A/N: Some fucked up stuff happens this chapter. So, I will preface by saying that I do not glorify nor condone 80% of the content I write. I swear I have good morals, but, sometimes, the characters I write do not! Anyway, enjoy the chapter lool

?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Twenty-one — Dust Settles ~ ?￢ﾜ ?ￂﾠ

Karin was… disappointed. Shinrai wasn't who she was expecting him to be. That boy was the whole reason for her abandoning Grass after it collapsed, why she set off on that journey that resulted in her capture. He wasn't to blame, he didn't know she existed until a few hours ago.

Anyway, that bastard Zero would've found her wherever she was. There was nothing she could've done to prevent herself from being in this situation. She just… hated everything. At least Shinrai would've been different—but he was just like any other man. Even still… his impending fate sickened her to her very core.

Whatever Orochimaru had in store for him was guaranteed to be terrible. Her nauseating feelings were magnified as she heard footsteps behind her… it was his footsteps. Whenever Orochimaru hid his chakra he was nigh invisible. He could've masked his steps, but it seemed that he wanted his presence to be known.

"So… what became of Shinrai?" he asked with a slick tone. The slithering of his breathing pained her ears like venom.

Karin let out a quaking breath. "I healed him. We talked for a bit, then he left."

"I see." The syllable of S sounded like a Snake's hiss. "Will he be coming back to you?"

"Yeah, I made sure of it." The phantom feeling of Shinrai's lips on hers sent a guilty churn into her gut.

Orochimaru's face was suddenly next to hers—she froze and her breath hitched. "How so?"

"He's attracted to me… So, I'll use that to make him want to be with me, be near me, do what I say and follow me… right to you," she explained. Each word gutted her like a blade—her blade… thorns and all.

A sick grin split his face. "Good." He stepped back before walking ahead of her. "I'll be expecting him when the time comes."

"You will get him, Lord Orochimaru," assured Karin with a bow.

With that, Orochimaru flickered out of sight. Karin was left alone with her own disgust. For once it wasn't toward anyone else—no, it was all toward herself. What am I even doing? It was either subject Shinrai to torture of have to go through it herself. There was nowhere she could hide, nowhere she could run.

She had that fucking curse. There was not a place on Earth where Orochimaru wouldn't be able to find her and punish her. She was nothing but powerless. Karin hid her face in her hands. I hate this, I hate me, I hate him—I just—she held back the urge to scream.

She'd rather knock him unconscious and drag him to Orochimaru. But, no… Shinrai had to leave willingly to draw less suspicion. It was a painful and slow process where she had to make him fall for her… then lead him to hell.

Karin touched her lips; the phantom feeling of Shinrai's was still there.

Her kiss was nothing but the Kiss of Death.

—⊱✿⊰—

Everything ached… not as much as she expected, however. Especially her eyes… they felt soothed. Her face was damp, cool, covered. She decided to shift herself.

"Hey! Shinrai! Kusari's awake!" called out a voice—Naruto.

She heard footsteps, and a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't move around too much…" said Shinrai, his voice calm yet with a slight shake to it. "If I hadn't used my main body and four clones to heal you, you'd be dead right now."

"I see…" The information sent shivers down her spine. My mother's sacrifice… "Thank you, Shinrai."

"Of course," he immediately responded. She heard the shackle of him grabbing his black blade. It was a habit he picked up ever since he got that blade. There was chakra in that blade… It looked familiar. If there was any time to talk about it, it'd be now when she planned to interrogate him on everything else.

"Is there anybody else awake?"

"Nope!" answered Naruto.

"Yeah, the Curse Mark fucked up everybody's chakra," explained Shinrai. "It'll be a little while before they're up and moving again."

"Ah…" Kusari took a deep breath. She felt the stretch of the wounds on her chest, as well as a tight wrapping of bandages. "Shinrai, your eyes."

He grabbed his blade again. "Yeah… those."

"Damn, she saw them?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, she did." He sighed heavily. "Well, our attacker. The one who gave Gosei and Sasuke the Curse Mark… was the Snake Sannin."

"Orochi—"

"DON'T… say that name," stressed Shinrai. "Please."

"I'm sorry…"

"So yeah, he made me in a lab and gave me a pair of Sharingan," said Shinrai, obviously simplifying the story.

With a sigh, Kusari moved her arms up. She removed the rag from her eyes and slowly opened them. "Would it be safe for me to sit up?" she asked, looking at Shinrai. There was a forced smile on his face.

