"Alright! Listen up you maggots!" Anko, the proctor for the second phase of the Chuunin Exams shouted, her voice carrying through the ranks of Genin chatting amongst themselves.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to turn to look at the small, yet extremely foreboding proctor.
"The second phase of the exams is simple but deadly. Each team will be given either a Heaven scroll or an Earth scroll. It's the team's mission to retrieve both scrolls and then reach the tower in the middle of the Forest of Death by the fifth day. You cannot open your scrolls to look at what's inside them, and this is an all out life or death exam. Everything goes in the Forest of Death. Not only will you have the other teams to contend with, but, there will be wild animals, venomous insects, and poisonous plants. It will take all of your knowledge and skills to survive these next five days."
The Genin began chatting amongst themselves, quietly talking strategy as the dangerous words from their proctor began to set in. This meant that only half of the teams here would pass. As a very best case scenario. But, with all the odds stacked against them, it seemed unlikely that even half would be able to make it through the second phase of the Chuunin Exams.
Anko's voice suddenly turned almost joyful as she held up a stack of papers, "Which is why we have waivers. Don't want anyone trying to sue us if you end up dead. You maggots have twenty minutes to fill out these waivers and return them to the signup desk to receive your scroll. After that, get to your gates and wait for the exams to begin!"
Everyone got in line to grab their waivers and teams scattered around the signup desk, milling about as they discussed plans for when they entered the Forest of Death.
"I say we charge in, find the first team we can find, and beat them in a fight with the Power of Youth and take their scroll!" Lee shouted, bouncing from foot to foot as he stared longingly at the giant walls that marked the Forest of Death.
"Lee, we wouldn't even know if that team has the scroll we need. The best strategy would be to find a team, observe the team and see if they have the scroll we need. Then attack if we believe it's something we can easily win. We also have to take into account we need to survive in there for a few days, the teams are going to be spread out and there are going to be teams potentially stronger than us. There are teams that we need to avoid at all costs," Hisako replied, watching Lee prance in place from a safe distance.
Neji let out a sigh and stood up from the rock he was leaning against, "Hisako's right. We'll need to be smart about this. Come on, let's go turn in these waivers and get our scroll so we can find an entrance gate,"
Hisako and Lee followed Neji to the signup booth that was blocked by walls so no other team could see who got what scroll. Team Guy ended up getting a Heaven scroll. Hisako placed it in her bag and they were assigned to gate 41. The exams weren't going to start for another thirty minutes which meant they had time to waste.
Neji was leaning against the wall of the Forest of Death as Hisako approached him. He cracked one eye open as she approached. She gave him a small smile as she leaned back against the wall with him, resting her foot on the wall as she held a small box in her hands. She was going to wrap it up since it was his birthday gift, but she decided against it given she wasn't sure where they would throw the paper away. Well, they could have burned it maybe. They could still burn the box.
"What's that?" Neji asked motioning to the box in Hisako's hands.
"It's for you," Hisako replied, handing him the box, "I know your birthday is coming up soon and we're gonna be busy during the second phase of the Chuunin Exams so I wanted to give it to you now. In case I don't get the chance later,"
"Hisako, you didn't have to-"
"I wanted to," Hisako interrupted, handing him the box.
His lavender gaze met Hisako's for just a moment as she smiled at him and he dropped his gaze to the box opening the lid to reveal the intricately designed lavender compass inside.
"It's a compass?" He said in question as he gently picked it up out of the box, examining the delicate looking design on the cover, "We already have the Ninja Academy's standard compass. Why would I-"
"Oh come on," Hisako teased, puffing her cheeks out, "open it up!"
Neji gave her a frown but did as she asked him and opened it up. On the inside cover, there was a small area to place a picture.
"This is a special compass. It can hold a picture in it of whatever you want. You're going to become Chuunin which means you're going to go on more dangerous missions. This way, if you can keep a picture of something you hold dear close to you, it can help remind you of what's important. Of where home is. It's more than just a compass," Hisako explained with a gentle smile on her face, "and I have a matching one,"
Hisako pulled out her own compass and let it hang on the string as it twirled and glinted a deep purple in the sunlight.
