Onari

by DigiAnimeArtist

A strange girl from a far away land holds the key to forces greater than anyone in Konoha could have ever imagined. Myth and legend come to life in this exciting comical, dramatic, and heart felt story of a girl wanting to belong in a world where she is seen as an abomination. Will she be able to control her secret, much less, her own anger and stubbornness when she learns the true

81. Chapter 81

V 8 ch 10

The Crux Tower Finale'

Areku Inuzuka walked down the hall of the clinic as he was supported by a crutch. He was worried about Gin. As he tapped along the hall grunting, the pain in his body surfaced. He leaned against the wall, the sweat on his brow blinding his view. If his father caught him, he'd be sent home immediately. The only thing preoccupying the man's time was the fact his team was still participating in The Crux Tower.

Areku regained the ability to walk down the hall, the crutch pressing hard in the floor with his shifted weight. After stopping several times, he finally made it to Kandai's room. He pushed the door open. "Gin?"

Gin Akimichi sat on the hospital bed with her legs dangling. She had been waiting patiently for the results of Kandai's tests. Her head turned to see Areku looking at her with a horrified expression on his face. "Areku, you're still wounded," she said getting off the bed.

Areku staggered on his feet, his eyes looking at the empty hospital bed. He was so shocked, he dropped the crutch to the floor. Where was Kandai? "He-He's dead!" Areku clutched his head gritting his teeth, eyes closed as he hunkered over.

Gin ran forth to help support her best friend. "Areku, he-," but before she could get a word out, he grabbed onto her, pressing her to him. Gin blushed hard as the door opened to the room. Apparently, Areku hadn't heard it. He was babbling incoherently as he cried. Soon she understood a few of the words he had said. "Areku," she tried again, but he shook his head at her.

"Gin, I'm so sorry! I failed all of you," Areku said blubbering. "I tried so hard to get him prepared for the trials!" Areku grabbed Gin's face, his eyes looking dead at her. "Gin, forgive me," he yelled. "I can't bear the thought of you being disappointed in me!"

The nurse blinked her eyes as she watched the boy in front of her erupt emotionally. She had no idea how to approach such a display – or what to say. The boy in the wheelchair was covering his eyes. If it was from shame, she could understand.

"Areku, I can see your bare butt," Kandai stated. He peaked through his fingers to see Areku looking over his shoulder. "Would you please cover yourself?"

Areku turned around hastily with is legs and arms out in an awkward pose. "You're alive!" He heard Gin scream and he blushed. Areku hastened to pull his hospital gown closed, straightening his posture.

Kandai couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, Areku, Idai's going to kill you for sure." He laughed even harder at the expression appearing on his team mate's face. "You have to go purify yourself for flashing Gin."

Gin covered her face with a pillow as she spoke, her voice muffled. "Kandai woke this morning. The antidote we made for him helped his body overcome the poison in his system. It wasn't enough to kill him – he was in a deep sleep."

Areku sighed relief. He scratched the back of his head. Now he felt embarrassed over how he had reacted. "At least you're okay," he said not looking at him.

The nurse pushed Kandai in the rest of the way. Once he was near the bed, she helped him get into it. "Since I'm going down the hall, I'll escort you back," she said to Areku. He glanced at her. "In," she said pointing to it. "You're not supposed to be out of bed."

Areku grumbled as the nurse forced him to sit down in the wheelchair. "I'll see you guys later," he said as Gin lowered the pillow. Areku laid his chin on his hand as the nurse pushed him out of the room.

(Scene Change)

Team Tea moved through Level 9, their eyes focused ahead. A large area was coming into view, along with another team. Haruhiro Yasuijiro signaled his team to stop. They stood far enough away staring down the Mountain team.

Kafu Okanaya kept himself crouched, his eyes looking at the approaching team from the Tea country. "We don't have a problem with your team," he said holding his hand up to stop the other two from advancing near his side. "This is a competition about who gets to the top of the tower."

Banken Dazai stared hard at the Mountain team, unleashing his forearm swords from his back. "It doesn't matter what you think. We happen to have a problem with you," he said sternly.

Kafu Okanaya stood, his face expressionless. "So be it," he said as his team started to move backwards into the open room. He signaled them to stand behind him. His defenses were up.

Haruhiro led the Tea team onto the strange floor in the open room. They faced each other, their weapons drawn. The floor underneath them began to rotate several times, the floor rising into the air. Haruhiro heard the device click in place. Both of the teams were caught unaware as a monitor screen from the ceiling lowered. A man's distorted face appeared on the screen. "Think fast," he said before it crackled out of view.

Chikyo Inao from the Mountain team moved off the space she had been standing on. A cylinder structure made of metal popped up, rotating out of the floor. It went back in, the noises it created causing her to place her hands over her ears. "Get off the floor," she yelled to her team.

Kafu signaled his team to watch their feet as more of the structures began to pop up out of the floor in random spots. He formed hand seals to open his kekkegenkai. Kafu's arms and legs started to loosen, their muscle fibers stretching. His arms shot up, his chakra gluing to the ceiling with the palms of his hands as his lower half cam up, flipping into the air. A structure barely missed him. He managed to peer inside of it to see what it contained.

"Don't let those things get you," Kafu warned his team in alarm. "Those spikes will rip you to shreds!" He let go of the ceiling, dangling with one hand glued as he started to throw kunai to get the Tea team to back off.

Hyobe Uemara snickered as he went after Chubei Hamacho. The magical inscriptions on the skulls around his neck started to glow in response of a battle. One of the mouths opened with a piece of parchment. Hyobe took the parchment, throwing it at the girl.

Chubei used her maniki chains, twirling them behind her as the parchment came towards her. She let one of the chains go, shooting it forward to rip through the paper. Her eyes darted as her body moved backwards. She formed hand seals as Hyobe came after her again with several scrolls aimed in her direction.

Chubei wasn't taking any chances. This time the scrolls began to spark with flames. He was using paper bombs to take her out! Chubei tilted her body to the right, her arm going down, as she started to cartwheel out of the way. Despite her effort, the bombs fully charged. They went off, sending her tumbling in the air until she hit the floor with a thud.

Haruhiro went after Hyobe with the mud people he controlled with his earth jutsu. He tried to find Chubei in the chaos, but his eyes had to remain ahead. Hyobe was moving around him in circles trying to confuse him as he cackled. Haruhiro ordered his mud people to combine themselves into one large mud person. He watched as the mud molded, the creature becoming larger in size. "Finish him," he ordered as he kept his hand formed into the sign for 'rabbit'.

Hyobe lifted one of the skulls from his neck. "That won't work on me," he said as he threw the glowing skull at one of the mud creature. The skull's mouth opened, a large rod springing forth to shoot through the mud creature. The rod opened on the other end to reveal an anchor that kept it intact. Hyobe watched as the creature started to bash the skull around, trying to free itself.

Banken blocked the large beetle from snapping his head off. He grunted, trying to push the large bug back with all his strength. As he kept the beetle at bay, he shifted his weight, moving in a circle so he could view where his team was. The beetle was trying its best to move forward. Banken had one of the pincers caught in one of his forearm swords. "I don't think so you overgrown dung beetle," he said.