Letting out a breath, he nodded. "Yeah, just let me help you up…"

Reluctantly, she allowed it. Kusari sighed as she rested her back against the rock. "I'm thirsty…"

"I'll get you some water!" volunteered Naruto as he stepped over the rest of the unconscious Genin and out of the actual cave this time.

Shinrai sat down next to Kusari. She looked at him with bloodshot and bagged eyes. "Just… thank you for saving my life—I… It is truly too early for me to die."

"You don't have to thank me, Kusari…" He put on a bigger smile. "We're friends!"

"We are… indeed." Another sigh escaped her breath. Shinrai sat still, his hand resting on the black blade. She would've used her Byakugan to see that chakra… but, she decided not to. It would surely pain her to use her eyes.

"In your blade, the black one."

Shinrai gripped its hilt.

"I noticed that there was chakra in it… it seemed familiar. Do you know what it is?"

"It-it's nothing," he dismissed quickly, uncomfortably—dishonestly.

She just sighed. "Don't lie to me, Shinrai."

He froze up, gripping the hilt of the blade tighter. "I don't want to talk about it." His voice cracked—it made him wince. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Shinrai looked at her, then he chuckled. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome," said Kusari, continuing to look at him. He almost hugged the blade in his arm. His head was hung… she couldn't help but frown. Once again, she barely had an idea on how to do anything. Shinrai helped her after what happened in Grass, and he just saved her life. Yet, what could she do for him right now…?

What he did for me before. It took a bit of effort, as well as a very unfamiliar movement… but, Kusari managed to pull him in for a hug. He froze in her arms, but sighed into it, bringing his own arms around her quite gently.

Almost just as quickly, she pulled back and returned her back to the wall. Shinrai did the same, calmer than before. "Thanks…"

"We're friends, as you said. You don't need to thank me."

He chuckled at the irony. "Oh, shut up…"

"I'm back!" announced Naruto as he jogged into the cave with a few cups of water. "Decided to get some extra for everyone else!"

"Smart!" complimented Shinrai… as chipper as he's ever been. The previous thoughtful melancholy didn't seem to even exist. Slowly, she took the water. The cold liquid soothed her as the chill dripped down her throat.

"Thank you…"

He gave her a thumbs up and a toothy grin. "Of course!"

"Could you keep it down, Naruto!" yelled Sakura from across the cave. "I need to rest…" she murmured.

Shinrai almost panicked. "How long have you been awake?!"

"Five seconds…" she drawled.

He let out a breath of relief. "Good…"

"Why?"

"Don't worry about it."

Sakura rolled over with her hair disheveled. "You're making yourself look suspicious."

"I… do not care," Shinrai responded honestly.

Sakura shrugged. "Respectable."

—⊱✿⊰—

A couple hours passed, and everyone awoke. Shinrai had his clones heal everyone while he kept watch. With Sasuke near him… he couldn't help feeling guilty for existing. Shinrai didn't talk to him, and Sasuke didn't spark any conversation either.

However, Gosei brought up the important question, gripping his cursed neck. "There are two teams here… how are we going to handle the scrolls?"

"I took care of it," said Shinrai. "I killed the unconscious Oto Genin after I healed Kusari, then I took their scroll. They had a heaven scroll, exactly what Team 5 needed. After Naruto woke up, he told me that Team 7 has a heaven scroll themselves. Went out and found a random team with an earth scroll, beat 'em up, then came back."

"I see…" Gosei sighed. "So, we just need to head to the tower?"

"Seems so," agreed Sakura.

Naruto stood and stretched. "You guys ready to go? 'Cause I sure am!"

"I'm waiting on you all," Sasuke said, breaking his silence.

Gosei nodded. "I am as well."

"Yeah," said Sakura as she forced herself to stand.

All eyes looked toward Kusari. She let out a heavy sigh. "I can go…"

"I'll carry you if you're not up to it," offered Shinrai. "There's probably better care in the tower, anyway."

Kusari glared at him. "No." She managed to get herself to her feet.

He gave her an unamused look. "Alright." All the clones popped. "Someone catch her when she collapses."

She rolled her eyes and dashed into the trees alongside Teams 7 and 5—Team 12. Shinrai made sure to place himself by Kusari, much to her chagrin. Naruto of course was right next to his brother. Sasuke distanced himself from the group as a whole—especially Shinrai. Gosei, however, made his way towards Sakura, drawing her attention.

