~Scroll 12~
Sakura and Sasuke stood face-to-face before the mysterious Grass-Nin, who seemed more interested in Sasuke than Sakura felt was natural. Before any of them could demand questions, all three stilled as they felt a wave of an awesome power flooding the area. The pinkette's eyes grew wide as she immediately recognized the chakra's signature. It was Naruto's. She had not sensed this massive wave since that time at the Land of Wave, when her blonde otouto had grew the trees for Zabuza and Haku. She also remembered the last time that happened, Naruto had fallen asleep for three days. Where is he? She mentally asked, afraid that the smallest team member of Team 7 was out there defenseless. They had to ditch this creepy Grass-Nin and find Naruto!
Sasuke frowned as he too recognized his dobe's chakra signature. It made him a bit curious as to why his blonde would reveal his hand so early in the second portion of the exam. However, he did not dwell on it for long. His main focus was on the Grass-Nin in front of him. He could sense this shinobi's chakra energy. It was tightly wound around him much like a serpent about to strike. The raven-haired Konoha teen knew that this stranger was much more than what he appeared to be. It was as if this stranger was the key to all of his unasked questions. Questions he was afraid to ask. The Uchiha heir sneered at his own thoughts. He was an Uchiha! An Uchiha feared nothing!
The Grass-Nin kept his eyes on his prey, but his attention was on that unknown wave of raw chakra energy. Mentally he cringed as he felt the chakra burn at his flesh. He knew that once he was finished with his business, he would have to deal with that unknown source. Every cell and fiber of his being was telling him to destroy that source. Normally he would scoff at the thought of being ruled by his instincts, but at the moment, he realized that this time he would have to. He quickly rationalized that whoever was the source of that unknown chakra would be too powerful for him to control, and if he cannot control that power then it must be destroyed. But first… I have my prey to play with…
"I suppose you'd like to steal our earth scroll, wouldn't you…?" The Grass-Nin's effeminate voice darkly purred, "… since you've already got a heaven scroll!"
GLUCK
SLUPP
GULP! GULP! LICK!
Sasuke and Sakura gasped in horror as they helplessly watched the Grass-Nin swallow the Earth Scroll whole.
"Now… shall we see… just who will be stealing scrolls from whom?" The Grass-Nin clawed at his face, "We'll fight to the death!"
Sasuke and Sakura froze as they felt their bodies were being ripped apart under a hail of kunai, senbon and shuriken before a single kunai lodge itself in each of their forehead.
PULSE
… He's casting… an illusion! Sasuke gasped as his body dropped to the ground.
BLORTCH!
The Grass-Nin just watched.
It's not… death… Sasuke violently trembled, just an incredible simulation! I looked into his eyes… and he made me feel it… and believe it! Wh-who the heck is he…?
"Sakura…" Sasuke whispered but quickly realized that the kunoichi was still in a daze from the enemy's illusion. Crud! If we don't retreat now, we're finished! The only other option is death!
"Heh…" The Grass-Nin chuckled, "I imagine you're paralyzed by now…"
The Uchiha heir did not know where or when he found himself holding a kunai. Not quite… I can move… just enough! The raven-haired teen found hope as he tightly held onto that kunai.
The Grass-Nin flicked his left hand in a blink of an eye.
Sharingan red orbs immediately could see two kunai head toward the pinkette.
THOK
THOK
The Grass-Nin walked toward a patch of blood on the ground, causing him to grin.
Amazing! The boy stabbed himself so that he would be able to focus on the pain and block out fear and illusion! Heh… just as I thought, there is far more to this one than to the common prey!
Not far from the clearing that they were attacked, Sasuke with a shaky hand pulled the kunai out of his thigh. The sound of his groan snapped the pinkette from her fear as something inside her snapped. Her friend was hurt, and she was the only one that could help him. Blindly her hand automatically slipped into her traveling pouch to retrieve some bandages for her teammate's injury.
"Speak to me, Sas-"
The raven-haired teen suddenly slapped his hand over the kunoichi's mouth, startling his teammate. We've got to move fast, or he'll find us again!… the question is how to evade him… um… um… how do we run…? Um…
Sakura could only stare in shock. She had never seen the Uchiha in such a state of panic. Not even when he fought against Haku. She then heard a faint rustling sound. She glanced up. Her green orbs grew wide and her pupils dilated in fear. She tried to warn her teammate, but his hand held firmly in place. She quickly pulled it away.
"SASUKE! SNAAAAAKE!"
The Uchiha heir snapped around and fled in time before the snake had a chance to strike. Whoa… my chi is so out of whack, I overlooked a giant snake!
The enormous serpent wrapped itself around a tree branch before lunging itself toward its prey, mouth gapping wide to devour.