Chikyu Inao hopped off her partner to land behind him. He could handle himself. She moved away from the beetle expecting him to take out Banken soon. She formed hand seals, her eyes locking on Chubei. The girl from the Tea team had regained consciousness. She was lucky enough as it was that she hadn't been caught in the structures coming out of the floor. Chikyu stayed where she was as one of the structures came up near her, its spikes spinning in opposite directions.

Chubei rubbed her head. She was a bit disoriented at where she was. The fighting around her, soon registered that she was at the Chuunin exams. Her eyes moved around the room to see where everyone was. Banken was busy fighting a beetle that had appeared. Haruhiro was trying to overcome Hyobe's exploding skulls. She turned her head to see Chikyu near her, the woman's eyes focusing on her. The world around Chubei altered. Oh, no. She's using Genjutsu!

Chubei couldn't break away from Chikyu's eyes. The woman's eyes shown bright green through the altered world. Chubei was standing in the clouds, her feet moving against some form of foundation. As she moved slowly, the clouds started to part, revealing a long drop back to earth. Chubei gasped, moving backwards.

Chikyu had Chubei where she wanted her. The girl was too afraid to move towards her team. She didn't realize that she was still in the Crux Tower. "The world around you is falling apart. Your team – everything you've known- is on fire," she said as she created an illusion for the girl to believe.

Chubei's eyes widened. She was standing in the clouds as her village caught on fire. She screamed as she started to hear the voices of the ones she knew drifting up to her. "No," she yelled with her hands out. What could she do? She was stuck where she was. If she jumped, she'd only die with them. She wouldn't be able to save them!

Banken heard Chubei screaming. He had to get to her. The beetle's force was overwhelming to say the least. He had to get out of the fix he was in. Banken let the insect push forward as he let go of one of the forearm swords, his back leaning as he went to the floor, and rolled. The beetle's pincers slammed into the floor, cracking it. He got to his feet as quickly as he could to see Chubei standing where she was. Moving towards her and Chikyu, the world around him started to change. As the landscape disappeared, he realized Chikyu was using Genjutsu to overcome Chubei. He stood near them, his hands over his mouth sensing the beetle coming up behind him fast. "It's not real, Chubei! She's using Genjutsu on you!" Banken whirled around to lash out at the beetle. He had to get his other sword free.

Chubei turned her head around several times trying to figure out how to get out of the Genjutsu. She wasn't that skilled in releasing herself from the technique. Only Haruhiro was able to do it. She lifted her foot over the edge of the clouds, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. If I don't get past this, my team won't survive. I have to get out of this. They're all busy fighting the Mountain team!

Haruhiro's mud people exploded along with the one Hyobe had managed to snare using his exploding skulls. He swore as he started to try to get the remaining few to go after Hyobe. A cylinder structure came up behind him, startling him. It rotated, the spikes grinding before it went back into the floor. He breathed hard, searching wildly for the rest of his team. Moving backwards, Haruhiro didn't expect the structure to come out of the flooring again. He was wrong.

The cylinder structure came out of the floor, on the piece of tile Haruhiro was standing on. The moment it came up, he tried to flee, but it his body hit the metal, his arm getting cut by one of the spikes inside. His eyes widened as it started to move in opposite directions, the spikes jutting out more towards his body. He yelled in sheer horror as he was bore down upon.

Kafu landed near Chikyo. She was so busy entrusting her Genjutsu trap to work, that she had ignored the threat that was coming out of the floor. He shot his arms forward, wrapping them around her waist. "Not now, Chikyo!" Kafu pulled her back with all of his might. As he suspected, the cylinder structures were increasing in speed and number.

Chubei blinked as her foot hit the floor, the world around her resuming to the trial room. She heard the horrible metal of the device in front of her, whirling. It caused her to move away from it. Her head flipped around as she saw herself being sought out by the beetle and Hyobe. Where were her team mates? She breathed hard as she dodged the pincers coming at her head.

Hyobe grabbed the skull that was hanging near his ear. He unclipped it. It started to glow, its eyes turning blue. "You can't avoid both of us," he said laughing as the skull's mouth opened. A large scythe started to come out of nowhere. He grabbed onto it, tossing the skull behind him. Hyobe angled it towards the girl's feet, then struck.

Chubei screamed as she felt something sharp strike her ninja shoes. It cut through the material and into her skin. She fell to the floor hard. The beetle was on top of her in a matter of seconds, its pincers coming down fast.

Banken threw a smoke pellet towards Chubei and her attackers. It erupted purple smoke causing confusion. He went towards her, picking her up and fleeing away from them. "We have to get out of here!"

Chubei looked up at him, her foot was bleeding. "Where's Haruhiro? Banken? Where is he?"

Banken shook his head, his teeth gritted. "He didn't make it." He squeezed her hard, his feet moving fast on the floor. The Mountain team wasn't giving up. In fact, all three of them and the large beetle were chasing him and Chubei. "Dammit, they're not going to let up!"

Chubei didn't have a choice. She twirled one of her maniki chains then sent it straight towards the beetle. The chain wrapped around its leg, causing it to get off balance. It leaned forward, going down landing right on top of Hyobe, the guy with the skulls around his neck.

"Get this thing off of me," Hyobe yelled to his other two team mates.

Kafu signaled Chikyo to back down. "Let them go," he said as he turned his head around to see the body of Haruhiro laying on the floor. "They lost their leader." He didn't regard them as a threat anymore.

Chikyo helped Hyobe get up, her beetle making fussy noises as it tried to go past her. "No, stay," she ordered the insect. "You won't get through that door anyway," she stated. Her eyes looked in the direction Kafu was staring. "What a waste," she said at the young Tea team leader. "He wasn't trained for this exam as he should have been."

"No, each exam is different in each country. Don't hold it against him," Kafu said before he walked towards the body. He knelt low, his hand curiously going to the boy's wrist. His eyes widened. "He's not dead. Hyobe, I need your medicine, now!"

Hyobe went to Kafu as he was directed, opening the pack on the back of his rear. "I don't understand your thoughts. Why are you going to aid him?"

"It's wrong to let him bleed to death," Kafu said with a leader's tone of voice. "His team didn't win, but that's no reason to wish him to not exist." Kafu hastily started to lift the boy's shirt up, checking the deep cuts from the spikes. "We'll carry him out of here and take him back to his team."

Chikyo saw a hidden door open off to her left. Medic-nin were coming out to the area. "I don't think that's necessary."

Kafu looked up to see the medic-nin coming with a stretcher. He would have never imagined that the Mist village would have designed the tower to have hidden monitors to make sure most of the ninja were saved from the trials. He lifted the boy onto the stretcher. As the medic-nin went back through the opening with the injured Tea team leader, he signaled his team to go through the door to the next level.

Yosu Horri led the Wind team up through the thick branch maze. He signaled them to stop, raising his hand up. As he landed on a branch, he began scouting the area. Yosu formed hand seals quickly his mind focusing on the ninjutsu training he had undergone. A large sand snake started to form from the earth around the combined trees. "Boseku, find out if anyone is hiding in the branches," he said giving it a direct command.

Heizo Nakatoni clenched his fists, the spikes in his gloves extracting. Boseku's head moved around, tongue flickering as it tried to catch the scents of the area around it. "If he doesn't find anything, we can rest."

Ochitou Ishihara stood with her shadow birds behind her on another branch. "The sooner we get this over with, the better. We've been suck in this ridiculous maze for hours."

