Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"Time to die," he said. The surrounding sand rushed towards the unfortunate Taki ninja. "Sabaku Kyū!" The sand smothered the three of them, killing them instantly. "Taro, Usagi, there are others nearby," the sand-wielder said. Itachi signalled for his team to back up. They did so and were soon running towards the tower.
Chapter 7 – Eighteen Left
"What did you think of them?" Hisuke asked Itachi.
"They're all strong," he said. "That sand guy – to overpower those guys like it was nothing. And did you see the fan that that kunoichi had? I'm betting that's not for show. The other guy had a puppet on his back. Puppet Masters are always strong." Hotaru nodded in agreement.
"They all had high Chakra levels – almost as high as ours," she commented.
"That sand guy killed with no hesitation. That's what concerned me," Hisuke admitted. "I mean, I can't think of anyone who can kill that calmly, with no emotion showing."
"You're forgetting Dad," Hotaru pointed out.
"He's not emotionless when he kills – he's usually crazy," Itachi intervened.
The tower came into view. "There it is," they all thought. "Now we need to be careful." None of them said a word. They didn't need to. All of them instinctively knew that the others knew to be careful. All on full alert, they proceeded in silence, keeping an eye out for any traps. To their surprise, they were not met with any challenges. Finally, they arrived at the tower where the three of them consulted about what they would do.
"We're going to have to in," Hotaru said. Itachi and Hisuke nodded.
"Is there anybody in there?" Itachi asked her. She concentrated for a few seconds.
"No. Whatever threat we might face will occur when we open the scrolls," she told him. He nodded.
"I thought as much. They wouldn't be stupid enough to try and attack us as soon as we enter the tower, when we'll still be on our guard. However, there's no harm in being prepared," he added, drawing several kunai. Both his teammates followed suit. They carefully pushed the door open and leapt inside, Itachi's Sharingan blazing as he prepared for an ambush. As they had expected, no-one tried to kill them so the two boys took the scrolls out of their pockets and held them, ready to open. Itachi nodded and they quickly opened the scrolls and threw them as far away as they could, keeping their backs to the wall. There was a cloud of smoke and Sasuke appeared. He laughed when he saw their stances.
"Relax. You've passed the second exam," he told them. They relaxed slightly, still keeping a firm grip on their weapons. He sighed, exasperated, and checked his watch.
"You managed it quickly," he commented. Itachi shrugged.
"So what if we did? What's the catch?"
His father shrugged.
"What catch? Oh, you mean you're expecting to be attacked or something... There isn't one. But you do have to wait until four more teams arrive – or the time limit runs out. You see, we only allow a maximum of six teams to pass this test, and you're the second team to arrive." Itachi shrugged again. Sasuke looked at him and saw that his Sharingan was still activated.
"Has your Sharingan been activated the whole time?" he asked, amused. Itachi nodded.
"Apart from when I got a nap in the last test," he said. Sasuke shook his head in disbelief.
"You're paranoid," he commented.
"You would be too if you just saw someone kill without batting an eyelid. Actually, he killed three," Itachi retorted. Sasuke was curious.
"What was he like?" he asked.
"Small. Had red hair. Wore a gourd on his back. His name was Mamoru. His teammates were called Taro and Usagi."
Sasuke laughed.
"I didn't realise they were taking part this year," he said. "I know their parents." Itachi looked at his father in surprise, but before he could ask any more questions, Sasuke had disappeared. He glared at where his father had stood.
"I guess we just stay here until the other teams turn up – or the time limit is up," he sighed. "Great. You two get some sleep – you must be exhausted. I'll keep watch." His teammates didn't argue, they just lay down to sleep.
"Hey," a teenager said, entering Itachi's field of view. "You've passed this too, huh?" Itachi merely nodded. "You're even more paranoid than before – if that's possible," his best friend commented. "Just relax, will you?" Itachi shrugged, then jumped as Hidé hugged him.
"We've both passed the second exam, so let's team up," she reasoned. Itachi sighed.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm staying on watch."
"Well then, I'll stay on watch with you," Hiroshi said. Itachi shrugged – again – and gestured for him to sit down.