"I would like to commend you, Sakura Haruno," began Gosei.

Her face was struck with bemusement as she looked at him. "What…? Why did you use my full name—?"

"Because it is respectful and formal, and you have earned my respect." Gosei looked down at her with an even yet positive expression.

Sakura only became more confused. "Thanks? For what?"

"Despite your weakness—" Sakura twitched "—you found the courage to fight against both Sasuke and I while we were possessed by the power of evil. Even though you didn't do all that much, I find the principle of your actions admirable. I don't think you'll need a clan backing you to become a decent Shinobi. You truly embody the power of femininity and the courage of a Shinobi."

Sakura… didn't know what to say. "Thank you…?"

"You're very welcome," responded Gosei with a smile. "I advise you to use that courage to increase the intensity of your training. As a civilian made Shinobi, you'll need to work twice as hard to get even half of the power someone like me has… maybe less, now that I think about it—"

"Just shut up," snapped Sakura.

Gosei's brows furrowed with shock and slight offense. "Why?"

"I didn't ask for your advice, Gosei Senju," she spat his name mockingly.

He huffed and left her alone. His sights were set forward just in time for him to see Kusari slip on a branch, and fall into the canopy. With a sigh, Shinrai flickered and caught her. He looked down at her to say 'I told you so.'

"Put me down…" she muttered, using her hair to hide her face and bruised pride.

"Oh, so you want to fall again? I might not catch you the second time~"

Kusari groaned in defeat. "Fine."

"Good girl!"

"I am not a dog."

"Yes you are, bark for me."

"What is wrong with you?!"

Shinrai cackled in response before flashing to the front of the group. Needless to say, Kusari was unamused.

—⊱✿⊰—

It only took about an hour for Team 12 to reach the tower. They reached their destination, and Kusari was able to stand on her two feet again. She stumbled once; she hit the ground and Shinrai snorted. All six Genin walked into the tower. Team 12 was forced to separate, Shinrai and Naruto had a bombastic goodbye and they walked into separate rooms.

Team 5 opened their scrolls, and fire burst out from it. The flames coalesced into a man in front of them. Immediately, three kunai—one for each Genin—shot out at them. On guard, each of them deflected it with ease.

"So… you didn't get this far because of luck, I assume?" asked Ryujin with a smirk as he formed from the fire.

Shinrai chuckled. "We did, actually!"

"What?" muttered Ryujin.

"The Snake Sannin's in that fucking forest." Shinrai pointed at Gosei. "Show him the mark."

Gosei grumbled at being told what to do before he pulled back his collar, showing the Cursed Mark of Earth on his neck.

Ryujin's face went hollow with horror. "No… your survival wasn't luck. It was a decision on his part. You're alive because of his whim."

"That doesn't sound much better…" murmured Kusari.

Ryujin sighed. "It's not… But, even with your terrible circumstances, you all managed to pass the exam. Not only pass, but three days early." A deep breath curled his lips into a smirk. "I am immensely proud of you all. As long as you make it to the Third Exam and don't do anything stupid, I'm fairly certain that you'll become Chunin."

"Yeah I better make Chunin for all the shit I've been through," mumbled Shinrai.

Gosei let out a breath. "I agree."

Kusari expressed her consensus with a nod.

"Yeah… for now, let's get you three settled. Gosei, you're going to get your Curse Mark sealed. It shouldn't take too long since Miya's here—"

"—Yay!" cheered Shinrai.

Ryujin shook his head and led his Genin into the tower.

—⊱✿⊰—

The tower was relatively empty. Shinrai saw Natsuyo, though! That was fun, he had to admit. The interaction didn't amount to much, he told her what happened to Gosei then she got depressed. Shinrai made sure to cheer her up! He was good at things like that. With his efforts, he earned a smile and a fist bump. It was more than enough for him.

He also saw the Suna team… that Jinchuriki kid made him uneasy. Ka'rai was there, but according to his girlfriend, he was asleep and not in a good mood. It was wise to leave him alone if that was the case.

Ms. Miya was busy with Gosei and Sasuke's curses. Naruto called dibs on the showers first, so he was left to roam the halls. In those halls, he finally saw a familiar face that was worth something.

It was Karin.

She seemed to fight her instinct to look away as she smiled at him. Another oddity… He smiled back. "Yo!"

"Hey, Shinrai," she muttered, stopping in front of him. They were about the same height, with Karin maybe even a bit taller.