Yosu grinned as the snake's head lunged forward, its tongue flickering constantly. "He's on to something. We start moving," he ordered his frowning team.

Heizo punched his arms aiming one of his hands at Ochitsu's birds. The shadow bird flapped its wings as the blades went straight through it. Ochitsu popped him on the back of the head. She took off after Yosu leaving him behind. Heizo smirked, then followed.

Yae Kakinomoto from the Noodles team breathed slowly, closing her eyes. The team had been resting for an hour until a recent threat showed itself. She kept herself hidden inside the rotted branch, hoping it aided in masking her scent.

She didn't know who the sand snake belong to. She just had to avoid it. It's an impressive jutsu –whoever's doing it. Her eyes focused on it as it moved past.

Kaii Ikina tensed as he remained above the snake, snapping the dragon claw blades to his black leather gloves. He couldn't see Yae anywhere. This was the first exam his team had ever signed up for. The Mist village was one of the most lethal villages he knew of. Their exam was proving to work him to the bone.

Mabara Masoni knew he was in trouble as he remained several branches away. The stump he had created appeared misplaced on the branch. He swore, not having enough time to fix the problem. There didn't appear to be a team leading the snake that was drawing near. He figured it was the other way around. Where are they?

Yae felt uneasy. The size of the snake was making her regret entering the trials. How are we going to get past this thing? Her eyes shook with fear, teeth gritted together. Her heart was leaping out of her chest.

Heizo waited a moment flexing his shoulders. He lifted his arm, aiming it straight at the branch, his fist closing as the blade struck the rotted branch, going straight through it. "Tough luck, whoever you are." He began to thrust each of the blades on his hands into the branch.

Yae moved her body around trying to avoid the blades popping down overhead. She panicked – not knowing what to do. She had been found so easily by the new team. Yae sunk lower and lower in the branch attempting to steer clear of the blades coming through. She covered her head knowing full well she was going to get stuck. Her eyes closed, heart pounding.

Kaii narrowed his eyes as Heizo kept pounding away at the branch Yae was apparently hiding in. He had to do something, or she was going to be killed. Leaping from the branch he was on, Kaii outstretched his arms, the dragon claws blades striking the back of the sand snake as it moved back. The huge snake flung hits head snapping, but Kaii was already out of its reach. He landed right on top of Heizo, his arms coming down with multiple hits to get the guy off of Yae.

Heizo flexed his arms trying his best to get Kaii off of him. He growled extending his back, his legs tensing with all his might to twist his body. Kaii wasn't backing off. That meant that there really was someone in the branch. He started to tilt his body to the left, putting all of his weight into it. Kaii was slammed onto the branch with Heizo elbowing him in the ribs. He panted once the guy's wind was knocked out.

Boseku flickered his tongue. He smelled another person close by. Moving his giant head around he kept flickering his tongue. The scent of mildew and rotted tree bark drifted up to his tongue. Then as his tongue came close to it, catching all of the scents together, his tongue became stuck. He whirled his head around trying to break free. What had him?

Mabara moved backwards, his body hanging off the branch. The girl made out of wood clutched hard to the snakes tongue, dragging its snout into the trunk where she hid. Mabara wasn't sure she could hold onto a snake that large. It was starting to get challenging for her. She's not going to be able to hurt it while using both of her hands to keep him in place.

Ochitsu was amazed Boseku couldn't get away from the stump. "Just what on earth is in that thing," she said as Yosu went after Mabara.

Another figure was crawling out of a branch where her team mate laid catching his breath. Ochitsu smiled. Heizo was already on top of her. Ochitsu knew he could handle that girl alone. She went after Mabara who was busy fighting Yosu. As she leapt from branch to branch darting around, she threw double bladed kunai at the boy.

Mabara moved himself quickly to avoid the double crescent moon weapon that came from another attack over head. His head whirled around as his eyes tried to focus on Yosu. Yosu was in the air coming down on him fast with a long spear. Mabara formed hand seals and poofed to avoid the spear.

Yosu's spear went straight into the branch. He pried it loose, his head moving around slowly. "Go take care of that guy," he said noticing Kaii was getting up rubbing his head. "We can't have him interfering." Yosu turned his head to look at Boseku still trying to free himself. "It's a useless trap," he said forming hand seals. Boseku's sand form started to break apart, falling down towards the ground.

For a moment, Kaii didn't know where he was. The world around him appeared blurry until his eyes focused. Had he blacked out? He was sitting on a branch with a girl from the Wind Team coming straight for him. He rolled off the branch quickly as black birds dove for him. His eyes widened as the birds went through the branch. "Just what the hell are those," he yelled in alarm.

Ochitsu smiled as she landed on the branch, her birds starting to catch the air, gliding down towards Kaii as he fell. "My shadow birds absorb another's chakra. If I were you, I'd run," she said.

Yae moved back placing her leg on the tree, her body coming up and off the bark as she spun upwards to avoid Heizo's dragon claws. She heard them lodge into the branch. Her feet glued to the tree with her chakra as she ran upwards to get away from him.

Ochitsu leapt off going after Yae. She came down on top of the girl with her crescent moon bladed staff swinging. The girl poofed on her to avoid it. "Get out of the way," she yelled to Heizo who was stuck in the tree. She swore as the weapon sliced through the spiked gloves as he freed his hands in time.

"You destroyed them," Heizo yelled at her his anger fuming.

"Fight later! After them," Ochitsu said as her birds suddenly came up chasing Kaii. She regained her balance her arms moving about until she was steady. Kaii was trying to attack them using his dragon claws. "Hey, Heizo," she said as her team mate sulked over his torn armor. "That guy's gloves are nicer than yours," she called.

Heizo shot her a look of hatred. "What?" His eyes honed in on looking at the large steel spikes as they moved around slicing the shadow birds. "Yeah… Yeah they are," he said. He went forward, grabbed Ochitsu's weapon from her grasp and took off.

"You dirty thief," Ochitsu yelled after him. All she had left were regular kunai and shuriken. She hated to rely on those.

Yae breathed hard as she through her double bladed kunai at Yosu. Mabara was also trying to keep him busy for fear of the sand snake coming back. Yae threw a smoke bomb at Yosu as she moved off avoiding shuriken being thrown at her.

Mabara kept fighting Yosu, his kicks and punches hitting the guy's sides as the purple smoke engulfed them. He coughed some, but had to keep Yosu busy. That large snake of his could take the entire team out in one bite. He shifted his feet moving swiftly ducking as an arm came over his head several times.

Yosu balanced himself on one foot as he completed the hand seals to unleash Boseku. He was using a small thin branch to keep Mabara busy with his foot. As the smoke cleared, he shook his head.

Mabara stared dead at the tree. He had been hitting and kicking it the entire time. Damnit, no wonder he felt like he wasn't backing down.

Kaii was hit several times by the shadow birds. He tensed as each one of them flew straight through his body taking some of his chakra. He brought his hand up to hold back the crescent moon staff that Heizo was bearing down on him with. Kaii needed assistance. He was being attacked on both ends.

"I like your dragon claws," Heizo said as his eyes focused, his arms pressing down harder against Kaii's hands. The crescent moon kept inching closer to Kaii's head. Any closer and he'd shave his entire scalp with it.