"What do you think of the exam so far?" he asked.
"He speaks! Honestly, it's a drag. Basically, it's just an advanced version of the Chuunin exam. I don't think that they'll add a twist to the last exam – except maybe not telling us who we're going to fight until the time – because, really, there isn't anything that they can do," Hiroshi answered.
"That's what I thought," Itachi said. "Everyone that makes it through this far is highly talented and so it promises to be a lot harder that the Chuunin exams were."
"Is this a private gathering – or can anyone join in?" Isas asked, standing in front of his girlfriend's only brother. His teammates stood behind him.
"You guys made it too?" Hiroshi asked.
"Obviously," his sister retorted.
"So out of a possible six teams, at least three of them are Konoha," Itachi said. "Interesting. The Taki ninja are dead, so they won't have passed..."
"Genius," Kei muttered. He ignored her.
"I think it's safe to assume that one of the Suna squads has passed. That leaves two spaces."
"What Suna squad?" Hiroshi demanded.
"Their names are Mamoru, Taro and Usagi. Dad told me that he knows their parents. They killed the Taki ninja without a second thought. Those guys are big trouble," Itachi explained.
"Aiko's squad haven't turned up, but I bet they will," Kaname said. "So... Who's going to be the last squad – if there is one?" None of the others could answer her.
"Hey guys!" Aiko said, springing up.
"Talk of the devil..." her sister muttered, annoyed.
"That was close," Yorusuke said. "We're the sixth team. The Jounin that greeted us was really surprised that six squads have actually passed."
"So," said Hidé, sitting up. "Who're the other two squads?"
"There's a Suna squad and an Ame squad," Jun said. "I saw them just now."
"I suppose that means we have to go to the main hall to see the examiners," Hiroshi said. "What a drag."
"It is, rather," Genzō agreed. Itachi woke up his teammates.
"What... is the exam over already?" Hotaru groaned. She saw the other Konoha ninja.
"You guys all passed too?" Hisuke asked, looking at his twin. Their amethyst eyes clashed.
"Let's go," Isas said. They all stood and followed him to the main hall. As they all entered the hall, they saw that the other two squads were already lined up. Following suit, they too lined up. Itachi looked around at his competition – i.e. the other seventeen ninja there.
Starting with his own squad, there was Hōzuki Hotaru, a powerful kunoichi in her own right. He could see her silver hair shimmering in the light and her crimson eyes flashing dangerously. She was enjoying the exam, he knew. Sometimes her parents' thirst for blood shone through in her actions.
Then there was Tsukiko Hisuke. He could manipulate his opponent's minds and damage their body without suffering harm to himself. He watched as the amethyst-eyed teen shook his long, black hair.
Nara Hiroshi was a master of the Kagemane no Jutsu and the Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu. He'd also inherited his mother's Shintenshin no Jutsu, but often claimed that it was a drag to use. His spiky 'pineapple' hair was dark brown, while his eyes were pastel blue.
Hyuuga Hidé. A weapons mistress like her mother, she had the famed Kekkei Genkai 'Byakugan', which she used skilfully. Her long brown hair was tied up in buns just like her mother's. Like all Hyuugas, she had opal eyes.
Shirasei Genzō. An unusual teen that was talented in genjutsu but not much else. His cedar green hair was cut short and his eyes were white, which was unnerving. Heck, they still gave Itachi the creeps, even though they'd been in the same class at the academy. I mean, even his pupils were white!
Uzumaki Aiko had her father's blonde hair, although it didn't spike up. Her eyes were pearly like her mother's and even though she wasn't a Hyuuga, she still had their Kekkei Genkai. She was good at Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and had a powerful amount of Chakra.
Kai Jun was also an unnerving person. He was dark – black hair, black eyes and dark brown skin, a rarity in the shinobi villages – or anywhere for that matter.
Tsukiko Yorusuke was identical to his twin, Hisuke, with the same talents. The two orphans were not from Konoha, but no-one knew where they were from.