Neji's expression softened as he dropped his gaze to the compass again his thumb brushing over the metal.
"Plus, these were designed by a metal smith from the Land of Iron. He used to be a Shinobi himself and now he provides skillfully made weapons for the villages. When I did some research into him, these compasses were one of a kind. One of his best works,"
Neji lifted his gaze to hers, "if this blacksmith is so famous, and these are some of his best works, how were you able to afford these?"
Hisako let out a small giggle, "who said they were expensive?"
Neji gave her a dubious look his eyes squinting and Hisako shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I have more than enough money. Besides, I wanted to get you something meaningful this year. I didn't feel like kunai knives were gonna cut it this time," she giggled at her own pun and was just about to put her compass back when Neji motioned to it.
"Have you chosen a picture yet?"
Hisako's hand paused and she pulled the compass back out again, handing it to Neji so he could open it up. When he did, a picture of the two of them standing in front of the Shinobi Academy the day they graduated was there. Hisako had begged Neji to take a picture with her that day to remember. Hisako had a giant smile on her face, her eyes bright as she rested her hand on her new headband. Neji stood beside her, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face, but, his gaze was still on Hisako, and even though he was frowning, his eyes held warmth in them. Warmth for Hisako.
"It's the day we graduated. One of the happiest days of my life so far. To know I was placed on your team, made me so happy. I know that when I see this picture, I can find the strength I need to continue, even on the hardest missions,"
Neji's gaze softened as he closed the compass and handed it back to Hisako, "Thank you Hisako, when the exams are over, I'll find a picture to put in my compass too,"
Hisako put her compass back in her pocket at the same time as they stood up from the wall, "Good, I'm glad you like it. Took me all day to find it!"
Neji's lips turned up into a small smile as they walked back over to Lee who was jogging in place, his eyes glued to the gate in front of him.
"We're gonna beat this test in record time!" he shouted, cheering to no one in particular as he threw a few punches in front of him.
"Lee, calm down. Let's save our energy for the exam," Hisako scolded, placing her hands on her hips.
But, Lee didn't listen to any of it as he dropped down to the ground in a pushup position.
"One, two, three, four,"
And on and on he went.
"At least he's getting his energy out somehow," Hisako mused watching Lee perform his pushups at blinding speeds.
"Hisako,"
Hisako turned to Neji, arching an eyebrow.
"Hold onto the scroll, okay?"
"O-Okay? Why me?" Hisako asked quietly.
Neji turned to give her a small smile, "because, you'll have me and Lee to protect you. No one will get past us. And even if they do, they'll have to deal with you. You're the most logical choice to hold onto the scroll,"
Hisako's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed bright red as she felt her heart flutter in her chest. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Neji always protected her and Lee was a strong opponent too. But, to hear him say it like that made her feel special.
"Lee, we have three minutes before the gates open, get in position," Neji ordered, turning his attention towards the gate as he stepped up, getting ready to jump through the gate the moment it opened.
Hisako and Lee both followed suit. It felt like they were holding their breath in anticipation of when the gates would open. This second exam was going to be difficult, and grueling. It was going to test everything for them. Survival, battle readiness, strategy, the ability to listen to orders and to see a mission through to the end. And they had thirty more seconds before the second exam was going to begin.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Hisako silently counted in her head, pursing her lips in a fine line as she stared at the gates in front of them the muscles in her legs tensing to jump through the gate, six. Five. Four. Three. Two.
ONE
The gate flew open with a loud reverberating crash. Before the gate could finish opening Team Guy had lunged through the gate, flying into the trees bounding from branch to branch as leaves fell to the ground disturbed from their slumber on the branches.
"The Forest of Death has a radius of about ten kilometers. That means we have a lot of ground to cover before we start to find other shinobi. With Hisako and my eye abilities, we should be able to tell if a team has the scroll we need. We cannot fight an enemy unnecessarily," Neji ordered the team.
"Right," both Hisako and Lee said in unison.
