This is my first story. Don't hate for no reason. Will take fair criticism though.
I do not own Naruto or anything related. That goes to Masashi Kishimoto
CHAPTER 19
Everyone had gathered around what seemed to be a gigantic forest. They were waiting around for the proctor when they heard a shout, "Hello, little genin! Welcome to Training Ground 44! My home away from home, otherwise known as The Forest of Death!"
Many genin paled at the training grounds nickname. But regardless, the proctor continued, "The next stage of the chunin exams is a survival exercise and for the next 120 hours you have to survive in that forest with what you have on you now to make it to the tower at the center of the forest."
As the proctor began to hand out papers, Naruto smiled and thought, 'Thank Kami for my seals.'
Once every genin had a sheet the proctor continued, "I'm going to need you to sign those, because for this stage deaths will happen and killing is allowed. Konoha cannot be held responsible for that so you will sign these papers."
The proctor held two different scrolls in her hands, "Sometimes as chunin you will be responsible for important documents so as part of the test to enter the tower you will need these two scrolls. But you only receive one of them when you turn in your forms. The other you must take by any means from other teams."
'Only half of the teams can pass the exam. So that's what she meant.'
Walking away the woman shouted, "Once your team has finished signing the contract come trade in your scroll in the tent!"
But with a mischievous grin she said, "One last piece of advice? Don't Die!"
-30 minutes later-
Team 8 had just arrived in front of their designated gate. And had 10 minutes before the gates would open. Facing his teammates Naruto said, "We don't have to worry about food or water. I have more than enough stocked in my seal. All we have to do is get the earth scroll we need and get to the tower."
"But how would we get one?" Hinata asked.
"Well, we just have to find an enemy team quickly. But I don't know where we could find one."
"It would be logical to go to the river." Shino commented.
Naruto tilted his head, "But we don't need water. I have a weeks worth in my seals."
"That's true for us but most teams will need to find a water source to survive, and the only safe option would be the river." Shino points out.
Hinata nods in agreement, "If we stay hidden along the riverside we could surprise attack enemy teams, and we would have a source for our water jutsu."
Naruto grins, "So that's the plan then. Hinata I want you to scan with your byakugan for a minute every 4 minutes. We don't want to strain your eyes too much."
Hinata was about to respond in the affirmative when they heard a loud buzz and suddenly the gate behind them began to open. Quikly they ran through and made a beeline for the river. It was quite a distance away but it could have been farther so there were no complaints. An hour had passed and they had just made it to the river. Hiding close to the top of a tree Team 8 took some time to eat as they haven't since before the first exam. However, it also served to give some time for other teams to arrive.
Finishing their food Naruto resealed the containers and Shino worked to hide their tracks. Running down the riverside Hinata kept scanning for any enemy teams. After about 10 minutes Hinata stopped them, "There's a team up ahead. Taki-nin, we should expect some water style."
Nodding to each other they silently jump up into the trees. As they slowly approach the team Shino releases some of his bugs and Naruto produces a few clones.
Once they were right above them Naruto gave a countdown and swiftly they jumped down and with a strike to the head the Taki-nin were knocked out cold.
Searching for the scroll Naruto let out a curse, "Damn it, another Heaven scroll."
"Keep it," Shino says, "We can use it as a bargaining chip or a back up."
Sealing the second scroll into the same seal as where the first one was, Naruto says, "Let's get out of here. We have a few hours of daylight left, let's try to find another team."
Leaving the team somewhere safe they continued to run down the riverside.
-few hours later-
Tiredly Team 8 had set up camp in a tree. Since taking the Taki-nin's scroll they hadn't run into any other teams. Not even just to trade in their extra heaven scroll for an earth one. It was his watch so while his teammates were sleeping he was covering their camp and keeping watch over it. Everything had been quiet for a while when suddenly he heard a loud crash.
Quietly he sent a kage-bunshin to investigate while he remained to protect the hideout. But when he received the information his eyes widened and he shouted, "Kiba!"
Having woken up from the loud crash, Hinata and Shino exited the hideout just in time to see Naruto jump down from his branch to the forest floor. Following suit they found Kiba at the base of the tree they were hiding in, with Akamaru whimpering at his unconscious owner.
"Hinata, scan him for injuries." Naruto said.
Activating her dojustu she found that his right arm was dislocated.
Communicating this to Naruto he responded with, "Hold him down so I can set it back in place."
A quick motion reset Kiba's arm but it also made him wake up with a scream, "OWWW!"
Breathing heavily, Kiba asked, "What happened?"
Shino raised an eyebrow, "That is what we should ask you."
"I dunno," Kiba panted, "We were running through the forest when I suddenly got hit with some strong wind. But it only hit us." Akamaru, Kiba's ninken, seemed to bark in affirmation.
"A futon jutsu?" Hinata asks.
Naruto was about to respond when he shoved Kiba and shouted, "MOVE!"
Quickly Hinata, Shino, and Akamaru jumped back and just then a gigantic snake crashed directly into their previous location. Not wanting the snake to recover, Naruto sped through hand signs shouting, "Raiton: Rai Tenohira!"
Pressing his hand to the snake Naruto exerted lethal force, and it was only a few seconds before it was clear that the Snake died. The snake hadn't scared Naruto but what did was the fact that it seemed to poof away once it had died.
"Kiba! Did you see who attacked you?" Naruto asked calmly but with urgency.
Hearing the urgency in Naruto's voice Kiba responded nervously, "No, I just got hit with the wind then lights out."
"That's not good," Naruto whispered.
