A leaf in the sand

In thought while walking out of another large forest, Arjies broke the silence by bluntly stating the facts. "Neither of us is of that quality of person who is able to initiate a conversation. It is almost as if we are in need of a third wheel. It's beside my point however, no, what I want to know is. What is it that you will do with me once…"

"Once what, you're deep in enemy lands? I told you, I'm not going to kill you, and I meant what I said. We are from different Villages, but we are not so unalike. I intend to keep my commitments, even as far as to defend you" He looked back at me, a stern expression set in once again on his face. His personality seemed to shift between this serious nature to a mischievous other.

"And what will I do in this different Village" The Leaf Village, not mine, now the Sand… perhaps it will be a learning experience but how will it work. This is all too, annoying.

"When we are there, it won't be for long, I need you to help make my weapon. Then, we will spar, and from there you will be free to go. Happy?!" Naoki said in a not to overly zealous mood as we walked through the thickening undergrowth.

…

While the silence resumed, a complacent although gentle voice could be heard in the distance.

…

From behind the young saplings of the bush they hid, Arjies and Naoki looked ahead to what had made the noise.

It was a young lady, by her looks, with a firm figure that fit well to her suit. She was a powerful soul; pulling the kunai stuck in her shoulder with quick firm motions that obviously, on the taking out of, hurt… yet she never screamed.

"Shinobi Gaidra Erito of the 25th elite teams…" Her voice, elegant and spoke Women more than lady.

Another figure, a man, spoke. "This was none of your business, She-noby" at that the man was jilted, as she had turned her gaze on him frightfully so.

The sound of her voice filled the air with lethal intent, and I could feel the heat around me, heat like pending death. "There is little ware between my patience and your tongue. An out Cast Ninja trading in robbery and death should know when to use his words sparingly, especially when speaking of, things he has done. Now tell me, where is 'it'" She pressed a kunai into his gut, with still four others lashed to him, ninja wire and Kunai; He was bound to a tree.

The man yelled out, shutting his mouth between the pauses of her interrogation, bring his teeth into a clenching grimace to the unnerving pain.

"I SOLD IT, AAGH!" With a hoarse voice he shouted out, but she did not seem to like the answer; yanking the kunai out of him before plunging it back. The man's sobs sounded like a dog barking with each dragging inhale as he tried to regain his breath, he was afraid, he did not know dying would be this hard.

"Who was it sold too, who would buy a…" Her words were cut, she haltered in her speech, retrieving a kunai from her pack.

The Kunai struck into the bushes and a scuffling shook the leaves of the small hiding place.

"Come out, NOW!" There was a delay but the 2 boys decided it best they came out before more Kunai were thrown.

"Here we are, hey" Arjies said in a kind of cheerful joking nature, just as if they were playing a game of hide and seek. To which she responded by commanding him, with gesture, to keep back and remain one side apart from the elder boy.

"I'm a leaf ninja so it's ok, we're allies" Arjies nervously leaned back on his heels raising a hand to the back of his head in utter discomfort, although he fully understood how threatening the situation was he was caught off guard by her frightful beauty, quickly righting himself to draw suspicion off.

She pointing a Kunai at Naoki, "And you are Sand." then drawing her weapon down she relaxed her stance.

"What are you doing in these parts of the wild" A comfort, a tone that let know that they were safe, settled on the Young Women's mouth. For some reason, she didn't seem to know of the war between sand and leaf…or at least she didn't seem to reveal any hostility to a Sand Ninja in front of her.

Naoki spoke, "We are on a mission to the Sand, we slowed because my partner has injured his hand. It was while searching for herbs that we heard... encountered…happened upon your grace and beauty" Naoki stammered to conclude his flattery, we did not need to exchange glances to clarify the need for the part truth explanation.

"Yes, It was a silly mistake, me injuring my hand I mean" I had injured my hand, but it was because Of Naoki's 'special kind of hand shake' which had hardened and sprained all the bones in my right hand, temporarily bruising them.

The leaf Shinobi looked back at her victim, making sure he was in complete submission and wouldn't present any threat, before she turned her gaze back on us in a questioning manner.

I decided it was a good idea about now, to change the subject. "What did this man steal from you? Ha ha, I mean if I can ask!?" it was an uncomfortable gaze, like she was examining a fault that needed to be…cut out!

"I was to deliver a personal message between Villages, I wonder now if that mission still remains, so much time has passed between the day I was assigned and the time present… between my objective being carrying a message to hunting it down." Her mind was in the distance, but her gaze remained on the man before her, and he seemed to tense with every word she spoke.

