

He glared at Kabuto who was struggling to escape as well as fight off the clones. His death would have to come later it seemed that fate would have them meet again. As the clones began to envelope Naruto's body, grabbing at his robes, he disappeared forcing the Ame ninja to pursue or retreat.

Kabuto, being the weakest was the one they chased after. Bloody meat was in the water and the pirahnas were biting. He unwittingly gave Team Seven a free avenue to escape and arrive at the tower while he himself would be delayed by these annoyances.

'I swear I'll get you back for this..Namikaze.'

The curse was no sooner uttered in his mind as he dodged another kunai attack from the pursuing Rain ninja, intent on bloody revenge. He was going to have a difficult night and an even worse time when he finally reported in to Orochimaru.

000

And this chapter has been completed. A bit short but I'm a bit pressed for time as well as not wanting to start the preliminaries because it should have its own chapter or two. This detailed their process of getting through the Forest of Death with both scrolls in hand as well as the resolution of the Sound ninja, two love interests and their presence in the Forest, as well as exploring Anko's relation to the Namikaze and Naruto.

After I get some more votes in the current poll, expect a new poll up tomorrow asking for your predictions on Naruto's opponent in the preliminaries. Who do you think he will be paired to go up against and do you think he will win? Lose on purpose or finally be overpowered?

Let me know what you thought about the chapter in a review.

See ya.