"Be on your guard, the deeper we go into the forest, and the longer we're here, the more likely we are to run into traps,"
"Understood."
The first few hours of the second phase of the exams were quiet. Team Guy had spent it traveling deeper into the Forest of Death to find a strategic vantage point for them to strike. They found a large oak tree in a clearing in the forest and landed quietly on the forest floor in front of the tree.
Hisako pulled out her water container, drinking the cool refreshing water as she kept a vigilant eye on the surrounding forest. Animals chirped nearby, but she couldn't see any sign of an enemy. They were safe for now.
Neji spoke up after they had some time to rest, "We need to come up with a strategy other than just wondering the forest. Let's split up, and gather intelligence. Whatever you do, do not engage the enemy. Gather what information you can, and no matter what, we're going to return to this spot," he paused and threw a kunai knife into the ground at their feet, "in one hour. Is that understood?"
Lee agreed immediately, but Hisako had a small frown on her face, her gaze contemplative.
"Neji, is it really the best course to split up? I understand the importance of gathering intelligence and all that, but, this forest is dangerous," Hisako asked, her voice gentle.
"We're not going to go far, Hisako. But, we need to get an idea of the area so that we can figure out our next course of action. And going as a group is taking too much time," Neji replied.
Hisako didn't want to say it out loud, but she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't think they should be splitting up at all. She understood Neji's logic, and there really wasn't any reason why Hisako should be so intimidated. As long as she didn't run into Gaara's group, she should be strong enough to face any team. Team Guy was one of the strongest teams of Genin in the village. But, something still felt wrong.
"All right," Hisako relented.
Despite her gut instinct telling her otherwise, she decided to go along with Neji's plan. She didn't have any factual evidence as to why she had such a bad feeling in her gut so she knew no one would buy her bad feeling unless she could explain it. There was no reason in arguing. Besides that, Neji has always taken on a sort of leadership like role in their squad. Hisako trusted him and his judgment.
Fifty minutes later, Hisako was grateful that her gut feeling so far has been wrong. At least, with her. She had found a squad of shinobi who had the scroll that Team Guy needed. It seemed that the squad were all sitting by the river, discussing strategy and what to do next. Hisako made a mental note of where the team was before jumping into the trees.
She's been slowly making her way back to the meet up spot, making sure she didn't miss anything when her Sharingan saw a snake slithering along a tree branch she was about to jump onto. She stopped as she stared at the snake. Snakes were common in these woods, but as she stared at the slimy creature, something felt off about it.
Her head tilted to the side as the snake turned its beady eyes onto Hisako almost like it was observing her too. It had an eerie sort of intelligence about it as its black tongue stuck out of its mouth repeatedly, tasting the air around it. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.
"Ah. There you are," a masculine maniacal voice said from behind her.
Hisako's back stiffened and her muscles coiled under her skin, preparing to attack as she slowly turned around her heart pounding in her chest. A pale man, with purple makeup and long black hair, greeted her on a nearby tree branch. He wore a white kimono with a large rope tied to him that almost made him look like he had butterfly wings. There was an almost psychotic look in his dark eyes and his aura spewed darkness and evil.
Her breath caught in her throat as his inhumanely long snake like tongue lolled out of his mouth, licking up the air around him as his immense and powerful aura slowly crept toward her.
"Your Sharingan is more mature than your cousins, Sasuke," the man mused, a small smile creeping along his face, "you possess three tomoe in each eye. This fight should prove rather… entertaining,"
Hisako gasped and took a step back. She felt her body shaking with fear as the man stood staring at her like a predator assessing its prey. She was transfixed in his eyes. The horrible depths showed her harrowing images. Images of her own death flashed before her eyes. This man was going to kill her. And he was going to take pleasure in doing so.
"Too frightened to even speak?" the man asked, tilting his head to the side in question.
With the man's words, Hisako realized what had happened to her. She had allowed her fear to overcome her. She had allowed this man's presence to cloud her judgment. She shook her head furiously, baring her teeth in rage.
"No. I don't fear you. There's only one thing on this earth I fear, and it isn't a human like you!" Hisako yelled, forcing resolve and calmness to sweep over her once again.