…

Another day passed, Naoki, Gaidra and Arjies enter the sand lands.

We each seemed to be on our own secret missions, all unclear to the others objectives. Naoki was on a mission to somewhere, only he knew, to find material for his weapon. Gaidra, the lady we had shockingly been introduced to, was on her own secretive mission to which we were still not fully informed on. I, well I was on a mission of self-discovery, but that has been horrible interrupted.

Why I stayed on the current cause was a factor of many things. I was interested where Naoki planned on taking me, what we would do, and I was afraid of Gaidra, her intentions and her reaction if she found out Naoki and my deception.

"This journey stretches far ahead of us, if we are to save time we should travel together. I will see you to the sand" She was right of course, 'a large herd catches fewer fleas' and we were likely to do the same by being accompanied by an elite ninja. Besides, having an elite travel with us would turn away violent inquires as to why Leaf ninja travel with a ninja of the Sand.

Naoki explained why he couldn't leave, especially not now considering what might happen if Gaidra were to find out the truth. We discussed these things while hunting food or 'looking' for herbs away from our elite companion. She had no reason to doubt our intentions but there was no better privacy then vanishing in search of supplies. He told me that he damaged my hand intentionally; he was planning on taking me along to build his weapon. He was still unclear on the why, but this way I was unable to use jutsus and even though I could still stab him in the night he had that advantage over me.

Gaidra was another interesting character. Her whole team was killed in that forest we met her in, her whole team. A team of elite ninja, Anbu, and now she carried her mission alone; injured physically and my heart says emotionally too. As a ninja of the Leaf, I wondered why Gaidra didn't wear a mask like other elites of our village. She wore the standard uniform of Anbu, formal and adept for any task, but her mask?

"Gaidra…" The two were walking ahead. When suddenly she turned to the mention of her name I found I had forgotten the question I had. "ergh…uhm, It was nothing"

Arjies lowered his head, looking down on his feet as they were swallowed by the sand with every step. Sighing gently to himself, still wondering about his life and what could be ahead. The direct sunlight was harsh, the sandy winds a comforting breeze though it shredded the skin, and the terrain absorbed all forward progress. All that was left to do was walking and thinking, and so he thought.

Gaara. The last time Arjies saw Gaara was during the Chunin exam, a time Arjies remembered simply as when Rock Lee lost his ability as a ninja. A blunt abrupt memory returned of it and suddenly the brief summary of his recall was an appalling reservation of the truth. Now a sneaking dread awoke, dripping sweat crept over his body and he began to realise with a gulp just what he had ahead.

…

Memory of the Chūnin exams:

Kinjo rolled around in the afternoon sun, purring to the light which was laughter and the breeze which was his fun. The curiosity in his eyes and the wonder on his face; pounced at every movement in the grass in his haste. From window sill to brass little tea pots, leaping and bounding, swerving and negating, all without refraining all no doubt without perturbing, like a Nimble little cat, if you could call him that.

"Arjies! Come inside, you must be tired from your long day at the Akademī-sei(meaning ninja academy)" My aunt was always nicer to me when she knew something unsettling was ahead.

"School wasn't bad, I still haven't made any friends but the academy isn't hard or anything" I was optimistic, at least I made it sound that way.

"Your uncle and I have decided." I sat down to hear what was decided of my life. "It's time for you to become a stronger ninja. Tomorrow you will start the chunin exams" My aunt Anisue didn't break from pouring the cold tea, but for a moment I felt the world shacking.

"Tomorrow!" I shouted out nearly spilling my cup "…but I haven't even registered yet!" I felt pushed back at the sudden information.

At this uncle Reno walked in.

Both my aunt and uncle were strange characters with almost sinister habits of gesture and movement. My aunt could show warmth despite her nature but my uncle was always an unsettling person; however things seem to change at times.

Reno leaned in resting a hand on my shoulder to assure me, and yet the feeling was hard-handed and abrasive, it strangely bought me ease.

"Don't worry Arjies we have already registered you." Arjies expression remained the same, but the pupils of his eyes narrowed to the unforgiving news.

Although his heart was panicked, his mind remained calm and his tone neutral as he stated his concerns "I've read people die in the chunin exams, an outcome I do not see myself foolishly stumbling into, besides you need a squad of 3 in order to enter! Of which I have none" He raised his shoulders, forming excuses in his conclusion, hoping the result wasn't what he expected.

