Naruto Rewrite 2: In the White Snake's Coil

by ArachCobra

The Chunin Exam, a grueling test for genin seeking to advance, looms ever closer. But Team Kakashi has much more to worry about. Someone is pulling the strings from behind the scene, manipulating event and setting people up against each other. Soon, all of Konoha feels the coil tighten around them, as everyone seeks to avert what might be an oncoming disaster.

8. The Forest of Death

Chapter 8: The Forest of Death

It was with a mixture of confidence and dread that Naruto found himself headed to the area designated for the second part of the chunin exam. On one hand, he had overcome the written exam, so the rest probably weren't anything like that. On the other, the crop of candidates had already been whittled down considerably. And if they were to fight each other like his friends had suggested, that meant he risked facing some really dangerous people.

He shook his head, as he left behind the walls of Konohagakure. He had fought Haku and Jako, outwitted Zabuza and Sabiru. He could do this. Him and his team could do this.

He took a deep breath and marched on.

The area he had been told to muster at was an open field, right next to a big and massive forest, its ancient trees curled around each other, with branches so thick that Naruto and his team could walk along them hand in hand without issue. It was cut off from the outside world by a big, chain-link fence, warning signs plastered all over it. It reminded the blond of when he had gone on a trip to Akagahara with Yota and Konohamaru.

Sasuke and Sakura were already there, looking to him as he approached. "Hey," he greeted them. "Man, where is everyone else?"

"No idea," the pink-haired shinobi replied. "Maybe we're getting split up for this?"

"Could be. Ibiki proved that these exams will be unpredictable," Sasuke noted.

"Heh, maybe they're all scared off," Naruto suggested with a grin. "Maybe we'll win by default." A dark chuckle from behind caused him to yelp and spin around.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Anko asked with a smirk. "You newcomers are so cute. Trust me, you better hope the others show up in an hour."

"What? How... Why?" Naruto asked.

She crouched slightly, bringing her to the same height as the teen. "Because if you were the only team, you'd get my full attention," she quietly informed him with a soft, yet worry-inducing smile. "And most people find my attention to be rather... Well, painful."

The blond very much felt like a rabbit being evaluated by a fox.

"Wait, you said an hour," Sakura noted. "Did we show up too early?"

"Yes and no," Anko replied, turning from Naruto, who sighed in relief. "The test will start within the next couple of hours, but our dear Hokage also wanted a local team to give an interview to the Academy Papers."

"That project they have the kids help run?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised.

"The very same. Said it would boost morale and show upcoming shinobi what ninja life is like," she explained. "So I went about asking your teachers and Kakashi said you three would make for an entertaining piece."

"Of course he did," Naruto commented.

"Even when he's not here he finds ways to keep us locked in pointless busywork," Sasuke groaned.

"Well, if that's the worst that happens to you today... Well, it won't be," Anko noted. "Ah, there's your interviewers. You three play nice and do your best. Would be a shame if something happened right before this very dangerous exam."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto slowly asked.

"I dunno. You just hear stuff," Anko replied as she walked off. "Like rude people suddenly breaking limbs. Very tragic."

The blond stared as the one-armed woman headed for a nearby guardpost. "She scares me," he finally admitted.

"They certainly know how to pick their staff," Sakura added. "Oh, hey, it's Konohamaru and his friends."

The Hokage's grandson eagerly approached the three, Udon and Moegi in tow. "Boss, we get to interview you? That's so cool."

"Heh, looks like it's your lucky day, squirt," the blond said with a big smile.

"Don't forget, this is a team interview," Sakura reminded him, as she sat down in the grass. "It's not only about you."

"Fortunately," Sasuke dryly remarked, sitting on a boulder.

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry," the jinchuriki said. "Now, then, what do you three want to know about being a great ninja?"

"Well, how about you tell us about yourself?" Moegi suggested.

"But you already know who I am," Naruto replied nonplussed.

Sasuke groaned, as Sakura added: "Well, they do, but their readers might not."

"Oh, right. Anyway, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm one of Konoha's best genins and I'm gonna be hokage someday," he declared.

"Sage forbid it," the Uchiha heir commented under his breath.

"Do you have to criticize everything?" the blond asked annoyed.

"Yes. Because if your ego got any more bloated, you might do something stupid and get us all killed," he replied.

"Hey, I..."

"The interview," Sakura sharply cut him off.

"Oh, right." Naruto coughed, returning his attention to the three. "Anyway, I like ramen and hanging out with my friends. I can create shadow clones, tons of them, and I'm pretty strong."

"Awesome, Boss," Konohamaru said, as Udon quickly wrote notes down. "How has it been being a ninja?"

"Oh, it's been super cool," the blond replied. "We've already saved Konoha from an evil plot, defeated one of Kiragakure's elite ninjas and beaten several vicious crooks."
Konohamau paused, eyeing the jinchuriki's teammates.

"He's actually right," Sasuke noted. "Believe it or not."