He chuckled. "Well, you passed! All by yourself."

"I did," she admitted with a sigh. Her eyes darted around. "The room I claimed isn't far, how about we go sit in there?"

"Oh, sure!" he excitedly agreed. Shinrai couldn't help but gawk at her just a bit. They way her hips swayed with her step, bringing more attention to her slightly exposed butt. At that same time, Karin not so subtly sighed. She opened her door and allowed Shinrai to enter after her. The bed squeaked as she sat on it, a second time as Shinrai sat next to her.

"So…" he cleared his throat. "Why'd you kiss me…?"

"I felt like it," was all she said. "Why do you ask? Would you like another one?"

Her firework eyes were emboldened by her lashes. All he could do was nod giddy at her. Again, she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in until their lips touched. She didn't allow him to make a single move of his own—it was all orchestrated by her.

She pulled back, and Shinrai's heart was left tingling while his body sat heavy on the bed. "Fuck…" he heaved. "So, are you like my girlfriend or something—?"

Her head rolled on the axis of her neck to look at him. "No."

"Then why are you kissing me—?"

"Because I want to."

Shinrai shrugged. "Well, I ain't complaining."

"Good." She sighed. "I hate whiners."

"You won't need to worry about a damned thing from me then."

Karin sighed again—but it almost seemed relieved. "That's… good to hear. What else about yourself do you want to talk about?"

"Uh… I think I'm pretty strong."

She chuckled. "You're not getting that spar."

"Why must you hurt me…?"

"You said you enjoyed the pain."

Shinrai rolled his eyes. "Physical pain."

Karin's hand grabbed the top of Shinrai's head and gripped the root of his hair tightly. He yelped in pain and she laughed at him. "There you go."

"You—you laughed!"

She hummed. "So, you like it when I laugh?"

"I love it."

She pushed his head into his lap and he vocally protested. "That's great to hear," said Karin with a giggle.

Shinrai fought against the hand holding him down. "Let go!"

"No, I don't think I will…"

With a vengeance, he reached out his own hand to tickle her. She immediately slapped it away. "Don't touch me."

"But you're touching me."

"That doesn't mean you can touch me."

"Then you can't touch me!"

She pushed his head farther between his legs and he groaned. "I think it's a little late for that."

"Oh, fuck you!"

With force, she pushed Shinrai off the bed and he tumbled to the floor. Karin cackled at the idiotic sound he made, even more so when she saw the unsightly position he landed in.

"You should really go fuck yourself, Karin."

That only made her laugh more. Genuine amusement colored her fair skin red. Her laughs made Shinrai smirk to himself. If he could make her laugh some more… then he'd deal with more bullshit.

With a start, he leapt to his feet and weaved hand seals. "I don't need to touch you to get my revenge."

A sudden look of shock crossed her face as Shinrai's Genjutsu set in. "Sexy Style: Pure Arousal."

Karin's hand clasped over her nose as she purposefully sat in the Genjutsu to admire whatever she saw. After a good thirty seconds, she released herself from it. "You have some fucking nerve."

Shinrai was the one cackling now. "You could've broken out of that Genjutsu way earlier. You're a fucking pervert!"

"Excuse me?!" she said, aghast. "I don't think you of all people should be talking. Your arousal and attraction are crystal clear whenever you look at me. I sense it in your chakra."

Shinrai fucking froze. Shame and utter embarrassment clawed at him from the inside out as he shuffled his feet, averted his gaze… "Uh—my bad…"

"Mhm," said Karin with a slow nod and crossed arms. "There is not a single feeling or emotion you can hide from me."

He bowed. "I'm sorry…!"

"You don't need to apologize for being attracted to me… it's only natural. It's the nature of you men," she huffed.

Shinrai huffed back harder. "Hey!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Yeah! I have self control!"

A swipe knocked Shinrai off his feet and his back hit the floor. Chills washed over him as Karin crouched down and crawled over him. The only contact they had was the strands of her rosy hair that tickled his cheek. "We'll see about that."

Karin moved her face toward his, slowly sliding her misplaced glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her floral firework eyes remained unblinking as they peered into his of black. "I'm not sensing any control…" she muttered as she grabbed his jaw and moved his head from side to side. "Your arousal is unleashed… like an animal."

Her hand slid down his jaw and clasped around his neck. "Collar it… and you just might earn another kiss."