In response his guardians replied, "But Nephew, we are a squad" and this blinding realisation set his mind to panic.

…

I was made part of a special class of students. Those students who had excelled in the ninja academy but did not present any special talents as a ninja, were not assigned a Jounin level sensei. We were genin, having passed all the tests of the ninja academy, but we were not developed in our own unique talents that would determine us an asset to any ninja team. Tracker, strategist, diplomat or specialist, these were the traits of ability that made us more than just ninja, they made us part of a tactic.

A counter to any given scenario, a ninja developed in a set field becomes more valuable for their trait than their ninja ability. They become a division defined by the problems they alone could solve.

I am hidden mist and wondering winds, although I can learn of the talents of the world, I can only use them as a tool in the development of my own creativity. As a part of the burdens of my village, I was forbidden by my guardians to use any jutsu that was not as they would say, of my own ability, but being genin level I was unable to master my chakra to the point of manipulation. Making it very difficult to discover, form and create unique techniques. Of course I was able, a small period of time and I could perform very difficult jutsus with only a few practice attempts, but that was not the way and even though I hated it I had to claim I knew nothing. I held back, showing no unique traits or interests, I was unfavourable and not chosen by any of the Jounin.

Therefore I became part of the class of ninja that performed inside genin level missions, missions confined to the leaf village.

I wanted to see the world outside the village, it was an optimistic dream that I had always wondered upon recalling my memories of the journey to the leaf. I do not remember my village, the people we lived with only as a vague shadow of the mind. I though remember the people and lands we travelled and all the glory of each nation we journeyed past. Now I would become Chunin, and no master would have to be put above me for distant and far away missions to be placed within my grasp. Only then, it was a dream to pass the Chunin exams, for now I had that ambition.

…

"In the darkness, the chakra, and in the chakra the essence of concentration", the chakra flowed through Arjies like fire. Slowly the surge of energy revolving around him faded.

"Again" Arjies commanded himself, he always feared the conviction of another speering his on. 'Rather he to reprimand himself than another', was his thought on the matter for he shunned the feeling of being told what to do.

Both his guardians repeated the chant as he focused his chakra "In the darkness, the chakra, and in the chakra the essence of concentration" so that the mind could only be filled with focus.

As the sails gather more wind, the ship has to garden more control. Gathering chakra is much the same, the more power you hold the stronger your focus must be.

Even though Arjies knew he needed clear thoughts to maintain the flow of chakra, he could not stop his mind from wonder. He knew to fear the Chunin exams. He had read of the many deaths that accounted for more than half of the failures. This meant to him, he could not fail. He knew of those others who had passed but forever remained with shattered minds. To this Arjies knew regardless of the external world he could not let his internal harmony be corrupted. He had read accounts of those who had passed and grown to be greater ninja. Finally with this clarity, he knew he was ready and opened the flood gates of his power.

...

"Of the many ways to enhance spiritual energy, combat is the best" Arjies guardians danced around him, mirror images of each other, they made their attack.

I wondered what all the training was for. I thought it was their disappointment that I was unable to develop my own jutsu or find a sensei that would accept me. Augh, they must have planned this for months, registering me for the Chunin exams was just part of their set up… I'm sure they have a lot planned ahead for me. I must admit, I was enjoying the extra attention. Coming home for the academy every day to training, constant and watchful study of my developing skills, it was something new for me. It feels kind of funny now, thinking back to training on my own without any guidance. I was just messing around without a clue in the world of what was right, now at least I can hold attention to their reactions and gauge how wrong I am. It's odd actually, having being taught before I learnt of the exam instead of having to rush to studies in order to prepare for the final conclusion of a clash in lacking time and knowledge.

…

The Chunin exam, here we go. A squad of 3, because my aunt and uncle lived a time before the great wars, they were unranked. It must have been a peaceful time, when there was no need for measuring how deadly a ninja was by a title of rank or merit of badge. Simply that there were ninja now in this village, meant that they needed high level ranking in order to study and practise greater Ninjutsu. My guardians only wanted to achieve a level that would allow them to learn of sealing jutsu, which meant like me they had to attend academies and pass exams. Of course on an adult level, I could not bear the thought of them having joined me for class. Now we are here, together, to face the Chunin exams as a squad

…

"Room number 301…301…301… Hmm I don't see it." There was an odd ringing in my ear, the kind of ringing with a heavy vibe of chakra.

