Naruto: Freefall

Team seven kept their heads down as Anko explained the second test, dutifully signed their release forms and collected their scroll. There was a brief scuffle when the purple-haired tokubetsu jounin threw a kunai at Naruto for not paying attention -the unfamiliar, long-tongued grass kunoichi's chakra was creepy- but team seven was soon standing by their designated gate waiting for the exam to start.

When the bell rang Naruto instantly created a grunt-clone that henged into a copy of their Heaven scroll.

"Here," he handed it to Sasuke, "swap. I'll hide the original." The Uchiha complied as they hopped up the trees, seeking the advantage of higher ground.

"What're they feeding these things?" Sakura grumbled as they reached the canopy, as high above ground as the tallest village buildings if not higher.

"Genin?" Naruto offered, only half in jest. There was a short pause as all three pondered how true that suggestion might actually be.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "Strategy?"

"Get two-thirds of the way to the tower, dig in and lie in wait," Naruto said promptly, glad for the change in subject matter. "It's easier to work from a secure position and we have enough supplies to set up a real trap field." Kakashi-sensei had taught them enough about traps that the jounin had to be visibly careful when approaching an area they'd fortified. Naruto didn't know who good they were really, but they'd impressed Maito Guy before he flattened them.

"Seconded," Sakura agreed. "But we work from up here. Less ambush opportunities and fewer natural predators."

"It is preferable to keep to the high ground," Sasuke conceded. "Very well then; lead on taicho."

"I hate you guys so much," Naruto grumbled, but nonetheless took point and led off towards where the map Anko had briefly shown them indicated the centre of the training grounds was. Ever since Wave both his team-mates and Sensei had taken to calling him taicho whenever he took charge of a situation. Kakashi-sensei was the worst: he'd done it at the Hatake compound and now all the Kamen kids -some of whom looked suspiciously Uchiha-like to his mind- called him 'nii-taicho'. Even Inutaicho, who was already called 'taicho' by the younger kids.

The next morning Naruto woke slowly and yawned widely, scanning his surroundings for hostile presences. Ozone, feathers and seeping rot; Sasuke is awake and on guard. Soil, tension and cherry blossom; Sakura is asleep, as is her inner presence. The odd internal chakra presence Sakura had -which manifested in the slip-second she lost her temper and punched someone- felt a little like a kekkai genkai, making Naruto wonder where bloodlines came from exactly. They can't possibly all be created by demonic mad scientists. The same flavour of forest earth and feel of cherry blossom petals was constant in both chakras, but the inner was imbued with a wild lack of inhibitions that was the polar opposite of Sakura's normal and rigid self-control.

Beyond the perimeter of their carefully hidden base camp was a very long fall to the ground -down- a great many birds, insects and other arboreal species, some with significant chakra and some without -around- and a thin layer of leaves shielding them from the open sky -up. Further out around ground level were... Hm. Large carnivorous plants that suck chakra, giant... spiders? Three teams, two fighting and one almost dead. Naruto made a shadow clone and sent it to raid the dying team's supplies as he slipped out of his hammock. He needed food; lots of it. Part of the downside to being a jinchuuriki was a metabolism like a blast furnace.

"Morning, teme," he said absently, rifling through his supplies, "decent night?"

"Aa," the Uchiha agreed. "Most everyone hasn't got this far yet, I don't think. We can ambush people today and be at the tower by evening," he added, pulling out a ration bar of his own and joining Naruto in eating breakfast.

The shadow clone returned and dispelled just as Naruto was finishing his meal; the memories made him snigger so hard he woke Sakura.

"A team died about ten minutes east of here, killed by carnivorous plants they stumbled into while escaping giant centipedes," Naruto chortled. "Early twenties, didn't even think of going up the trees."

"That's pathetic," Sasuke said flatly.

"Worse: They were Konoha genin," the blond added.

Sakura groaned. "That's just embarrassing. What a waste. What scroll did they have?"

Naruto examined the booty his clone had taken. "Just our luck: Another Heaven scroll. Sasuke, you take it since the scroll-clone's dispelled now. It's good to have a spare."

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted. "Plans?"

"We go down to where the other genin are and pick a fight," Naruto said. "Strike from above in ambush, incapacitate, loot and leave."

"Kill?" Sakura asked.

"Unless they're fellow Leaf-nins, yes. Of course if our fellow ninja attempt homicide then we respond appropriately," Naruto clarified. "Sound good?"

"Aa," Sasuke agreed, loosening his ninja-to in its sheath.

Months of pitched battles had forged team seven into an efficient combat unit. Naruto was the tank, dealing and receiving heavy damage at close range while Sasuke danced around his jinchuuriki team-mate to deal debilitating wounds without presenting a target. Sakura would hang back out of sight and cast at the enemy from cover to weaken them so her male comrades could deal the final blow.

They had had grandstanding, arrogance and any sense of fair play beaten out of them in the first three weeks; the Taki team they ambushed never stood a chance.

"Well? Sakura asked as she pulled kunai and shuriken out of the tree trunks.

"Score," Naruto said shortly, concealing the bloodstained Earth scroll on his person. "Anything else worthwhile on them?"

"Weapons, clothing," Sasuke grunted, stripping his kill with brisk efficiency, "Very nice ninja-to made to channel elemental chakra. Shame he was so crap at using it; must have been a rich civilian-born to wave something like that around without proper training."

"I've got three water jutsu scrolls here," Naruto said absently as he packed up a well-made set of senbon, "and some senbon set up for poison."

"I've got a set of three sai and a lot of wire," Sakura added. "Ideas?"

"Keep the sai; we'll practice with you after the exams," Naruto said, "but give teme the wire. The reel he used on moron here," he kicked the stripped corpse at his feet, which had horrific electrical burns, "has kinks in it now."

"Hai," Sakura agreed. "Catch, Sasuke-kun."

"Arigatou," Sasuke grunted. "Here; this scroll says it has medical herbs in."

"Neat."

"Let's move on," Naruto said uneasily, glancing around at their surroundings. "It doesn't feel right here anymore. Too quiet."

It really was too quiet. Team seven swiftly packed up and set off at middlingly high branch level towards the central tower.

'Fan, Blossom. Enemy behind' Narutp signed as they hopped from one tree to the next. 'Alone, high level. Twisted.'

Sakura blanched. Naruto used twisted to describe corrupted chakra, such as some of the ninja in the maximum security prison had; they'd had a D-rank mission near there once and the blond had been queasy the entire time. It generally meant the ninja referred to so enjoyed inflicting pain it had permanently tainted them.

'Spiral, how strong?' Sasuke signed back urgently.

'Above Sensei' the blond replied tersely. The signs both Sasuke and Sakura made in response were obscene. Naruto was frantically trying to work out a plan when there was a burst of chakra and the wind picked up.

"Shit! Hang on to something!" the blond shouted as the highly concentrated gust of wind blasted him out of the tree and away from his team-mates.

A/N: Ok, so this is a cliffhanger. Unfortunately it is a necessary evil. Team seven's primary shatter point is immanent! What will happen next? Dun dun DUUN!