Ryu Isas. He was a powerful shinobi, although he had one weakness – pretty girls. He was faithful to his girlfriend, but had a habit of reading those books that Itachi hated so much. His ninjustu was excellent, but his other skills – especially taijutsu – were a bit shaky. His blonde hair and bright blue eyes deceived many people into thinking that he was related to Naruto, but he wasn't as far as Itachi knew.
Uzumaki Kaname. Her dark violet hair fell to her waist and she too had inherited the 'Byakugan'. A master of the Jūken art, she was a dangerous kunoichi – and identical to her mother.
Nara Kei's main techniques were, undoubtedly, the Shin no jutsu she had inherited from her mother. She was a strategist like her father, having inherited his intelligence. Really, she just looked like a younger version of her mother. That was all his allies, so he turned his attention to the foreign shinobi. The three Suna shinobi first.
Mamoru. He controlled sand and seemed to be able to do anything with it. His red hair and pastel blue eyes hinted at a formidable power. That gourd on his back wasn't just for show.
Taro. From what he had seen, he appeared to be a puppet master. Not good if he had to meet him in combat. He had purple face paint and a black hood so it was hard for Itachi to tell what he looked like.
Usagi. A kunoichi who didn't look like a pushover by any means. He didn't know what that fan of hers did but, like Mamoru's gourd, Itachi was sure that it wasn't just a pretty decoration. Her dark eyes, which kept changing colour, he noticed (navy, dark green, black... it seemed to be a cycle), were calculating and her dirty blonde hair was tied back in four plaits. A 'Killer Kunoichi', he concluded. Then he turned his attention to the Ame ninja. There were two shinobi and a kunoichi, which was rare for that village. He didn't know their names, but they all looked like trouble.
The tallest ninja had a senbon umbrella, used for Joro Senbon, he assumed. His black hair and white eyes looked very unnerving.
The other male on the team was tiny – but looks could be deceptive, as Itachi knew – just look at Tani. He didn't have any obvious weapons, but there were bound to be some, even if he was a genjutsu or taijutsu specialist. The latter was unlikely, as taijutsu specialists were rare in Amegakure as they favoured genjutsu. The small ninja had green hair and dark blue eyes.
The kunoichi looked very feminine, a classic kunoichi like his mother and Mikoto, Itachi realised. There was a silver thing in her pocket – it looked like a flute. She must be a genjutsu type, typical of Amegakure, Itachi thought. He wouldn't mind fighting her. After all, his Sharingan helped him against most illusions, as did his mother's genes. The girl moved her head and Itachi saw her pure blue hair shimmer in the light before turning a bright green. Likewise, her eye colour was also changing, from pink to black... Itachi blinked furiously and looked away. Even then, waiting for her debriefing, she was casting genjutsu on the other competitors.
"Ahem!" Naruto said from the centre of the hall. "Congratulations for making it this far. There are more of you than we anticipated, but it's not really a problem. We're prepared to be dealing with the maximum number of candidates. I am sure that for the last few minutes you have all been sizing each other up, using both prior knowledge and what you have witnessed already during this exam, not to mention each other's outward appearances at the moment. Unlike the Chuunin exam, this number of candidates does not faze us as you will not be providing public entertainment, although the Kazekage will be attending. You will have one week from now in which to prepare and train although we will not be telling you who you will be fighting until the day – but first, is there anyone who would like to drop out?" He inspected the faces of the eighteen Chuunin before him. None of them showed any inclination of forfeiting. "No-one?" No-one raised their hands. "Very well – you are dismissed. But remember – this is one-on-one combat so you can't rely on your teammates. In fact, you may end up fighting them. As in the Chuunin exam, whether you win or not is irrelevant. It's how well you fight. OK, go get some rest, and training of course." The teams left, no-one talking. Once they were outside, the teams separated to discuss their opposition.
"What did you think of the Konoha and Suna brats, Koushi?" The Ame kunoichi asked. The well-built, black haired shinobi snorted.
"They're just a bunch of weaklings, Megumi," he said.