"The room numbers are not right" Uncle Reno stated it like it was a fact. As if just because he said it was wrong, it was wrong, but something wasn't right.

"What kind of system is this, the second floor and the room numbers are already in the 300s" Aunt Anisue was remarking on how our evolution as the new generation was upsetting to her, and for this point I had to agree.

"This must be some type of genjutsu, come on we are late. We have got to get to the 3rd floor before the doors are bared" There weren't many people around, everyone who wanted to be there was already in the examination room or unable to dispel the illusion of the room number confusion. Luckily for me, once my guardians knew it was a genjutsu, the illusion was dispelled and the final door to the room revealed.

Kakashi sensei was leaning against the door, sitting on the floor with a smile in his eyes, but quickly stood up to usher us in with a gesture of the hands. He was a goofy Jounin, I think I was lucky he didn't pick me as a student, even though he is meant to be the famous 'copy ninja'.

The door opened and Arjies, Anisue and Reno had now entered the room of the chunin exam, room 301. Angry angry faces instantly squared in on them; the last arrivals, the late rivals, and of course due to Naruto's speech before hand, unwelcomed Opposition.

Kiba whispered out of the side of his lips, "You guys just got in here at the wrong time. Naruto just blew his mouth off making us genin of the leaf big targets" Arjies was stunned by the number of the crowd; they all stared back as he looked over them. Looking to his guardians Arjies found the strength to part his eyes from the many looking at him as an easy target.

"What exactly did he say?" was the curious question Uncle Reno asked. An elderly man that was usually not interested in such things, but he was intrigued to find what one small kid could say to enrage such a large crowd.

This time Shino spoke, "If it's precisely what I remember, Naruto loudly proclaimed that he will beat every ninja in the room, isn't that right Naruto?" his clothing made his voice strange and muffled but the way he spoke showed strength and intelligence, and perhaps someone who is more deadly than they seem.

"You bet ya! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to beat every last one of you, no doubt about it. Did you hear that!" Naruto foolishly grinned, holding his arms folded behind his head as he leaned back in the air.

"Is this Naruto child a friend of your Arjies?" Anisue said in a sweet old grannies voice

Arjies eyes bulged; he swung around to look at his aunt "What an insulting, how could you think I would hang out with such a Retard!"

Naruto sighed before bringing his fist up to shout back. "HEY!"

"Yes that's right, I taught you better than that" Anisue reassessed, before restating her ruling on the matter "well you better not hang around such Buffoons! 'Retards' like that get people killed! I only feel sorry for the squad he is in, having to handicap themselves by saving him from the trouble he brings upon them" Naruto's fist collapsed under the words my aunt said; his anger was deflated. Everyone considered him to be a fool.

...

While Arjies and his aunt had their Naruto discussion, Reno observed a man called Kabuto Yakushi demonstrate a unique type of card trick. Kabuto, exam veteran and 7 time flunky, had information on almost all the genin who had come to the chunin exams, and he was showing that information to Sasuke Uchiha via a selection of cards.

"Gaara of the Sand….." Kabuto finished up another brief detailed report of a ninja's abilities. He was in the process of packing his cards away when Reno stepped in on the private conversation.

"And what of the exam itself. You spoke of the ninja, but not of the challenge, a contest you have faced 7 times" Kabuto held a hand to his glasses, pressing the fingers of his hand against the lenses, before responding to Reno's request.

"Sorry I don't give that kind of information out to just anyone. This is a competition after all and we are likely to find ourselves on the battle field, every advantage counts" He said those last 3 words silently, before a flash ignited off his glasses.

One of the Sound village!

Kabuto evaded the quick attack, the arm thrust at him blurred as it moved through the air in front of him. A metal gauntlet type device was strapped to the attackers arm, and even though Kabuto avoided the attack his glasses broke and his body bent over in nausea.

Before the confrontation escalates any further, the proctor Ibiki Morino and his team intervened to commence the Chunin Exams.

…

'This written exam is impossible! More than that, some of the questions they ask here need practical application. I would actually have to physically construct some of these questions in order to solve them; literally do them in order to see what would happen. Unless a person could demonstrate what would happen under these circumstances, it would be impossible to know the answer!'

I scratch at my hand, the clock was unnerving, I could swear they used the loudest ticking clock just to unsettle a person from thought. I could feel my frustration growing as my skin began to itch to the surmounting dread that these questions were just unsolvable.