"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.
"That snake was a summon."
Kiba was unbothered by this saying, "So?"
However, Shino seemed to understand Naruto's point, "There are only two people who can summon snakes."
"Who?" Hinata asks
"The proctor--"
"But she's not allowed to interfere." Kiba interrupted.
Naruto nodded, "Exactly. Which is why the person who attacked you could only be Orochimaru."
Team 8 understood the gravity of the situation very well but Kiba was still in the dark, "Who's that?"
"Orochimaru is one of the Densetsu no Sannin. A kage-level shinobi who achieved incredible feats during the second great ninja war. He used to be a Konoha-nin but went rogue. And right now he is in this forest attacking genin."
Finally getting what was going on Kiba became worried for his team, "Oh no! Then I have to go help my team!" Akamaru barked in agreement.
Kiba was about to run off when he heard three shouts, "NO!"
"Look even with all our help, we stand no chance against one of the sannin."
Kiba was getting angry, "So what then? Am I supposed to leave my team to die?"
Naruto shook his head, "Look, if Orochimaru wanted you dead you wouldn't be walking or talking right now. Whatever he is doing in this forest it's most likely not to kill your team. So let's wait for an hour or two, then look for your team."
"I can't leave my team like that!"
"It's Orochimaru! What are you–," Naruto shouted as he jabbed Kiba in the chest with his pointer finger, "going to do against a kage level shinobi? Huh? You're not that strong. That same blast that knocked you unconscious? He could've killed you with it and he wouldn't have even broken a sweat. So wait an hour, hope your team survives, then we search for them."
Kiba looked to Naruto's teammates, "Come on guys, help me out here."
Hinata shook her head, "I'm sorry Kiba, I would have said it nicer, but I agree with Naruto-kun."
Kiba looked to the floor grumbling as he followed Team 8 back up to their hiding spot."
-2 hours later-
Haruno Sakura was tired. A few hours ago everything was fine for Team 7 but then some weird woman sent Kiba and Akamaru flying to who knows where and left Sasuke unconscious with some weird hickey on his neck. Forced to carry Sasuke to a safe place up a tree she just hoped that Sasuke would appreciate her more after this. She laid Sasuke down carefully in a hole in a tree and left him there as she began to set up some traps to defend him.
She was working diligently to set up a log trap when her blood went cold as she heard multiple voices getting closer. She ran into the same hole that she hid Sasuke in hoping that the team would just pass by. She was scared to fight even one shinobi, let alone an entire team.
"Are you sure they're here?" One voice said.
"Yup! Their scent is really close by." Another, very familiar, voice said.
"Hinata, can you please scan with your byakugan?" The first voice asked.
'Hinata?' Sakura thought.
There was a short pause before she heard a third voice, "Kiba, your team is right in that tree."
Sakura peeks out of the tree to see her missing teammate with Team 8. Stepping out of the tree she asked, "How can I know that it's actually you?
Kiba steps forward, "Well since we've been in this forest Sasuke made up some super long code about flowers or birds or something. But then I had to take a piss so I split from the group for a minute but that's all it took for an Ame team to ambush us. Finally after looking for another team we got attacked by Orochimaru."
"You could've been following us from the beginning! Tell me something from the academy!"
Annoyed, Naruto stepped forward, "These were the class rankings, Sasuke was first, I was second, you were third, Shino was fourth, Hinata was fifth, and Kiba was second to last but only because Shikamaru always slacked off. And Iruka and Mizuki were our senseis."
Sakura let out a sigh of relief, "It really is you guys. Can you help me out? Sasuke-kun got some weird hickey from the woman who attacked us so I had to drag him up here all alone. I was going to set up some traps."
"I'll check out the hickey, you just rest Sakura-san," Hinata says.
"And I'll help you out with the traps," Naruto offers, "Everyone else should sleep. Just in case a team passes by we need some people at full strength."
Naruto unseals some rope and wire and starts finishing up Sakura's log trap. He was almost done with the tripwire when he heard Hinata call for him, "Naruto! Come here!"
Leaving a clone to complete the trap he ran over to hideout and asked, "What's wrong Hinata?"
"The weird hickey Sakura was talking about is a seal."
"Let me see."
Naruto kneeled down beside Sasuke as Hinata pulled down Sasuke's shirt to reveal three black markings in the shape of tomoe on Sasuke's neck. Taking a quick glance Naruto knew he couldn't have any distractions.
"Hinata, I have some clones surrounding the perimeter, you can sleep and I take the first shift."
Hinata grew concerned, "Are you sure? You had the first shift last time so you haven't gotten any sleep."
Naruto smiled, "Sure. Besides I need to take a look at this seal and maybe seal it off"
"Oh ok." Letting Hinata go to sleep, Naruto began to inspect the seal. It seemed to be made of three sections all connected to each other.
The first part seemed to be a chakra converter seal, though he didn't know what Sasuke's chakra was being converted into. The second part was a chakra storage seal, probably storing whatever the converted chakra was. The last section was an injector seal, most likely injecting the converted chakra, but it seemed to simultaneously inject something else.
Naruto didn't know what it was but on closer inspection he found a hidden fourth section. It was connected to the previous three sections but also unaffected by them. It seemed to be a storage seal, strangely similar to the one that kept in Kurama.
Naruto had a base assumption for what the seal was but didn't want to mess with a Sannin's work, fearing further damage. Leaving the seal alone Naruto sat down and guarded the hideout entrance just waiting for his shift to end.
I will post every one to two weeks. Thank you for reading.
