The ceiling exploded.

Rocks tumbled toward the group.

"What the hell?!" Sasuke's eyes widened.

"…Son of a gun."

The long sword glowed.

Feathers drifted downward.

Several genin collapsed, falling motionless in slumber.

The rocks split in two.

"Boil Release: Carving Sword of the Eternal Flame."

The rocks fell in two pieces.

Molten debris fell on the ground.

"What's going on?!" Sasuke demanded, her face white with shock.

Kabuto vanished rapidly.

Asahi turned. She walked heavily toward one of the walls.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to go check on my teammates first." Asahi's eyes narrowed. "Are you stupid? You should do the same thing…"

Temari vanished rapidly.

A whirlwind kicked up across the ground.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!"

The whirlwind caught up Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Priority one… Temari's right. I have to find Naruto, and if possible Kōju.

The hands clapped together.

Exam

Sand shot upward across the ground.

The figure stepped forward. "What's your name, old man?" the red-haired boy questioned.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed.

The fingers pressed together.

"My name is Gaara. Now answer me."

Energy surrounded the fingers.

"You are a reckless young man, aren't you?" Sarutobi smiled. "My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. But that is as far as my small acceptance of you goes."

A staff appeared in the air.

Sarutobi grasped the staff.

The staff struck the ground.

A wave of pressure spread outward.

Gaara flew backward through the air, his eyes wide. "What?"

"Heh." Sarutobi glanced over his shoulder. "What are you waiting for, Kōju-san?"

Kōju's eyes widened.

"Get going. I'm an old man, now. I can't predict how things will turn out." Sarutobi smirked. His hand drew backward, the staff twirling in a circle.

Kōju swallowed tightly. "…Yes, sir!" She saluted, then scampered away.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. "Now then! We'll see how you turn out, little jinchūriki. I should remind you…"

Gaara's eyes narrowed with hate.

"For all that I am an old man, I am one of the Pillars of Shinobi for a reason. It won't be so easy to kill me." Sarutobi's lips curled upward in a grin.

Exam

"The Leaf will be the wheel that sets everything else in motion." Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "You are probably capable of comprehending my motives… Unmei-san."

"Heh. Maybe."

The blue Kage's hat blew back in the wind.

"It's boring—peace doesn't suit you. I do know you're not the type to possess direct goals or something like that…" Unmei's hand reached downward. The fingers grasped the sword hilts. "You've always been a 'bigger-picture' kind of guy. Not focused on details." He paused.

A wave of energy spread from the body.

"Before that… a little sacrifice." Orochimaru slammed his palm into the ground.

Unmei's eyes widened.

Orochimaru hurled three kunai. The kunai whirled through the air.

Blood poured from the backs of the hostages.

Unmei's eyes narrowed. "…I see. The Impure World Resurrection. A very scary technique, speaking from a conventional standpoint."

Two figures stood upright.

The shield lay solidly over the backs.

"Of course, one could try summoning back the Fourth, if he hadn't been sealed."

"Ah. It's you again." The First Hokage cleared his throat. "Well, you were a little after our time. What's your name again?"

"Kuroi Unmei."

"Kill him quickly. Don't give him time."

The hands lifted.

Unmei studied the three fighters. "Three S-classes at once… one of whom was confident in killing the Hokage."

The talismans fell away.

Unmei's lips curled upward. "Fucking perfect!" he roared, his teeth showing rapidly, his eyes blazing.

The swords drew out of the sheaths.

One, pure black, guarded with two tines, lay across the right arm.

The other, short and curved, wrapped in violet cloth, hung by the left arm.

"Orochimaru-san… You didn't really think that this was enough to kill me, did you?!" Unmei demanded.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. At best, I can hope to get away… Still, it might be worth experimenting to see how things went.

Unmei's eyes narrowed. "Unless, of course… you're aiming for my immortal genes." He reached upward, tapping the side of his face.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "You are perceptive."

"So this whole time that's been your objective…" Unmei scowled. "Well, I could probably have guessed as much."

Exam

Naruto sat upright, rubbing the side of his head. "What's going on?"

Rubble surrounded the berth.

"I was asleep, and suddenly I woke up here, like this…" Naruto rubbed his eyes. "What…?"

A figure emerged through the smoke.

Huh?

"Sorry, but… I'll be taking you back with me, kid." Sandy-haired, the jōnin stepped forward. The headband branded him a member of Hidden Sand.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Are you responsible for all this destruction?" he demanded harshly.

The jōnin sighed. "Not directly. With you, our alliance with the Sound Village ends forever…"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Then I guess I'll make sure you can't get me, so you can roast together."

Exam

The wooden sword drew out.

"So… you're my opponent, huh?" Sasuke smirked as she glared at the person. "I suppose it's fitting, Kabuto. You were my opponent for the chūnin exams."

"Don't be foolish."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Eh?"

"I have no intention… of sticking around. Those eyes of yours, if I am incautious, will steal away all of my secrets. Why would I take that risk?" Kabuto turned away. "If necessary, I'll hide instead—"

"Hidden Mist Technique."

Water rose.

"So you came along… Haku-san." Sasuke smirked. "I won't need your help…"

"Like this, you can stick around to your content… right, Kabuto-san?" Haku questioned.

Kabuto stood motionless in the center of the mist. Hmph.

Exam

Kōju tensed. Her hand grasped the hilt of the sword.

"…I'm really not the one you ought to be fighting, yeah?" Deikōgi questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"Stay still… There's someone here."

Deikōgi's eyes narrowed.

There's no way… I could mistake that much bloodlust, especially after this…

"Get going, yeah."

Kōju blinked.

"Right now, you aren't ready to kill your own heart, yeah. There's good in that… but you're not willing to kill anyone, yeah. No matter the circumstances, yeah." Deikōgi sighed. "You're a good kid, yeah… leave us monsters to kill each other, yeah." Her hands extended.

Kōju swallowed tightly.