'Why is it so HARD! I've studied tomes of every kind of book on ninja arts and yet these questions might as well be in sand script because I can't develop any sort of solution. I… I… no I cannot accept this'

I paused for a moment, considering the flash of thought that had entered my mind.

'If I can't solve this, then it is simply impossible that anyone else here can, which strikes an interesting question. What is everyone else writing down? No one would foolishly risk losing a point for any incorrect answer, besides the fact that they would just be mindlessly writing down answers pulled from… Answers, they aren't writing down their answers'

I felt the smile find my lips and had to laugh silently to myself.

'There is no way of knowing the answer unless… you already knew it to begin with, before the test had even begun. What kind of test trials people who already have the answers and challenges others who could never solve the questions?

My uncle Reno always said the best answer is a question. Listening to my elders reflects and proves to be useful when needed, but I wonder how well they are doing.

'Gleaming Farsight' I could feel my eyes flash as the chakra filled them, I just hoped that the invigilators don't notice as my vision stretched far in front of me revealing the answers of one particular person. I noticed when that person first entered the room he was quick to begin, almost instantly because… he already knew the answers.

…

"The final question"

Forest Of Death-

Arjies spoke aloud to himself. Aloud aloud to himself as he ignored the world around him whizzing by. "Whirling through the trees… hmm I like that better." He said to himself, a purposefully aimless conversation.

"Whirling, better than flying which kind of says I'm ignorant and stupid. Ninja can't fly. Hmm, must be the same though." His mind glided with his footsteps, leaping in no given direction but rather just drifting.

He touched his hand to his lips in thought, "Same as flying, it's got to feel the same. Guess you would have to actually fly to know the difference" He was feeling a bit…Maleficent to the questions he asked him selves. They held some… further meaning to him.

A sudden light shone from the blanket of darkness that covered the undergrowth; possessed of the forest of death. A graceful flicker of light which caught Arjie's eye, making him leers with a thirst for mischief.

"Hmm what's that I see. Farsight Jutsu. aaaagh a scroll." The words felt so fluid in his mouth that even a purr escaped his voice before a grinning satisfaction replaced his leering mischief.

Between the rocks and under the trees, lay a scroll amongst the leaves.

"Why are you so lonely in this darkness like night. A scroll, a scroll, so shinny and bright. O that I could take you and bring you in my might. O but that would not be right" I felt undone, the power was spun and all of me was overrun. This power inside, this strength this might, this what it is… it all felt right.

"There are no constrictions, no limitations to what I can bring. What I have bought to these exams. What I have done and, there they come." Arjies leaped down and the trap was sprung.

"Don't even try, this scroll is mine!" He ran forward to snatch it before the others, but stopped when he realised these ninja weren't interested in the scroll at all.

"Wait. What is this! Is this some sort of trap? Why is it that there moss on this scroll?" His voice in confusion made him sound much older than himself.

"That's something I would expect you to tell us" The young women looked at him and the striking perfection on her face told him she would not be befuddle by foolery.

"This… this is just not right." I said to myself "You're not a genin, you're a Jounin! This is not fair" I looked around, bringing my form to more of a defensive stance, looking at the people around me. Coming closer.

"What scroll do you think he has" one of the male members of her team asked.

Another male answered "Who cares" The 'let's kill him anyway' fully implied.

"It doesn't matter, It all, doesn't matter. Either he dies and we gain another Earth scroll, or he dies eliminating another 'person' in our way. Or he dies and we can end this part of the exam with a heaven scroll" she concluded. The efforts of her words were too much labour, impatiens ruled her care to elaborate further and endure a task which to her meant nothing. She was the Jounin I feared confronting. If they were only genin I could defeat them all, but just maybe I could destroy a Jounin too.

The ninja of the leaf attacked!

"Augh, you people have no taste for adventure!"Arjies rattled, sucking in the essence of the state he was in. "What's the use of setting up a trap if the pray won't even play along." They could see the change in his mood, the bluff of innocents was denounced, as now he revealed he truly was the predator.

"Argh!" Arjies let satisfaction rattle from his throat and roll off his tongue and yet appeasing to his mood, it did sound his frustration.

"I hate this, looks like I'll have to do everything" His movements were too quick to match, his stride a whisper in the wind, his composure confounding, and they were detached. Arjies leaned forward over the scroll and picked it up.

With quick force a branch shot from the leaves covering the mossy floor. Somewhat like a cat, Arjies, stretched to bring a hand to his mock yawn; the Striking branch arced right past his face slamming into the opponent on his right.