Ochitsu commanded her shadow birds to go after the injured Yae. Boseku's large head started to tower over the branches once more. The shadow birds circled over head, targeted Yae, and dove for her.

Yae limped along the ground her body starting to limp faster once she realized she was being targeted. Soon she was caught in a large circle of tan sand – the snake's body. "No!" The birds came after her, their mouths open as they went straight through her in multiple shots. Her body flew backwards hitting the ground as the chakra was drained from her. Yae Kakinomoto was out of commission.

Yosu ran up the tree backwards, his chakra in his feet strong as Boseku whirled its head around again. Its tongue flickered out and in, sniffing out its prey. "Boseku, behind you," he said.

Mabara had already summoned his plant jutsu, but this time the trunk was larger. He was putting all of his effort into this one. The plant girl that popped out was bigger, her large head shooting up as her massive arms clapped together as if catching a fly. "We'll see who lasts the longest," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Heizo kept his arms lowering as Kaii's started to buckle. The guy was wearing out from the stress on the muscles in his arms. His feet shifted suddenly forward, the crescent moon staff coming down on top of Kaii sooner than he anticipated. The tip of the crescent went straight through his eye. Heizo pulled the staff out as Kaii screamed.

Mabara grit his teeth as he heard Kaii screaming in agony. He commanded the plant girl to snap the sand snake in half. The plant girl's arms loomed over head as the snake snapped. It was if watching a disobedient toddler play with a toy. The sand snake bit the wooden hands, but the damage was minimal.

Yosu held his hand up. Two of Mabara's team mates were of no use to him, but Yosu had his entire team. "Give up," he said trying to make it easier on the Noodles leader. When Mabara didn't heed his words, he sent Ochitsu and Heizo after him. Yosu had Boseku swirling around the trunk of the stump snapping its jaws on anything that came towards it.

Ochitsu whirled around several times as Mabara threw shuriken at her. The shuriken hit the crescent moon staff she had swiped back from Heizo. Heizo was coming down on Mabara with the dragon claws he had taken off of Kaii. Ochitsu went after him swiping several times, drawing him back towards Heizo. Heizo was kicking his legs out, hitting Mabara in the stomach. Mabara went backwards holding his abdomen as Heizo came back, the dragon claws coming down upon his arm.

Yosu watched as Boseku was hit by the wooden arm of the plant girl. The sand snake went backwards falling over the roots of the stump, its body thrashing about. "That's enough," he said calmly to Mabara and Ochitsu. Their weapons were halted in midair as Mabara's eye showed pure horror. "He's worthless without his team," he said. Kaii's screams of agony were still being emitted on a higher branch. "Fall back," he said.

Mabara watched the Wind team move away. He was at a loss. Kaii was injured. His last jutsu attempt had been completely pointless. Yae was missing – somewhere in the thick brush below. He placed his hands on his head trying to rethink what he did wrong.

Boseku fell apart in sand once again, his form swirling in the air as it went back under Yosu's robes in the containers where it was normally held. Yosu parted the area with the Wind team, his eye moving to glance at the Noodle team. They had fought to the best of their ability. Too bad it wasn't good enough to get past his team.

(Scene Change)

Ichisake Genda from the Honey team stood atop a tier consisted of a large leaf like platform that moved when the balance was off. He steadied his weight his arms going out to keep the platform from moving. Above the structure was a cut out hole leading to the next level. His team had risked everything to make it to the 12th level. "Ah! Don't try to get on here with me," he warned Eikichi Bunya, his team leader. "It'll throw me off!"

Eikichi frowned. "How am I supposed to move ahead if you're taking your sweet time getting there?" He glanced at Nabiku Ozawa who was squealing every time the platform shifted with her weight. "Nabiku, if you keep lagging behind, you'll never get to the top.

Nabiku, a toy maker's daughter in the Honey village, glanced up at Eikichi. "There are musical notes carved on the tier where I'm standing." Eikichi wasn't paying much attention to her, he was trying to get Ichisake to move faster. Nabiku didn't know much about music. She took out a small study scroll from her small back pack and wrote down the symbol. Again, she started to move along the platform, it shifting as her heart dropped.

Ichisake moved to the other platform above, his hands trying to find a means of support. Carefully, he pulled himself up, shifting the platform to where it started to lower, the other half starting to come up. If he didn't hurry and get on, it'd rotate all the way around, flipping him off.

Eikichi moved swiftly as he stood in the middle of the platform. It began to shift as his weight went to the other side. He put his arms up, hands under Ichisake's feet. He pushed hard giving him assistance before he had to move back to the middle where it was well balanced.

Scrambling to the middle, the platform stopped its shifting. Ichisake breathed out a sigh of relief. "This is insane. We're only a fourth of the way up," he said daring to crane his head. It was as if they were trying to climb to the sky.

"What choice do we have? Everyone's had to go this way," Eikichi said as Ichisake looked back at him. "This is the end of the 12th level. There's no other way up."

Nabiku had finally made it where she was standing below Eikichi. Again, she tried to get his attention. "Eikichi, there are music notes etched into the tier," she showed him the scroll. "Perhaps it's to a puzzle?"

"Hey, there's one up here, too," Ichisake said as he inched closer to it, his eyes squinting to see it. The music notes appeared to be a bit worn from previous teams. "Nabiku, write down a half note for B flat," he said.

Further the team climbed until they were almost to the top. Eikichi heard the platforms moving below his team. He moved to the edge of the platform he was on to peer down. "Damn, we've got company," he said.

Saru Obinata from the Wood team ran across the platform, jumped and latched onto the other platform ahead. He stood in the middle as it went back down adjusting to his weight. "I like this challenge," he said throwing his long dark hair back – the metal strips in his hair scratching together as he moved. "It gives you a sense of adrenaline."

Wakaru Shiotani swung her grappling hook over her head aiming for a higher platform to get on. The hook wrapped around the end of it, the sharp edges digging into the wood. She tested the weight of it before pulling herself up, struggling to maintain her grip as she grunted. Moving past Saru, she whistled at him jerking her head upwards.

Saru soon looked upwards seeing another team on their way to the top. "Hey now, it appears we've encountered another team to fight," he said showing his teeth. "Let's give them a warm taste of our hospitality." He began to run again, the platform shifting as it went downward on the space his feet touched. Saru threw himself at the other platform, attempting the same move again as he went around the large tier.

Teijo Sanda sensed the carnage lust vibrating off Saru as he followed him upwards. "I really wish you'd calm down. Something tells me they won't get any farther than they are," he said pushing his glasses back onto his face as he wrote down the musical notes he was encountering.

"And what makes you say that," Saru yelled down to him, his head flipping to register Teijo's idea.

"There are music notes on various spots of the tier," Teijo said rather annoyed at his team mate's lack of observation. "Perhaps if you took the time to overlook your surroundings, you would know that." He flipped the pad he was writing on closed. "You're such a bother," he sighed.

Wakaru flipped over landing on the platform. "What good are these music notes if there is no way to input them," she said with her hands on her hips. She was starting to catch up to the Honey team. Just as one of them managed to get on the last platform, the hole closed as bars came into place. The team was struggling to input the musical notes they had gathered. Wakaru was after them quickly starting to take after Saru's method of advancement.