Sasuke only took one look into the creature's great big yellow eye. But he did not see the serpent. He saw, instead, the monstrous Grass-Nin.
"YAAAH! STAY AWAY!" Sasuke screamed as he released a half of dozen shuriken.
WHOMP
The giant snake's body slammed into a tree. All six shuriken were lodged into the creature's head, but not in Sasuke's usual tight-knit grouping.
Sasuke could only stare at the dead monster from the safety of his perch. His body still trembled, and his heart pounded, not only in his chest but also in his ears. He had never known such fear, not even on that Day. Slowly his breathing began to slow down, and he began gaining control of his body when he heard it.
At the base of the serpent's neck, a bulge appeared. Bit-by-bit, the bulge grew in height, accompanied by the flesh-crawling sound of skin being ripped apart.
Color and blood drained from the Konoha teen's face as he watched the Grass-Nin emerged from the giant snake's corpse.
"For shame," The Grass-Nin tsked, "letting your guard down! Stay on your toes, like a good prey should! It makes the chase so much more rewarding…" The shinobi's long tongue licked at the serpent's blood on his face, "… for the predator!"
Sasuke froze in absolute fear, unable to move or breath as the Grass-Nin slithered forward much like a serpent.
The man-snake let out a dark pearl of laughter as he lunged at his prey.
Suddenly the forest echoed with a painful shriek when the dark creature tried to get pass five mysterious leaf-kunai.
The Grass-Nin reeled back at the painful shock that racked his body, leaving an uncomfortable burning sensation beneath his flesh.
"Sorry, Sasuke, Sakura…" A soft voice called out, drawing everyone's attention toward the petite speaker, "I'm late."
"NARUTO!" Sakura exclaimed, relieved to see her otouto was safe and sound.
"RUN!" Sasuke screamed, "This guy is way out of our league!"
Naruto ignored his terrified teammate as he stared down his enemy.
"Heh heh…" The Grass-Nin chuckled, "my compliments on your stunning defeat of the giant snake… Naruto."
The young teen immediately recognized the mocking tone as he heard a hidden wariness in the enemy's voice and Heart Song. A small shudder coursed through the blonde's body as the creature's Heart Song shrieked and scratched like nails on chalkboard. Whoever this creature was, he was so diseased that the little houshi could not hear the natural underlying Heart Song that all beings were born with.
~A naturally evil creature…~ Ka'a murmured in worry.
Naruto, you need to listen to Sasuke… Shisui said, That man is more powerful then he's letting on! You need to run… you can't let my cousin's sacrifice be in vain! Please!
The petite Genin heard his companion's words and concerns, but he also heard the forest. The forest too was whispering concerns for him, but it was also moaning in pain. The forest was already beginning to feel the poison of this creature's presence. The longer the monster stayed in the forest, the more quickly the poison would spread and kill the forest to the point that there would be no recovery. Naruto cannot and will not let that happen!
"I don't know who you are, oni." Naruto calmly called out, startling the Grass-Nin by calling him an 'ogre', "But I won't let you infect my forest any longer! Leave! Now!"
Sasuke blinked in surprise before confusion settled in. Yes, the raven-haired teen was relieved to see his dobe and had a sliver of hope that his blonde would help him turn the table on this enemy. He even expected his Naruto to fight in his name as a proper Uchiha property should, but to hear the small Genin talk about the forest confused Sasuke. He put this weed infested forest above me? He narrowed his eyes, If he won't fight for me then he won't fight at all. I'll stop this here and now… but… this is all I can think of…
"If it's our scroll you want, come and get it!" Sasuke shouted, finally finding his voice and deactivating his Sharingan Eyes, "Just… take it and go!"
"Huh?" Sakura gasped.
Naruto blinked as he turned his attention to his teammate. A small frown graced his face as he heard more sharp snaps in Sasuke's Heart Song.
"Sasuke." The blonde's voice was calm, "What do you think you're doing? Do you honestly believe that this oni is here for the Exams? He doesn't care about the scrolls."
The raven-haired teen schooled his surprise in an expression of annoyance. He truly had not realized that the Grass-Nin was stronger then a Genin because he was nota Genin. It finally donned on the Uchiha that the enemy before them was easily as strong as ten Jounin-level shinobi.
The Grass-Nin smirked.
"Well done…" The dark creature cooed, "You're obviously natural-born prey… instinctively knowing that your only hope… lies in the chance of the predator being distracted by some tastier bait!"
The Heaven Scroll flipped several times in the air before disappearing in a poof of smoke.
"WHAT?" Sasuke gasped when he saw an acorn drop from the sky, "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
The raven-haired teen took a surprised step back when he came face-to-face with his blonde.