"From yawning elk, to pissing dog" Stretched out again he muster a powerful kick to the ninja on his left

"and pissing dog transforms into gathering storm" he reached his arms back into his body and shot them forward to the opponent ahead, the Jounin.

This last attack meet only air.

"If you have a scroll, hand it over now." Arjies said "I don't want to be a bother, but you saw what I can do. You have no hope of defeating me." All the play and fun was at a rest, now he was serious but she. She stood there smiling.

"You have no abilities. None! You only have tricks and strategy. I have Sharingan!" She figured it out, why else would a ninja use traps, wasting all that time on the hope that it would work, if they had ninjitsu.

"Sharingan! Perhaps you should, keep your scroll then." Arjies said uttering his disgust. "I can find other victims" He attempted to leap off in escape. His feet left the ground; he felt the air fill his ears and weightlessness ratified. The world reeled in his favour only to suddenly change. His body fell crashing down to the forces of gravity; he reached out his arms to claw at the air but no support was found of it. Suddenly with his feet once again grounded to the earth, he realised what had pulled him back down. It was the Jounin's hand on his shoulder.

"You are mine now!" Turning to face the opponent that had held him down, Arjies saw a flash of ninjutsu hand symbols. Before he could react his opponent held one hand to her lips and the other grasped a fist full of his shirt.

"Fire style jutsu!" The air cracked with heat and fire spat from her mouth.

Before the flames could reach Arjies a peculiar thing happened. The shoes he wore, the seemingly ordinary shoes of any ninja, collected together in front of the fire ball absorbing all the damage. The black colour, of the orb that shielded Arjies, faded into white and reformed into life.

Kinjo our pet 'cat' A summoned acquaintance of my family. He was more than just a cat. He was the reason I could match this young lady's squad members. While wearing him, Kinjo lent me his swiftness, his nimbleness and some of his charm. The boots of Kinjo (the neighbourhood) allowed it's wearer many unique abilities and the one very special gift of having a friend instantly at your side when you were about to die.

In the mid-air before falling back to the ground Kinjo spat out the fire that was now contained within his cat body. "COOOOO!" Repelling the lady who spate it originally.

Instinctively I picked up Kinjo, like he was a little cat, and leaped off into the trees. I throw down my scroll before the opponent could think to chase after me.

…

"Agh! That was a damaging worthless fight. Even with my forth sight for perfection; I care for my team, which is why I do not like them damaged" I spoke to the forest, my team scattered on the canopy floor. My behaviour, arrogance, in my perfection my words held just the right amount of mocking to match the character I played.

"It's fine Akira we will still make it to the temple in time. We just need to find a scroll of heaven, agh" Neko rubbed a hand against his sore ribs and coughed hoarsely, the branch hit him against the side of his chest knocking the wind from his lungs.

Getting up Yori tested a sore shoulder. The stranger had hit him there "It's only day one, we have the skills, these chumps are no match for us"

"That one was. He beat you, and you. Your both luck… he dropped his scroll running from me. Hm" I let light laughter fall into my voice, my companions did the same because our ruse of playing villains paid well..

Yori shattered the moment with an unsettling question "why does the scroll say 'haven' instead of 'heaven'?"

…

The group was beginning to question the scroll. It had to be a different type of trap because His earlier attempts hadn't quite worked; he kept getting Heaven scrolls.

This time instead of waiting for them to trigger the traps themselves, Arjies introduced himself to the trap as well. However Akira, the leader of the group he meet earlier, didn't believe him to be just another walker by who spotted a scroll, which meant a change of plans. At least this time he knew they had an Earth scroll.

Neko walked over to stand besides Akira, "I don't get it. Weren't these scrolls supposed to say Heaven"

Yori also took a position next to Akira to examine the scroll "I don't know, we didn't really get to see a Heaven scroll up close…they don't give you both"

"This… is weird" Akira lifted up the scroll closer to her face to read the small writing she could only now see written on the scroll.

'Haven scrolls are bonus items which give additional points to squads. Peel seal here to replenish party; one time use only!'

With the scroll held up to their faces a sudden and unexpected event was triggered.

It Was A Trap!

Escaping out of the scroll, plumes of smoke and gas enveloped them.

"'Kai' Sorry to do this to you guys" Arjies abruptly appeared a distance from them by a tree.

Akira was the first to be affected by the poison, followed by Yori and Neko.