Shinrai would've gulped had Karin's hand not been there. Fuuuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck—WHAT IS GOING ON?! But… he focused. Ms. Miya made him meditate a couple of times, so he practiced that. His spirit calmed a bit; Karin genuinely seemed impressed.

So, her grip on his neck tightened to keep him still. She pushed her lips into his, pressing the back of his head against the floor. Karin tilted her head and pushed harder. The kiss didn't need to end for Shinrai to feel the heating tingle in his cheeks, his chest—his whole body radiated. It went off like a bomb when Karin pulled back. She took her hand off of Shinrai's neck and wiped her lips clean.

He just laid there on the floor, drowning in what he felt. His heart raced, his breathing soared and plummeted in his chest. Barely a chuckle escaped his breath—his brain didn't work and he couldn't think straight—he couldn't think at all. "There are… better men than me. You should go find one."

"Why? You're right here."

Shinrai froze, sitting his head up to look Karin in the eyes. She looked back down, gaze unmoving and dead serious.

Karin then pointed her head toward the door. "You should go, there are other people who want to speak with you most likely."

"Are you going to make a habit out of kissing me then telling me to leave?!"

Her head tilted and she gave a sly smile. "Only if you make me."

Shinrai rolled his eyes and sighed before getting up. His legs were weak—like they were made of jelly. "Bye, Karin."

"Goodbye, Shinrai."

WIth that, he barely managed to walk out of the door. He stumbled through the hallways, his brain in utter shambles. Okay… what the fuck just happened?! Not that I'm complaining… but I'm so confused—he shook his head vehemently. Y'know what? A really hot girl likes to kiss me. Why would I question it?

He took a deep breath and still wasn't calmed at all. "I'll just go drink some water…"

—⊱✿⊰—

Ryujin's face was hot and hard as brimstone. Each of the other Jonin had equally dire expressions as they processed the information that Orochimaru was in the Forest of Death. Kakashi was the first to speak. "This… is not good."

"Way to make an understatement," mumbled Asuma, taking a good and long puff from his cigarette.

Miya was the first to act. "I'm going to track him down."

"I'm coming with you—" Ryujin said before being cut off by a vicious glare from Miya.

"No you are not," she stated sternly—almost aggressively. "If anybody else wants to come, please do. Just not you."

"I'm coming," said Asuma immediately after. "Team 10's still out there."

"I'll hang back here…" Kakashi said.

Ryujin remained silent, stewing in his offense and almost rage. "Out of all of us here, I have the most stake to go after Orochimaru. He attacked my students, betrayed me when I trusted him—" memories of snake-eyed sensei contorted with malice—"He is just as responsible as the Kyuubi is for how terrible everything is."

"Yes. Exactly," snapped Miya. "You are too invested in this."

"You are too!" argued Ryujin. "You jumped to go because your team is out there! The same for you, Asuma! I am going and that's final—"

"—No you aren't!" Miya nearly yelled. "I am not having a repeat of last time. When it comes to Orochimaru, you and your emotions are a liability."

"You—!" Ryujin took a breath in an attempt to calm himself. "That will not happen again. I assure you."

"How do I know if I can trust that?!"

"Because you can trust me."

"Why? Why would I trust you, Ryujin? If you lose control again you'll be a bigger threat than Orochimaru will ever be. Have you even touched the fifth tail since then?!"

Ryujin answered with a furious silence.

"Exactly," Miya said before taking a breath. "I understand the fear. I'm scared too. That is why I will not let you go. I don't care if I have to strap you down by the throat—you're staying in this tower."

His fists clenched. "It is my fault that Orochimaru escaped! If I had noticed sooner, I could've stopped him—sabotaged his experiments! Maybe even killed him before he had the chance to escape! I failed so many times with that bastard and I refuse to let it happen again—!"

An Adamantine Chain wrapped around Ryujin. Sealing formulas restrained his movements and with a single hand seal, Miya injected pure Adamantine Chakra into the seals—into his chakra system. The sheer weight of it brought him to his knees. He was utterly immobilized.

"I'm sorry, Ryu. I will not let you become a threat to Konoha. Not again."

He futily fought against his restraints, growling with fury. His chakra was fully disabled by Miya's seal—he couldn't even call upon the Kyuubi's. He was left completely useless.

"You sure you don't want to come, Kakashi?" asked Miya, now calm and collected.

He shook his head. "The possibility remains that he could come to the tower to attack anybody that he missed. If that's the case, then someone needs to be here to defend it. Plus…" He pointed his head toward Ryujin. "Someone needs to keep an eye on him…"

Miya nodded. "Alright. Best case scenario…" She sighed. "He already got everything he wanted and left."