For some reason, remembering what she had endured, what she saw at the Glacier Village, helped her at this moment. When this man was trying to show her a future where she would die by his hands, by remembering the blood of her past, it centered her somehow. She has stared death in the face more times than she could count. He would not scare her.
"Ah! There we go! How impressive. While Sasuke had to use pain to break free from his fear of me, you were able to break the fear just with your own mind. I am truly impressed!" the man yelled, an evil laugh escaping him.
Hisako's stance lowered, her fingers brushing against a kunai knife in her pouch, "What did you do to my cousin?"
Her voice was low and dangerous when she spoke. There was no room for error. No room for hesitation. She could do this. She had to stay strong, she had to fight him. Especially if he hurt Sasuke… Or worse… He would pay. He would pay with his life.
"Oh, nothing. I just left him with a little… Present… And I'm about to leave you with the same!"
Hisako's red eyes widened and she barely had time to react as the man lunged for her, jumping from the branch he was on. She screamed at the sheer speed of his movements and was barely able to block two snakes from attacking her with her kunai knife. She jumped off the branch she was on, ducking behind another tree as kunai knives flew toward her. They embedded harmlessly in the bark of the tree.
With her Sharingan, she saw the man slither through the trees like a snake, his body seeming like it didn't even have any bones. The idea terrified her. This guy didn't have the skills of a Genin. Hell, he didn't even have the skills of a Chuunin. This guy was on a whole other level! She wasn't sure if she could defeat him. She wasn't sure if she could win. But, she was trapped. She didn't have any other option than to fight.
She dove out from behind the tree right as the man took a more solid form again and got in close for physical hand to hand taijutsu. Every kick and punch she threw he blocked. But, she was able to block his too. After a few moments of wasted energy doing that, they jumped away from each other. Hisako slid across the forest floor, pulling kunai knives out of her pockets that were already attached to almost invisible metal strings.
She hasn't had the opportunity to use the Dragon Flame Jutsu until now, but, now seemed as good a time as any to put it to use. As she was deep in the battle, she strategically began to throw the kunai knives around her opponent. She had to do this just right. She had to predict his moves and figure out where he was going to land so she could snare him in her trap. If she did this right, there was a chance that she could win.
"Ice style, Ice Canon Jutsu!" Hisako yelled, bringing her hands up in front of her she formed a circle with her hands.
A beautiful blue and white light grew in the center of her hands before exploding out in a large ball of pure power and chakra. The energy blast barely missed her opponent, leaving ice and frost in its wake as the ball disappeared, taking down a tree with it. But, it did its job. The man she was fighting was one step closer to where she needed him to be.
She landed on the floor, bringing her hands down on the ground, "Ice Style, Ice Floor Jutsu!" she yelled and the floor became covered in ice.
Her opponent jumped up into the hair to dodge the attack so he wouldn't become frozen too. Finally, she got him where she wanted to. She pulled on the wires and was thrilled to see her opponent flying back against a nearby tree, completely ensnared in her trap. She pulled on the wires again, tightening them as she brought her hands up to perform the jutsu.
"I'm not falling for this a second time," the man hissed, a devilish smile on his face.
Hisako's red eyes widened in panic as the man faded into the tree trunk behind him. Her hands shook as she forgot about the jutsu. Movement behind her caught her attention and she let out a blood curling scream as a giant snake came out of nowhere. She couldn't dodge the snake, she couldn't get out of the way in time!
She brought her arms up to defend herself as she felt the impact of its head against her body like she was just hit by a train. She felt the weightless feeling of flying and then the horrible crash as her back slammed into a nearby tree. Her vision blurred as she fell to the ground panting, and disoriented.
"Well, I think I've seen just about enough. You know the saying, two is better than one," the man was saying as he slowly approached his prey.
Hisako weakly lifted her gaze her vision blurred and her Sharingan deactivated on its own accord as she struggled to get to her feet. She wasn't sure, but she might have broken a few ribs during that last attack. All she knew, was that she couldn't win.