Eikichi aimed his bow at Wakaru as she started to come into view. "Try to get those notes into that keyboard as fast as you can," he said sending one of his arrows flying. The arrow tacked near her, but did not hit. He quickly reloaded, then released the arrow, his fingers letting the bow go. Another arrow went soaring, but was over her head.

Nabiku tapped her fingers onto the keyboard. "This is harder than it looks. I can read music, but I don't understand the speed I'm supposed to be going at, or the sequence the notes are supposed to be in!"

Ichisake watched as Wakaru swung the grappling hook around in front of her body. She had spliced through one of Eikichi's arrows. "Keep working on it," he told her as he started to move back down the tier.

"Ichisake, get back here," Eikichi yelled after him. Again, he sent more arrows flying towards Wakaru. She was still advancing on them.

Ichisake moved hastily down the platforms unleashing his twin tiger nine teeth hooks. He jumped from the platform he was on attempting to land on top of Wakaru, but she was shoved out of the way by Saru who was ready for him. Ichisake jutted out with one of the hooks lunging at Saru as the man brought up his arm to block. His other arm came around to switch attacks.

Saru kept his arm up, the hook sword hitting his spiked armor as he twisted his body, his eyes narrowing. Ichisake was flipping around, his other arm aimed for him. Saru turned his head sharply, his long hair coming into contact with the man's face. Unbeknownst to Ichisake, Saru's hair was equipped with leather strips that held iron spikes. They grazed the man's face, causing him to wince. Saru had him.

Ichisake's sword was grabbed by Saru as he landed on the platform, their weight causing it to shift. He was going backwards while Saru stayed clearly in the middle, where it was safe. The platform moaned as the weight increased. His feet started to slip, his hand lashing out to grab onto Saru.

Saru brought his leg up kneeing Ichisake in the groin with the leather iron spikes on his leg. He kept inflicting damage to the younger man trying to get him to let go. Soon Ichisake was falling over, his body not only trying to remain on the platform, but trying to recover from the attack.

Wakaru had left Saru alone. She was making her way up the tall tier, her grappling hook swinging over her head. Every now and again, Eikichi sent arrows after her to stall her, but it wasn't working well for him. She moved behind the tier, letting the arrows be caught in the wood.

Teijo smiled as he came up behind her, ducking a slew of arrows being aimed at him. "He's created a lot of broken wood around us," he said forming hand seals. The small wood pieces were drawn to his body, it becoming a magnet for the wood. As the pieces neared closer to him, Teijo blinked his eye, stripping the wood enough to where they resembled small, long needles.

"He's protecting that girl," Wakaru said figuring Nabiku was the weakest member on her team.

"So I've noticed," Teijo said moving his head around the tier, his arm raising. The wooden needles shot out from his body towards Eikichi.

Eikichi swung his bow in front of his body catching some of the needles in the frame. The others went around him, or lodged into his clothing. "Bastard," he yelled in anger sending more arrows at the Wood team. Teijo only smiled before he went back into hiding. "Get out here and face me! Nabiku, hurry up with that combination!"

Nabiku panicked a little her fingers skipping a few of the notes. The keyboard made a horrible noise. She covered her ears, the rose in her hair becoming undone. Her heart leapt as the rose fell from her reach down below them. "No, Kaitei's flower!"

Eikichi grabbed Nabiku by the arm, almost throwing her back. "Get back to that combination!" He kept flinging arrows at the Wood team, his anger starting to escalate.

Saru's hand wrapped around the hook sword forcing it out of his side. His other hand came around, palm open as he slammed the iron spikes into Ichisake's shoulder. The man rotated his wrist, the other hook sword coming into contact with Saru's free hand. It clanged together with the spikes on his glove. He started to twist his arm down with force. He could feel the strain on Ichisake's wrist. Saru forced his arm down with all of his strength. The bones in Ichisake's wrist began to break.

Ichisake had no choice but to refrain from pushing the hook sword into Saru's side. He turned his body, his arm hanging at the pain coming from his broken wrist. He glanced down one time to see Saru's leg coming up to kick him in the chest. Ichisake fell off the platform, landing on one below. His head hit the wooden platform hard, his back slamming into last.

Saru glanced at Ichisake being knocked out before heading farther up the tier to deal with the rest of the Honey team. He leapt from platform to platform until he caught up with Wakaru and Teijo. "What's taking you two so long?"

"Your lack of observation is getting on my nerves," Teijo said as he sent another wave of wooden needles at Eikichi.

Wakaru kept watching Eikichi's movements. They appeared to be robotic. Her head started to flip around, eyes scanning. There was something unnatural about the whole situation. She saw a flash of a form moving below them. It was moving down the tier in a circular motion. "You idiots, we've been deceived. That's not him!" Wakaru took out a small powder that was in her vest. She blew it straight at Eikichi and Wakaru.

Saru growled as the powder revealed the screws on Eikichi's joints. "He's a decoy!" Saru shot past his team mates going straight after Wakaru. The girl seemed alarmed to have been found out so quickly. The arrows pinpointed into his armor, but did not injure him. He grabbed the huge toy by its neck. Saru lifted it up into the air, thrusting it out into the open. The likeness of Eikichi from the Honey team fell hitting several platforms as it rolled until it crashed way below.

Nabiku had finished trying the musical notes when she heard a ding noise. The bars overhead started to retract slowly. She had done it! But her head turned to be faced with a spiked fist going straight at her head. Nabiku let herself go limp as her body hit the other side of the platform. Saru was on top of her trying to hit her. She was rolling around, the platform shifting. Nabiku couldn't go to the next level without her team. She threw a miniature bee at Saru. The bee buzzed around him, its stinger trying to stick into his face. She leapt off the platform to get away.

Saru was busy fighting the bee with both of his gloved hands. Teijo tried to stop Nabiku from going to her team. He formed hand seals concentrating on a stronger wood jutsu. The broken pieces of wood flew to his body, forming into half circular shapes. He punched his arms forward, sending the circular shapes at Nabiku's wrists and ankles.

Nabiku felt something clamp against her skin. She was alarmed to see wooden circles attached to her wrists and ankles – they were forcing her back towards Teijo. She screamed her eyes wide as her body fought the pulling force. Soon she was in Teijo's grasp.

Teijo smiled at the girl before he lifted her over his shoulder. The wood on her wrists and ankles resembled handcuffs. The girl fought him until the circles were strangely drawn to each other. They molded together as if reconnecting like the root of a tree. He lifted her over his shoulder. "Time to go," he said.

Wakaru was already under the hole to the next level, her back pressed against one side of it as her feet pressed against the bars to keep them back. "Hurry up! This is our only chance to get out of here!" She grunted as the bars tried to force her feet back.

Saru was the first to push Wakaru out of the way. The moment Teijo had confined Nabiku, the toy bee had stopped working. It had fallen to the platform useless. He took out a kunai to jam the bars from moving. "Teijo! Drop that girl!"

"Let go of me," Nabiku ordered. She could see Eikichi trying to make it back up the tier, his weight increased with Ichisake on his back. It was causing him to take longer. Nabiku felt herself being lifted up into the hole. What were they doing? The Wood team was taking her with them. She was being separated from her team!

"Just get her through there," Teijo said coming up with his own plan. He was through the hole in a matter of seconds. Saru took his kunai back and the bars went back into place. Teijo picked Nabiku up running away from the hole with her. Once he was down the hall, he set her against the wall, her hands and feet still clasped together.