With that, her and Asuma flickered out of the tower. Ryujin seethed in his restraints. He already gave up fighting them, there was no use. He wouldn't be out until Miya let him out. That only pissed him off more. Did those months of bonding mean nothing? When it came down to it, did she only see him as a threat?! A monster?! JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?!

"I think you should calm down…"

"Don't say another fucking word."

Kakashi whistled in response before retrieving his copy of Icha Icha.

Ryujin continued to drown in his utter fury.

—⊱✿⊰—

The cursed ache on Gosei's neck was mostly gone. Now, it was only a bit sore, like the day after a good training session. That didn't stop him from rubbing it constantly. He just had to stop himself from making it a habit. Shinrai told him that Natsuyo had passed the forest pretty unscathed, so, that was his direction in the sprawling circular corridors. His teammate also told him that she was quite worried about him.

Luckily, his chance to soothe her worries appeared with a gasp in front of him. He smiled at his sister. Immediately, she ran up to him and inspected the sealed mark on his neck. "It's not going to bother you, right?"

"Of course not, Miya Uzumaki is the best Sealing Jutsu master in the world. It's been sealed away in its entirety." Gosei gave her an assuring smile. "That bastard traitor has no hold on me."

Natsuyo let out a relieved sigh. "That's great to hear." Her next sigh was dejected. "I would've bragged about reaching the tower before you, but I guess that wouldn't be fair."

"When did you reach it?"

"Yesterday night."

Gosei tilted his head. "Ah… that was when Orochimaru attacked us. We didn't have a second scroll by then…" With a huff, Gosei swallowed his pride. "You would've made it before me regardless."

Natusyo's face lit up like the sun. She pointed a finger at her brother and cackled. "AHA!"

"You just got lucky… barely any of the teams we found had the scroll we needed," he murmured in an attempt to salvage his ego.

A haughty smirk crossed her face. "Excuses."

Gosei rolled his eyes. "I haven't had any good food in that forest, or while I was having my mark sealed…" He smiled. "Let's go find something to eat?"

"Good idea! I need some food to celebrate yet another victory against my elder brother," she declared.

Shaking his head, Gosei rolled his eyes yet again as he followed his chipper little sister to the kitchen.

—⊱✿⊰—

Miya and Asuma flickered through the Forest of Death. A subtle glow of Adamantine outlined her body. Smoke from Asuma's cigarettes trailed them. Neither of them detected any sign of Orochimaru nor their teams.

"Nothing? Are you sure there's no sign of anything?" questioned Asuma, desperation creeping into his voice.

Miya shook her head. It felt like she was saving Ryu from his mission-gone-wrong in Grass. But this time… it was infinitely worse. Ryu wasn't helpless in his situation. Team 8 was. It was all terrifying. Runa never smelled Orochimaru or any of the kids, she would be fairly useless.

The feline would only slow her down too.

"I regret teaching Team 8 how to hide so well…" murmured Miya.

That managed to get a chuckle out of Asuma. "I feel 'ya." Suddenly, he gasped. He was gone in a flicker—Miya pursued him.

"Asuma?!" she called out, landing on the ground behind her. The sight she saw made her sick to her stomach. Three children slaughtered. Shikamaru laid limp against a tree, a gaping, bloody hole where his chest would've been. Choji's body was sprawled face down; his limbs were disfigured with a pool of blood where his face laid. Ino's body… was nowhere to be found. However, spread across the scene were gory chunks of flesh. Connecting the dots wasn't hard.

The cigarette fell from his mouth and it hit the floor. Miya was utterly horrified, shocked—all she felt was cold. She didn't even want to imagine what Asuma felt. There was nothing she could say or do. So, she stayed silent. The silence only brought her deeper into her thoughts where terror set in. What if the same happened to Team 8? Were their corpses rotting in the forest, waiting for her to see them?

Everything somehow became even colder for her.

Suddenly, smoke puffed out from Shikamaru's corpse. The boy stood. Ino's decapitated head rolled from his lap. The hole in his chest was gone. He was alive… but he was far from well. He trembled, his eyes were wide and his pupils were distant… as if he was staring into a hundred yards.

Immediately, Asuma rushed over to him. "Who…? Who did this…?"

He couldn't speak. All he could do was stare into his sensei's eyes. Asuma pulled him into a hug. "Miya…?" he managed to ask.