"Actually," the smaller shinobi said. "That Sharingan brat seems to be quite a challenge. Remember how he reacted in the first exam? All those kunai and he blocked them, cool as you please. I don't think we should take the Suna Chuunin lightly, either. They could be quite strong. After all, that redhead is the son of the Kazekage, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah, we get it, Tadashi. We know not to underestimate the brats," Koushi said. Tadashi glared at him but said nothing.
"So, Mamoru, what did you think of our opponents?" Taro asked his cousin.
"That Uchiha kid... he's one to watch..." The redhead replied. "What did you think, Usagi?" The kunoichi sighed.
"The Uchiha kid is definitely someone to keep an eye on, but what about those Nara kids? Mum said that their Dad is a genius, so his kids probably are too."
"Those twins unnerved me," Taro confessed. "So did that creep with no pupils." His cousin scoffed.
"That's probably what his appearance is supposed to make you think," she said. "The chance that he actually looks like that is slim, but you're right about the twins – they're the ones that unnerve me. Identical twins... it's just not natural."
"There's a lot of Chuunin from Konoha with kekkei genkais," Mamoru commented. "That Sharingan kid, and all those with the Byakugan. Not to mention those Nara kids that I know have inherited their mother's Shin no jutsu." His cousins nodded.
"We might have to fight each other? What a drag," Hiroshi complained.
"Don't worry about it – if it gets too tough just forfeit," Genzō said. Hiroshi glared at him.
"I know that... it's just if I'm up against a guy like Itachi, I may not have the chance to forfeit before he wipes the floor with me," he complained.
"You're not that weak compared with Itachi," Hidé said. "I'm going to get some practise in. See you around!" Then she left.
"This is going to be such a drag," Hiroshi moaned before going to train. Genzō grinned before following suit.
"I don't like what Itachi told us about those Suna goons," Isas confessed. Kei nodded.
"He made them sound really strong – but they're not the ones I'm really worried about. Or have you forgotten how good a fighter Itachi is? I think the real threat lies in our own ranks, not in the ranks of the foreign shinobi," she said. Kaname nodded.
"Itachi probably made them sound really good so that we'd forget about his talent. He's the one person I really don't want to fight – but I'm not too happy with the idea of fighting one of the twins either. Those mind techniques of theirs... But, let's be realistic. No-one's going to be a pushover. Most of us Konoha shinobi have kekkei genkais or a similar ability like Hotaru has. We mustn't overlook the other kunoichi, either, often that's where a shinobi makes a fatal mistake – they underestimate us kunoichi purely because we're female."
Isas nodded.
"Mikoto keeps drumming it into me that girls aren't as weak as they seem. That's why she's ANBU and a highly skilled Jounin while I'm still a Chuunin." His teammates grinned.
"Let's go and start training, shall we?" Kei said. Her teammates nodded and they all went their separate ways.
"There's a lot of tough competition," Aiko commented to her two teammates. They nodded.
"They all look so strong." Jun said. "It's almost enough to make us lose our confidence... almost." Yorusuke nodded.
"And forget the ones we don't know. Itachi's trouble if we have to fight him," Hisuke's twin commented, accompanied by vigorous nods. "He's the one I don't want to fight. And from what he said, I don't particularly want to fight those Suna ninja either. If they worry Itachi, they're big trouble."
Jun scoffed.
"Don't forget that Itachi's paranoia has gone up a few notches during this exam – he may just be exaggerating."
Aiko glared.
"It's best to be pessimistic at times like these. That way, we don't get nasty surprises."
"Whatever."
"So, Ita-kun, who looks like trouble?" Hotaru asked.
"All the Suna ninja – and the Ame ninja I'm not sure about – they seemed to be hiding most of their weaponry," he said. Hisuke grinned.
"Like you're hiding those armguards of yours?" he asked slyly. Itachi glared at him. "I've seen them a few times when we've been on overnight missions," he explained. "Where'd 'ya get them?" Itachi shrugged.
"Somewhere. Now stop talking about them. I don't want any eavesdroppers to learn about them."
Hisuke huffed.
"We'd better start training," Hotaru said, interrupting them. "After all, they've only given us a week to prepare." Her teammates nodded before dispersing.
Thanks for reading!
Tsari