"I'm not great with poisons, which is why instead of a paralysing scroll, you guys got a puking (vomiting) scroll" Bent over in biliousness, the others were too sick to respond. The sound of their gagging and heaving of hot mashed up food, was probably the worse sound the forest had ever heard. Well I felt that way, it's pretty messed up but hey a ninja has got to use ever method handed to them. Even if it turns the shade of green the forest has to a paler greyer colour, it's what I had to do.

"I hope I don't have to use this set up again, well, I don't want to be around when it happens at least" I started talking to them now, not like they could do anything about it, at least not for the next 20 minutes.

"If you're interested, you might find some other ninja bent over throwing up too. I just happened to create a lot of these scrolls. The ninja here haven't been very easy targets. They end up disarming the trap and taking the scroll. Meaning 'A', my trap doesn't notify me that it worked and 'B', my puke bombs will trigger as soon as they are out of my range" I sat crouched nearby one of my victims with an arm on my knee. He was throwing up so violently that the vomit was spattering on the accumulated puddle and splashed back up onto his face.

"emh… really disgusting. Yes I guess I should explain the whole idea behind this trap. See originally the whole thing wasn't a trap. A squad would, just find a scroll in the forest and pick it up, no hidden motivations other than the trigger thread notifying me the scroll had been moved. On further inspection the squad would find out it's covered in moss and really old with the words 'Haven scroll'. Assuming it's not from this generation of chunin exams; but just an old scroll from past exams. The squad like all the other squads that snatched the scrolls, would take it thinking it could come in handy as a decoy" This explanation is too long, I wonder if I have the time.

"Using the trigger and thread I put on the scroll, I would be able to track down the squad and trigger the trap whenever I wanted. Then, like now, I could just take whatever scroll you have." Argies walked to Akira and removed the scroll from her pack as he walked by.

"Problem is, the squads I did track down, didn't have the scroll I needed, and other squads disabled the thread thinking it was a trap trigger. Which is why unfortunately, I had to use this ploy on you, by first finding out which scroll you had introducing myself into the scenario" Arjies was about to leave, finding he felt justified in the revolting turn of events he had bought about. It was then with his back turned, that Akira accused him through her bouts of barf.

"Coward, Cowa-uuuuagh!"

"No one said being a ninja would be pretty, after all, I had to think twice as hard because I wasn't gifted with talents of birth like your Sharingan" Kinjo leaped down onto Arjies shoulder, meowing that they should be off before these Ninja recover their gut.

…

"I thought you said this plan would work, Ptah! Ptah!" Yori got back up, spitting the last of his lunch into the puddle that remained on the earthy floor.

"We should have used one of my puppets instead, then that guy wou…" Neko wanted to continue talking but he couldn't, not now.

In a puff of smoke, Akira transformed back into Arisu. Neko could see the look on her face, she was upset; hurt. The chakra thread connecting her to him like a puppet broke from her along with the last of their ruse.

He had been controlling her with his puppet jutsu, to aid her in battle, and Yori lent her his chakra and bakugan in order to boost her speed and give her the illusion of a successful sharingan ability in effect.

"It's not my fault, he didn't know who Akira is. It's not my fault! I… you and Yori should have helped me better!" Arisu turned over onto her side before getting up to stomp off in anger.

"Katsumi! Katsumi! Where are you girl!" Katsumi, Arisu's pet wolf dog, cantered proudly to her master's side.

"I think we need to go for a walk Katsumi, and think about how we are going to get our Earth scroll back!" Arisu's and her wolf dog walked down a path between the trees, away from the others sight.

…

"They just don't get it. It's not like I knew that would happen." I turned my eyes down on Katsumi, only she really understood me but I am her master; I shouldn't be this weak. "My plan was… was something I had to do." I tried to explain myself, Katsumi kept her head low. "I don't have any special gifts like Yori's bakugan or Neko's puppets. All I have is a good sense of smell and Katsumi you're the only reason I don't fail more often…." I am the weakest member of my team.

I looked out wondering if the forest around me might hold a solution to all my problems. If the enemy saw weakness they would make us their first target. That was why I planned to make myself the strongest member of my team, to disguise myself as our sensei; Akira, but the stranger didn't recognise her; my plan was a farce.

Akira our Sensei is a well known ninja, both in the Anbu and the ninja community as a whole. Any normal ninja would have avoided her instantly on sight, but that stranger only recognised me, as her, to be Jounin and not the threat that Akira was.

Arisu looked down on her wolf dog. Katsumi pointed her long snout at her, making an inquiring whine.