"What do you think you're doing?" The Uchiha demanded but stilled when he saw Naruto's soft and yet disappointed expression.
"I have never pegged you as an idiot and a coward, Sasuke." The blonde softly spoke, startling his teammate, "Even if we did hand over the scroll, there's no guarantee he's spare us! … if that's his true objective."
"Oh, Naruto! This is rich!" The Grass-Nin spoke in dark mirth, "And you're right! Why bargain," He purred as he pulled the sleeve of his left arm up, revealing a stylized snake tattoo wrapped around his left wrist, "when I can simply kill you?"
The Grass-Nin bit his thumb then smeared his bleeding digit down the middle of his black tattoo.
"Art of the Familiar Spirit!" The Grass-Nin hissed, causing a whirlwind of smoke and debris.
Naruto knew it was dangerous for him to approach, but he knew that he was the only one with the power to get rid of the snake. He truly hoped that by purifying a second serpent, and in front of the Grass-Nin, that the damned creature would heed the blonde's words and leave the forest.
Suddenly the petite shinobi felt his body being slammed by a powerful force, throwing him in the air. Vaguely he heard his teammates calling his name.
"Excellent… but let's not take chances. Eat the boy!"
The giant snake turned its head toward the blonde's falling frame, its forked tongue reaching out to devour him.
"I AM NO ONE'S PREY!" Naruto shouted as he laid a hand on the serpent's snort.
In a flash of light, glowing tribal markings cascaded down Naruto's flesh and onto the serpent's head, causing the creature to drop as if the earth's gravity slammed onto the creature's head.
For a brief moment, Naruto and the Grass-Nin locked gaze with one another. How could the brat possibly…?
Naruto! Sakura mentally gasped, Where did he get that kind of power?
"YAAH!" The blonde shouted as the Grass-Nin released a wave of miasma. Instinctively Naruto's holy ki created a thin barrier, protecting him from the full force of the poisonous gas.
Look at those eyes… He's…
Is that really Naruto…? Sasuke questioned.
Ho ho… and the fun has just begun! The Grass-Nin crowed then motioned his snake to strike, "And it's Sasuke's turn next! How will he take it?"
The raven-haired teen just froze in pure unadulterated fear.
"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed.
The giant serpent stopped in its attack. Its massive body trembled as it was encased in glowing markings.
Both Sasuke and the Grass-Nin were surprised to see a barely standing Naruto.
"… hey, are you okay…?" The blonde asked between pants, revealing his amethyst orbs and darken whiskers.
On the outskirts of Konoha Village was a stretch of road called the Path of Buddha, mostly because the road was lined with hundreds of stone Buddha statues. Clustered near a segment of the stone Buddha were three Konoha Jounin investigators from Morino Ibiki's Special Operation Forces, they were specifically assigned to assist in protecting the Chuunin Exams. Urchin-head knelt down by the remains of three mysterious victims while his friend looked on.
"… one, two, three…" Muttered a third glasses-wearing Jounin as he too looked on, "all of them as dead as stone Buddhas… the result of some kind of ninja skill…"
"Bad news…" Urchin-head quietly grumbled then scratched the back of his head, "Starting out with a problem… crud. Report this to Lady Anko, who's conducting the second exam!"
"Yes'sir!" Glasses replied as he disappeared to Training Ground #44.
He quickly found Lady Anko as she was happily sitting on the roof of a shed, eating dango rice dumplings and drinking oshiruko bean soup.
"Terrible news, Lady Anko!"
"Already? What is it?" She asked.
"Dead bodies! Three of them…"
"Dead bodies?"
"Dead… and very weird. Please, come see for yourself!"
Weird… how? She was intrigued as she followed the glasses-wearing Jounin.
When she arrived, Urchin-head immediately gave her his report.
"Judging from their belongings and the papers we found, they were all shinobi from Sunagakure - the Village of 'Those who hide in the Grass' - and were registered to take part in the Chuunin Journeyman Ninja Selection Exams. And, as you can see…" Anko blanched in honor as she recognized the mutilation technique, "their features are completely melted away."
No doubt about it… I recognize whose technique was used here! But why would he meddle in this?
"Show me the photos from the dead shinobi's ID." Anko demanded.
"At once!" Glasses replied as he handed his superior the three ID's.
So… Anko looked at a calm and serene face of the murdered Grass-Nin. A complete opposite of the same Grass-Nin she had encountered, This is the face he stole but that means he'd already done so when…!
"This is awful!" She whispered to herself then snapped alive and began shouting orders, "You three! Report what's happened to Lord Hokage!"
"What?" Urchin-head questioned, never having seen his superior this agitated.
"Ask that he deploy two additional Black Ops to the forest at once! I'm going after the imposters!"