Wakaru looped the rope around her arm with the grappling hook on her shoulder. "Explain to us the reason of bringing her along. We don't need her."

Saru crossed his arms. They were now on the 13th level. "Release her, Teijo."

"No way. If she's not with her team, they can't get to the top of the tower," Teijo said with a smirk. "And… they'll have to do that little musical composition you mastered all over. They're going to run out of time."

Nabiku started to yell at him, but Teijo soon taped her mouth shut. She kicked her legs out showing her anger. Shaking her head at her disapproval of the idea didn't help her either.

"I wouldn't try to get out of that," Teijo said as he stood. "You'll only injure yourself. You'll be set free when we're long gone." He turned around leaving Nabiku stranded in the hall on the 13th floor.

Nabiku's eyes started to water watching the Wood team disappear on the last level. Not only had she failed to retrieve the Rose her brother had made for her, but now she had to wait to be freed. Nabiku tried to break out of the wooden handcuffs, but it was useless. It was much like trying to snap a tree in half.

(Scene Change)

Utamuro Ki from the Claw team looked up at the cages that were hanging from the high ceiling. They were formed in a circular pattern- much like a stairway. At the utmost top, he could see the doors leading to the end of the Crux tower trials. "We've made it this far," he said to his team.

Arika Jumanji reached up pulling her colorful kimono tighter around her form. They had forgotten how many days had passed since the exams had started. On the roof of the Crux Tower waited their trainers – and the end of the 4th round. The 5th round came a month or two later for the single battles.

Ichiren Royama went up to the first cage. He opened the door, stepping inside. It was only an inch off the floor. As his weight was added, the chain on the cage tightened, causing it to jerk side to side. He held onto the bars. "So, how much fun do you think this will be?"

Utamuro stepped inside of it with Ichiren, squishing the man up against the bars. "It's not like the platform tier on the 12th level," he confirmed. "It's able to hold two people without throwing us out – but no more than that."

Arika crossed her arms. "We better hurry and get moving," she said. "We don't know what time it is, or how many have made it past this area."

"She has a point," Ichiren said as he pushed his back on Utamuro's to keep from getting bars indented into his face. "Uta, open the other door and go!" He pushed his back again, but fell backwards onto his rear as Utamuro leapt for the other cage.

Arika moved inside the cage waiting for Ichiren to go to the next one. "I don't like this," she said. She had been saying it the entire time about the challenges they had faced. Each one had proven to be different and caused the team to give up strategies they had planned when encountering other teams.

Utamuro stopped where he was. He was standing about twenty feet above the floor. He held onto the cage as he shifted his weight in order to check the distances from each cage. "Now I can see why you're uneasy, Arika. The cages get further and further apart as you go up."

"Whoever said the Mist village was an easy one to overtake," Ichiren said. He put his hand up telling Arika to stop. "Wait, baby," he said. She stopped as she blushed at him getting sentimental. Ichiren started to climb onto the first door of the cage. He put his feet in the holes, his form going up until he managed to crawl onto the top of the cage. He stood up slowly, having a death grip on the chain. "The only way we're going to be able to get to some of them is to swing them."

"Ichi, you promised you wouldn't call me that when the trials began," Arika said reminding him of his oath to her. She was worried about other teams finding out her importance to him. It would make her an easy target.

"No one's around," Utamuro said backing Ichiren up. He kept his teeth clamped down on the wooden toothpick in his mouth. "Just keep moving. Our focus is to get through those doors."

Nabiku tensed as the Leaf team looked at her. She was embarrassed and scared at being found against the wall on the 12th floor. A tall guy with long red hair crouched to eye her, his elbows hanging off his knees. "No, go away," she muffled through the tape. "Leave me alone!" She shut her eyes tightly.

"You're scaring her, Idai," Yanagi said with a hand on her hip. She has no reason to trust you." Masaru was coming towards them carrying an injured guy from the Honey team. He seemed to be badly hurt.

Eikichi breathed hard as he signaled Nabiku out. He had wondered what had happened to her. "She's alright," he exhaled wobbling on his feet. All sorts of negative thoughts had gone through his mind when the Wood team had kidnapped her.

"Hey, if you're going to fall over, fall the other way," Masaru said a bit annoyed. He was already carrying someone who was heavier than him. "This guy needs medical help. His wounds are bad."

Nabiku gasped as the tape was removed from her mouth. She looked at Idai, her eyes starting to stare. "Why is your team helping ours," she finally spat out.

Idai raised a brow. "It isn't my nature, as a leader, to leave anyone injured, or trapped in the state I find them in," he said plain and simple. Nabiku didn't seem to know what to say. She was at a loss for words.

Yanagi bent over to examine the handcuffs Nabiku had herself in. "Those are strange. They appear to be some type of an earth related jutsu." She tapped her hand on them. "I wonder how a jutsu lasts without the team around," she said standing back up to look at the long hall in front of them.

"Probably because," Idai said as he took a kunai out, "They aren't that far away. A person's jutsu lasts based on how strong his, or her chakra is." He started to jam the kunai into the handcuffs cracking the wood.

Nabiku was relieved that her team was with her now – and the fact she was being freed, but her mind went back to the Rose Kaitei had given her last year. She lowered her eyes, her eyes starting to water. I lost Kaitei's flower. I lost it!

"Idai, you're being too rough," Yanagi scolded. Nabiku shook her head. "Then what is it?" She was dumbfounded to why the girl was crying.

"I lost Kaitei's flower," Nabiku said in sobs. As one of her hands was freed, she wiped her eyes.

Eikichi slumped to the floor. "Nabiku, I told you not to wear it for the exams. I knew you'd lose it."

Idai gave the boy a hard glance. He turned back to Nabiku working on freeing her legs now. "Who is Kaitei," he asked softly.

"My brother," Nabiku said. "He was killed last year on a mission." She covered her eyes embarrassed at crying in front of the older Genin. "Kaitei was my older brother. It was a rose he carved and made into a hair pin for me."

Idai freed her legs with a snap. "Well, it was easier on the ankles than the wrists," he said as he moved his hand to reach inside his kimono. He took out the carved rose he had found laying on the platform of the tier. Idai put it in front of Nabiku's face. "I'd put this in your pack. Kaitei doesn't have to see where you are, to know where you are."

Nabiku took the rose carefully. She leapt for Idai, hugging him hard around the neck. "Thank you," she said her voice cracking. "Thank you for bringing Kaitei back to me."

Udo Karubo from the Swamp team formed hand seals as he ducked inside the cage. He swore as the cage rocked from side to side, his feet grinding into the floor to keep steady as the shuriken hit. In the middle of the room a green, slimy pod started to form. It wasn't that big yet, but as it absorbed the attacks, it would something big and nasty.

Arika's body began to mold with her kimono as Zen Abe came at her with two tonfas. She slipped inside of it, becoming part of the lustrous designs. The tonfas went straight through the kimono into the floor of the cage. She changed her form immediately to resemble one of the demons on the kimono that were moving around.

Zen moved his head left and right trying to figure out where she had gone. Suddenly he was kicked in the groin by a foot that had emerged out of the kimono. Zen's hand lashed out at her trying to grab onto it, but it was pulled back into the clothing. "I don't know what you're pulling! But you can't stay in there forever!"