"That's right! I'm not going to give up. I'll just make another plan, we're going to make another plan." Katsumi touched her snout to Arisu's fingers, sniffing at the Haven scroll still clutched in her master's hand. Only now the Haven scroll had turned into a small log; substitution jutsu.

"The… the Haven scroll has a scent?" Arisu questioned her wolf dog but didn't understand what the animal was trying to say.

"…and you can smell other scents that are the same… nearby!?" A few of the smoke pellets dropped out of a hole in the log. Katsumi's ears perked, sniffing the pellets that fell near Arisu's feet. They must have been duds that didn't go off when the trap triggered.

"Arff Arff!" Katsumi circled around in excitement, ready to go for a run… a chase, a Trackers chase.

"Come on Katsumi let's remind the others why we are better than them" The hound ran ahead and Arisu had to laugh as she chased after.

That genin's voice thumped loudly in her head 'I had to think twice as hard because I wasn't gifted with talents of birth'. The Forest of Death had already began to unravel its lessons.

…

"I've got that Heaven scroll we needed to pass." Arjie's aunt just looked at him with fury in her eyes. He knew not to look at her; instead he walked past looking very apologetic to the ground.

"You have the scroll? Then there is nothing more this challenge needs from us" Reno spoke off into the wide clearing; his voice was husky from deep meditation.

His eyes were still closed, his hands still in that meditative form with his legs bent in and crossed. "Arjie's, now that you have achieved this level, you must learn more of your ancestry in preparation for the trials ahead" Reno opened his eyes and the world around him changed. The clearing they were in was suddenly no longer there. Where they now stood, a waterfall hung and a river side sprung; it was there all along.

"Genjutsu…" The word had come out of my mouth, I just didn't understand it.

"…but how, I came here with you. How would I not have known?" I wanted to say more but Anisue waved me off.

"Come now Arjies, you should know your aunt and uncle by now. We're old, but we have refined the tricks learnt through the ages" Anisue took the place of my uncle and sat under an enclave to meditate while he kept watch.

"I am going to teach you a tricks you may remember from our travels to the leaf." Reno walked passed his nephew, his arms hanging out from his wide sleeves.

"What's that on your forearm? Doesn't it look like ergh..?" I didn't really understand any of it? Why were my gardens meditating so much? It was unusual of them and especially because we weren't in a safe environment… and now they had seal markings on them, both of them, that I have never noticed before. I thought they didn't know any seal techniques.

"A seal, yes it is" My uncle Reno walked over a steam that parted ways from the river, coming to a stop beside a large flat rock that stuck from the earth.

"We would be uncovered very quickly as high level ninja because of our talents, our abilities and the level of our chakra." He inclined his head looking to the rock, urging me to climb onto it; and I had to listen to my uncle.

"These binding seals suppress our level of ability. All 3 of them serve to hold back our power" He let out the cane that hid in his sleeves. It was a small cane, only just reaching the floor when rested under hand. Which meant it could be hidden very easily. Reno tapped the cane to the rock I was standing on.

"Speed, chakra control, chakra rejuvenation and capacity." Reno pointed at each seal that band around the arm stating their select purpose. "These seals help us keep to the illusion of genin, when we are truly much more powerful, but we are weaker now. Until your aunt applies her seals we will have this limited time to train you at the pinnacle of our strength, when none here can harm us, before the genjutsu fades." Arjies realising then that the effect of the illusion was still in place, only the true environment revealed to him and his guardians.

Reno's face set in to a beginning of teaching, but Arjies had one last question. "What of before the exams? Couldn't they have sensed your strength before that? I mean even at the academy!" Arjies knew he hadn't held the right to ask that question but he hoped.

"We have held these seals for a long time, it is only now, during these exams that we have chosen to fortify the binding, so that not even a height level Kage would be able to sense the deception. It would be simply that we are weak and that is the way it is now; I am of the same level as you" Reno washed a hand over his arm and the dark rings I had seen before, vanished as they were never there before.

"Now enough talk, we have limited time. Drifting in mist, wondering in Winds" My Aunt Anisue uttered a very familiar ring I heard both my guardians use when we were alone, it was there mantra of dedication and secrecy. The techniques they were teaching me now were very unique and secret to our clan.

...

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All The characters created by the Author of Naruto belong solely to Masashi Kishimoto every other character belongs to I and those Authors that have lent me their characters.

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All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without express written consent from the author. Naruto Belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.