"Probably a foreign village…" she answered. "I doubt Orochimaru had anything to do with this."

Asuma shook his head. "No. Orochimaru had something to do with this."

"How do you know?"

"Call it… a gut feeling."

Miya shook her head. "Asuma—"

She was cut off by an empty glare of hollow vengeance. "Go hunt down that snake bastard. I'll… I'll take care of him." Asuma flickered away with Shikamaru in tow.

She spent the next hours searching for Orochimaru. Nothing of him. Nothing of Team 8. Miya found herself shaking with gut-wrenching paranoia.

—⊱✿⊰—

Her brother entered the tower after she did. That was the first shocking thing. Did Orochimaru get to him as well? The mere thought rocked shivers to her very core. I swear if that bastard touched my brother…

Kusari took a breath. Then she used her Byakugan to track him down. The second shocking thing was that one of his teammates was missing. Tenten was nowhere to be found. Both Neji's and Rock Lee's chakra were almost melancholic in their look.

She could only assume the worst. Quickly, she made her way to Neji. He claimed a room near the top of the tower… alone. Kusari took a breath and knocked on his door.

"You may enter…"

Kusari quietly entered his room. Horror overtook her. Neji's outfit was blackened and in tatters. Bandages wrapped him nearly entirely—she could barely see his skin. Even while breathing, he trembled. Cuts and slices ravaged his clothes, his hair was singed black and uneven.

There weren't any tears or signs of them on his face. Not that she was surprised. She couldn't see herself crying if anybody besides Neji himself died. She sat herself next to him with her head low, shaking a bit herself. "I'm sorry, brother."

"I did not think there could be anything that would make me hate Kumo any more than I do already." His fist clenched and so hard that he shook even more. "Those bastards…"

Kusari's face hardened with anger. Of course it was Kumo. "I understand. A Kumo team attacked me… I was close to losing my life because of them," she admitted.

Neji's anger rose as well. "Which team was it?"

"The one with the Chinoike."

Neji nodded slowly. "It was the Nibi Jinchuriki that killed her."

"If I face anybody from Kumo… I promise to not let them leave alive."

A panic broke Neji's melancholic demeanor. "If you face the Nibi Jinchuriki, then promise me that you'll forfeit."

"Why? He's the one that killed Tenten!"

Neji shook his head. "He is too powerful. Even when both Lee and I attacked him at our most powerful—most furious. He still won. He only retreated because the lives of his teammates were in danger. It was in my battle against him where I came closest to death."

A trembled terror melded with burning fury. "I see…" I wonder how much of Shivua's rage would be enough to handle a Jinchuriki… "I will not face him if I don't need to."

"No, you will not face him at all," stressed Neji. "I do not want you to die… sister. You're already being a fool regarding your plot against the Main Branch. If you fight him, then you will not get the opportunity to go through with it."

Kusari pursed her lips in contemplation. "Alright…"

"Thank you," he said with a relieved breath. "I'm sorry, but I would like to be alone now."

"I understand," said Kusari as she got up. Before she left, she took a deep breath and gave her brother a hug. He was caught off guard—very much so. It took him a little while before he placed a hand on her back.

Kusari pulled back. "Feel better, Neji."

"In time."

She forced a small smile before leaving her brother in solitude. Next, she activated her Byakugan to scan the area… instinct. What she saw was unsightly. Shinrai, Naruto, and that bastard Jinchuriki were mingling in the main lobby. It infuriated her quite a bit more than it did last time. But… But, she didn't want to interrupt their clansman relationship—even as much as she despised that Nibi Jinchuriki.

She took one last deep breath before going to the room she claimed to rest.

—⊱✿⊰—

Kiba and Shino were covered in bandages—the former still had a terrible limp… a shattered spine did not heal so easily. Shino's extensive lacerations were easier to treat, he just needed plenty of rest and liquids to recover from the blood loss.

All Hinata had to deal with was exhaustion of quite literally everything. But with both scrolls secured, they reached the tower. Hinata kept her posture straight, her quivering tremble to herself, she needed to think about keeping her eyes wide to stop them from closing.

Once she passed this exam, she could rest; the same went for her team as well. They needed it infinitely more than she did—especially with the final part of the exam on the horizon. She would pass, she would become Chunin, then Miya-sensei and hopefully her father would be proud.

"Hinata… you smell like you're about to collapse," Kiba muttered.