Ran Tagawa swung the cage by using her body to shift forward and back. The distance from each cage was increasing. As the cage she was on neared the other one, she leapt across going for it. Her hands slid on the top of the cage as it shifted with her weight. Her body went over the edge, her hands grabbing onto the cage as it swung back and forth. Her legs came up trying to get her feet into the holes so she could climb back up.

Ichiren leapt for the chain, his body slamming into it as he grabbed a hold of it. He wrapped his legs around it, going back down to help Arika. She wasn't able to incase herself in the kimono much longer. It was taking a lot of chakra for her to use that special jutsu of hers. He landed on top of the cage, his anger starting to fume. Zen was still attacking the kimono, now hitting the illustrations upon it. If he found the right one, he'd injure Arika.

Ichiren swung over the side, his legs out as he came in contact with Zen's face. The man was thrown back and out of the cage. Ichiren landed on top of the kimono, his feet moving quickly so he could check the damage to it. The swords had struck through the material, but hadn't ripped it. "Arika!"

Arika's form started to lift the kimono as if she were breathing life back into it. Her arms, legs, and head formed back in their proper places. She looked up at Ichiren as he beheld a worried look on his face. "I'm alright," she said reassuring him. "Where's Uta?"

Utamuro was throwing shuriken at the slimy green pod that was in the middle of the floor. It didn't seem to be doing it any harm. Instead, the shuriken were lodging into it as green ooze slid out of the pod. He didn't understand it at all. Udo was on his tail trying to get his team to the doors. Utamuro poofed as a tonfa went straight for him lead by Zen. Instead, it struck open space.

Utamuro narrowed his eyes as he retreated to a lower cage. His eyes darted quickly to see Ichiren and Arika coming back up. They were being followed by Ran. The woman from the Swamp team was emitting electrical currents. "Watch out you two! She's a lightening user!"

Arika whirled around seeing Ran jump at them, the short range swords aimed at them as the electricity shot down her arm, and onto the weapon. Her heart leapt. With gut instinct, she forced herself to shove Ichiren out of the way. He hit the top of the cage hard his body rolling as she was struck by Ran's lightening jutsu.

Ichiren fell below yelling, "Arika!" until he hit the roof of another cage. It started to swing with the sudden movement. His body rolled his back slamming into the chain. Ichiren got up, his feet moving to catch up. He didn't know if she was alright, or worse.

Ran passed the girl now passed out on the top of the cage. She saw Udo and Zen going after Utamuro. As the pod below took the hits from the teams it started to grow more. A form began to emerge from it – a demon with four arms standing seven feet tall holding battle axes in each of its hands. It started to make its way up the cages. Now they're in for it!

Ichiren turned around hearing loud thuds coming from behind him. When he saw the demon, his eyes widened, his feet starting to lose balance. "What the hell is that?" He finally made it to Arika. Picking her up, he leapt for another cage as the demon caught up to him. "You touch her and I'll kill you!"

Udo landed on a cage starting to focus on his demon now being lose. He had to control it, or it'd end up getting his team, also. "Take care of the Claw team," he ordered pointing to Ichiren carrying Arika. "Finish them!"

Utamuro threw several kunai in an arch formation at Ran to discourage her from getting any closer. As she began to charge to strike him from her position, he formed hand seals to protect his team mates. As a leader, it was his duty to give others a fighting chance. A large cat like creature bearing a Claw hitate poked its massive head out of his back, then separated from its body as if falling backwards.

Osuji leapt forward away from Utamuro, its claws out lunging for Ran. The woman brought her swords up to shield herself from its attacks. Lifting its huge paws it batted a sword out of her hands, his mouth opening issuing a threat. Ran started to charge again, trying to deter the creature, but Osuji wasn't threatened by her. He clamped down onto her arm stopping the charge.

Ran pushed her body against Osuji's trying to break free. The beast shook her around like a rag doll until he tossed her out into the open air. She screamed as she fell straight for the slimy pod in the middle of the room. Her body cracked its folds, half way going inside. Her legs twitched as she gagged trying to get air.

Zen's tonfas clanged together with Ichiren's t-handle knives. He started to press harder on the man, his body moving forward as the cage began to shift. It was an unsteady structure to be standing on.

Ichiren had laid Arika in the safety of the cage. She wasn't a target as long as she was unconscious. The demon was also trying to slice at his head with the axes in its hands. He was in a predicament. Swinging his body around, an axe hit the chain clanging against the metal. Ichiren let himself fall down, the tonfas hitting the demon in the legs as he slid off the cage. His hands grasped onto the cage bars. "Fancy a ride?"

Ichiren started to swing the cage violently causing Zen and the demon's balance to be thrown off. Zen tried to use his tonfas to lodge into the chain holding the cage, but the more Ichiren swung, the harder it was for Zen to maintain his grip. Soon he saw the man fall over the edge into the large pod. Now all that was left was the demon.

Udo took out a slip of paper with caricatures on it. "I doubt you'll be able to dodge this," he said throwing the slip of paper straight at Ichiren. He knew the man wouldn't move from his position with the girl locked inside the cage. It was a deathtrap.

The demon moved out of the way locking arms with Osuji. It snarled as the beast snarled. Two of its arms went back with the battle axes coming forward to sink into the cat's sides. The other two arms were in a death lock with the cat.

Osuji growled loudly, its mouth opening as it was injured by the axes. Its long fangs inched closer and closer to the demon, its eyes showing no mercy. Again the demon moved its two arms back attempting to strike again at the cat, but Osuji struck. Its head went forward turning at an angle as it sunk its teeth into the demon's throat. The demon howled with rage as it was attacked.

Utamuro threw a kunai at the paper bomb causing it to detonate halfway on its journey to the cage Ichiren was hanging on to. The bomb exploded as he went after Udo. Udo seemed to be confused at how his bomb could not have gone off as planned. He whirled a kunai in his hand twirling it to focus Udo's attention on it. His hand moved forward in a total bluff, Udo brought up his own kunai to block it – that's when Utamuro punched him dead in the face.

Udo was thrown backwards hitting the cage with such force that the kunai in his hand were dislodged. They fell below to the stone floor. He turned his head in time to see another fist coming at him. Utamuro was on top of him punching as if he were a boxer to take him out. Udo couldn't get the man off.

Utamuro gave the man one final punch in his stomach to knock his wind out. He lifted Udo high over his head, throwing him down onto the pod at the same time Osuji dropped the demon. He breathed hard. His cat made a noise at him. Utamuro went to him finding he was injured from the attacks by the demon. "Ichiren, let's move before they recover!"

Ichiren snapped the lock on the cage grabbing Arika. She was now waking up with a confused look on her face. "Hi, baby," he said kissing her beside the mouth. "Time to go through the doors," he said helping her rise. She followed him out.

Utamuro molded back with Osuji, taking on the creature's pain and wounds. He grimaced as it hit him. He tottered on his feet, one hand wrapped around the chain to steady himself.

"Are you going to be alright," Ichiren said catching up to him. The Swamp team was having a bit of difficulty getting down from the pod. Not only that, but they were starting to shout anger up to the Claw team. "We'd better get going. If they catch us, they'll want a rematch."

"Agreed," Utamuro said issuing his team to keep moving. They swung the cages landing on each one until they made it to the top where the twin doors waited. The Swamp team only had two members chasing them. He had put Udo out of commission. Utamuro opened the doors going through first. He and his team walked out into the late afternoon sunset, amongst the other teams who had made it to the top of the Crux Tower.

(Scene Change)

As twilight happened around the Crux Tower, the Jounin from the neighboring countries congratulated their teams on passing the trial. They had all watched from the monitors located at the top. The teams that hadn't made it were being recovered in the tower – injured members were going straight to the hospital in the Mist Village.

Rock Lee gave a thumb's up to his team as they stood against the railing of the tower. "You three have no idea how proud I am of you! Good work!"

Takeru didn't seem to hear the praise coming from his trainer. He was too busy searching for his brother amongst the others on the tower. Daiya was standing near the doors, his body leaning against the structure. He didn't know what had transpired in the Crux Tower for him, but Takeru was glad he wasn't injured.

Onari tackled Eiyu in front of everyone, rubbing her cheek against his. "Eiyu is the best team leader," she said closing her eyes. The mask she wore was now on the side of her head.

Eiyu tensed as everyone started to watch them. "Onari, this isn't appropriate! Onari!" He blushed as she kept holding him close to her. "Takeru is right there!" He pointed at the Uchiha boy, but Takeru didn't seem to mind Onari's antics.

Idai felt someone jump onto his back. He turned his head to see Saori from Team 2 smiling at him. "Hi, Saori. How did you like the challenges in there?"

Saori frowned. "Idai, you're too serious when competing," she said poking his cheek. "I'm so glad you all made it!" She hugged him around his neck.

Masaru saw Ryu walking over to them. "You look terrible," he said bluntly. Ryu appeared to be thinking heavily about something.

"I do not want to do that again," Ryu said as his shoulders slumped. "That training is worse than Sasuke's." Once the words were emitted, Sasuke bopped him on top of the head. As tired as he was, Ryu didn't even feel it.

"Well, we'll be able to rest for the night," Yanagi said. She had learned the information from Kiba a little while ago. "That's as far as the Mist village's hospitatlity goes though." She smiled at him. Her eyes moved to see Daiya looking through the crowd for someone. "Hey, who's Daiya looking for?"

"Huh? Oh, he made a friend while we were in there," Saori said jumping off Idai's back. "I guess he's curious to see if Ano's team made it." Yanagi tilted her head at her not understanding.

Hashano snuck up behind Daiya placing his hand on the boy's head. Daiya jumped slightly, but turned to look up at him. "Hey, kid, I see you survived the Crux Tower. Guess what the name means! The Puzzle Tower."

Daiya was glad to see him. He smiled at him softly. "Ryu still doesn't like you," he said.

"Bah, he's no worse than Dayu," Ano said jerking his thumb behind him at a guy with blond Mohawk hair carrying a large hammer with spikes on it. "Guys like that only get heated up when they don't want to be seen as failures. If it's in their own comfort zones, they appreciate being seen that way."

Daiya started to laugh.

"What were you mouthing off about now," Dayu and Ryu said at the same time.

Ano ducked as the two tried to swing at him. He moved back making faces at them. Ano jumped up backwards to crouch on the railing with his arms crossed. "Now, now, the trials are over for the time being. But if you wish to go up against me during the single battles, I'll make you both fall on your rears."

"Keep talking trash, Ano," Dayu said slamming his fist into his hand. "You've got me to deal with." He only saw Ano wink at the kid with the ponytail.

Ryu shoved Dayu in the shoulder. "What makes you think you get first dibs on shutting him up? He's had it coming since I met him!"

Dayu turned his head to acknowledge Ryu speaking out of turn. "And he's had it coming straight at him since he was put on my team! Back off!"

Wazuka chewed on her cheek as she watched Dayu battle it out verbally with Ryu. She stood near Ano and Daiya. "You'd think you'd give it a rest after what we went through in there.

The teams atop the Crux Tower waited until one of the Mist Village Jounin walked to the front of the large group. "All of the teams that have made it to the top of the tower by this time have been considered for competing in the Single battles in one month's time. Those that did not, are either missing a team member, or did not meet here by the deadline.

The remaining teams will be able to rest tonight in the village, but must leave in the morning – no exceptions. The following Jounin at the table," he jerked a thumb to his right, "Have information about each of you and who you will fight in the first battle. As always, there are no rules. You will not be allowed to withdraw." He moved away.

"Um, Kiba sensei, how are we supposed to get down from here," Yanagi asked. She watched him smile at her as he moved his head signaling a rope. "What? Are you kidding me? We have to get down that way?"

"You better believe it," Kiba said. "Oh, don't give me that expression Masaru. It'll be fun."

"Fun, he says," Masaru noticed how some of the teams who had already gotten their papers were sliding down the rope using cloth acquired from a woman standing near it.

"Thirteen stories up," Eiyu said as Onari clung to his back. "It's the only way down, too. Onari, as much as you've flown with Akaihi around Konoha, you shouldn't be afraid of this."

"Yeah, but she trusts him," Takeru said petting Onari's head. "I wonder if she can just hold onto one of us?" The Jounin handed each of them their clothes. She shook her head. "Suppose not, Ri, sorry."

Onari hopped on one foot to the other not knowing if she wanted to take this sort of route to the ground. "Onari will use Akaihi to get down," she pleaded, but Eiyu shook his head at her too. "Eiyu," she whined.

"No, Onari. Someone will find out about it," Eiyu said as he put his cloth over the rope. He wrapped it around his wrists, holding on tightly. Moving up to the ledge he looked down at the water below and the bridge. Five days had passed since they had run along the bridge to enter the Crux Tower. "Just think of it as flying." He took off, kicking his legs forward.

Takeru moved her in front placing his hands on her shoulders. He lowered his head looking her straight in the eyes. "I won't let you fall, Ri. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and I'll be right behind you with Uso," he said.

Onari's eyes wavered down then up. "Takeru promise?" She wasn't afraid of falling per say. It was the speed of the drop that frightened her.

Takeru kissed her forehead. "I promise," he said. Onari did as Takeru said. She actually stood on top of the edge, her eyes closed and leapt forward. But as Onari went soaring down the rope towards the ground, she screamed a high pitched cry of terror.

"Hey, whose team is she on," some guy yelled from behind Takeru. Takeru closed his eyes, his shoulders slumping as his head hung. "She's on mine," he said a bit disappointed. Takeru shook his head then went over the side after her.

Saori laughed a bit as the screams died away the farther Onari got from the tower. "Poor Onari," she said. Daiya was slapping his forehead, also embarrassed by her actions. "I know what you'll be teaching her until the exams start."

"I don't know if I want to tackle that," Daiya said as Ryu and Sasuke stood behind him. "It hasn't been that long since she got over her fear of water." They moved forward to wait their turn to touch the ground.

Down below, Onari came off the rope in a hurl landing straight on Eiyu. He went backwards onto the ground. She clung to him for dear life, hoping to never go on that ride again. But as Takeru had promised, he was right behind her. He came off the rope too, tripping over her feet sandwiching her between himself and Eiyu.

Eiyu yelled, "Get off of me! You two are already on the ground! There are more people coming down! Get off!" Eiyu pushed on Takeru first to move. "You're so bothersome!"