She managed a light chuckle; there was nothing that could be hidden from his nose. "I'll be fine, Kiba." Her hand shook as she retrieved the scrolls from her pouch. "Once we see Miya-sensei… do not mention the mark."

"That would be foolish," stated Shino, walking up beside her. "It could hinder your progress in the exams."

"Exactly," confirmed Hinata. "Miya-sensei would notice, and would remove me from the exams to keep me safe."

"Yeah! She wants to keep you safe! We all saw what happened when you used it! You went fucking crazy! If Shino's bugs didn't eat the chakra then who knows what would've happened!" argued Kiba.

She looked back at him. "The third part of the exam is traditionally combat focused. Would it not be advantageous to use that power?"

"You're telling us that you plan to use that mark again?!" questioned Shino in utter outrage. "I know you're smarter than this, Hinata!"

"Only if it is necessary." She let out a shaky sigh. "You may not understand completely… but there is no circumstance where I can fail these exams. None at all. Please… do not tell Miya-sensei. That is all I ask—I promise I'll get it taken care of after the exams are finished."

"You don't smell like a liar," considered Kiba. He sighed. "Fine…"

"I will keep an insect on you. If the mark goes out of control, then a swarm will eat the cursed chakra. As long as you agree to that, then I will refrain from telling sensei," Shino proposed, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

"I will give a signal if I need it," said Hinata.

An exasperated sigh escaped Shino's breath. "Alright."

Hinata bowed to her two teammates. "Thank you…"

"Don't worry about it," murmured Kiba.

Shino didn't respond.

She stood straight, then opened the scrolls as instructed. A puff of smoke—like that of a summon—appeared. It was followed by a gasp, then all three of them were pulled into a single hug.

"S-sensei!" Kiba strained.

Miya kept her eyes shut and hugged her team tightly. Hinata was the first to fully reciprocate the hug, pushing into her sensei with a relieved and shaky sigh. Kiba was next, falling a bit limp as he did so. Shino never fully reciprocated. Akamaru leapt on Miya's shoulder and rested there.

After a while, Miya pulled back and smiled at them. "Congratulations on passing! You guys had barely an hour to spare—"

A pit of fear sunk in Hinata's stomach. That was too close… that cursed woman. "We had some difficulty."

"Yeah! Some bitch-ass team from Iwa ambushed us! We were on a wild goose chase to find them to get our scroll back!" Kiba barked out.

It wasn't entirely a fabrication… they were indeed ambushed. They fought a team from Iwa to take their scroll as well. That was when Hinata's curse got out of hand. Miya didn't seem to buy it entirely. "So… that's it? You three look terribly injured. How did your Byakugan not see them, Hinata? Or Kiba's nose? Or your bugs…?"

"We were focused on another battle with a Suna team," stated—lied Shino. "Our tunnel vision got the better of us."

Miya narrowed her eyes. "Really? I know I taught you guys better than that…"

Miya was disappointed—Hinata's fearful pit sank even further. "The Suna Team was powerful, if we had diverted our attention for a second we likely would've been killed. As you can see… we didn't exactly come out unscathed."

A frown hit Miya's face once she fully took in her team's injuries. "Alright… This is an important question. Did any of you see or interact with someone resembling a snake?"

Years of keeping composure disguised the wave of terror the mere mention of that woman brought. "No, not at all," lied Hinata, her voice as calm and even as ever.

Another sigh of relief escaped Miya's breath. "Good… very good."

"Is… there something up?" asked Hinata—she needed to make it look convincing.

Miya shook her head. "Someone very evil and very powerful infiltrated the Forest of Death. He attacked both Team 7 and Team 5, I just wanted to make sure you guys weren't on that list."

Hinata's eyes widened at the information, but a pool of guilt churned in her gut—she couldn't show a single out of the ordinary action. Not that it was difficult at all… it just hurt to lie to Miya–sensei. She would come clean soon enough, once this was all over.

"What care do you think we'll be able to get before the third part of the exam?" asked Shino.

Miya's frown deepened. "Just some basic medical ninjutsu, there aren't a lot of healers in the tower, unless you want to ask one of your friends that know something."

Shino nodded in response.

With a forced smile, Miya turned her back. "Let's get you guys healed up a bit, alright?"

Team 8 then followed their sensei into the tower. Guilt, fear, and determination churned in Hinata like a storm but it didn't show at all. But, she allowed herself to clench her fists.

I will not fail.

?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?