"Wow, that's very impressive. Guess we should have expected as much after seeing you fight off those dummies," the Hokage's grandson said. "How did you do it, Boss?"

"Easy. I just believed in myself. Believe it," Naruto declared.

"It's a lot more complicated than that," Sakura sighed. "But I suppose I can't disagree that Naruto here was helped along by his self-confidence."

"Some would say self-delusions," Sasuke dryly noted.

"What do you mean with delusions?" Naruto challenged.

"I mean that despite your less than average grades, you seem to..."

"Perhaps we should move on," the pink-haired shinobi sharply interrupted, also cutting off the voice in her head telling her to rough them up.

"Okay then. Why don't you tell us about yourself, Sakura?" Moegi suggested.

"Sure. My name is Sakura Haruno. I like baking, which I get from my parents, and flower arrangements. As a ninja, I keep myself in shape with early-morning runs as well as helping my parents run their shop. I'm skilled with genjutsu and I help my team come up with strategies."

"Yeah. She's pretty smart," Naruto agreed, causing his teammate to blush slightly.

"That's cool," Moegi said. "I hope I get to be an awesome ninja like you."

"Heh, well, study hard, train hard and you can be," she replied. "That's the best advice I can give."

"So, how do you feel your ninja stuff has gone?" Konohamaru asked.

"Oh, it's been... It's been rough. Naruto makes it sound easy, but all of those people we've been up against have been smart, skilled and experienced." She shook her head. "Trust me, going up against the likes of Zabuza is no joke. Being a ninja is tough and... You have to make tough decisions. I actually find it relieving when we have to do what my team calls busywork."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"But you did save the village?" Udon asked.

"Yeah. We uncovered that one of our own, Sabiru, was a traitor," Sakura confirmed. "And we've saved a lot of people. I don't regret becoming a ninja. But you have to know that it's not fun and games."

"I suppose that is true," Konohamaru noted. "Like when we went looking for the clover."

"So, that leaves... Sasuke," Udon remarked.

"Right," the tailed boy agreed. "So..."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, heir to the prestigious Uchiha clan," the raven-haired teen began. "I have dedicated my life to becoming the best ninja I can be so I can restore my clan to glory. I have mastered many of the arts, including my clan's famous fire techniques. As for how things have been going, we have been challenged several times, but become stronger for it." He paused "Our team has become stronger. The chunin exam is another challenge that will help us gain power. There, does that answer the questions you had planned?"

"Ehm, it does," Konohamaru replied.

"Geez, do you have to suck the joy out of everything?" Naruto asked.

"They asked the same questions every time. I see no reason to waste my or their time waiting for the inevitable," he replied.

"You're such a killjoy."

"And you're such a gloryhog."

"And I'm getting such a headache," Sakura groaned. "Anyway, did you three have any more questions?"

"Not really. But you sure did give us a cool interview," Konohamaru said.

Udon looked over his notes. "With very different replies," he added, before rubbing his runny nose against his sleeve.

"Maybe we can focus the article on that," Moegi suggested. "We could call it Different Shades of Ninja."

"That's an awesome idea," Konohamaru said. "Anyway, best of luck, Boss. Have fun with the exam."

"Sure. And you have fun too," Naruto said, as the three walked off. He took a deep breath, then turned to the others. "Now what?"

"I guess we wait for the exam to start," Sasuke informed him. "So I guess you'll be taking a nap then as usual?"

"Yeah. It conserves energy," Naruto noted.

The raven-haired ninja paused. "Normally, I'd call it laziness," he said. "But this time, we really should conserve our energy. We have no idea what we'll have to go through."

"It's so nice when you two can agree on something," Sakura noted with a hint of dryness.

...

As time passed, the other teams began showing, slowly filling up the glade with chatter.

Naruto looked around. He hadn't taken the time at the end of the previous exam, being too busy being relieved, but plenty of people he recognised had gotten through the written test. He noticed Shikamaru and Choji, Kiba and Akamaru were talking with Hinata and her bird, while Rock Lee was doing exercises next to Tenten.

He also noticed Gaara, who was given a wide berth by everyone but his teammates. It didn't surprise him. The guy just had an uncomfortable aura to him.

"Hey, everyone, shut up," Anko called. "It's time for me to explain the rules." She paused briefly to let quiet seize the area. "Now, this here piece of woodland behind me is officially designated as the forty-fourth training ground. But we just call it the Forest of Death." She smiled. "Can you guess why it's called that? Bet you can. This is a circa twenty kilometres in diameter area of dangerous terrain, full of wild creatures, poisonous plants and all other sorts of fun stuff."

Naruto chuckled and turned to Sakura. "Heh, bet that forest will be easy compared to what we've had to deal with."

"I wouldn't be so certain," she replied. "I can't imagine our teachers would name it like that for fun."

"Yeah, but compared to, like, Zabuza, what's some grumpy animals gonna..." Naruto was cut off as something flew by his face. He stopped, feeling a slight wetness on his cheek. He lifted his hand, touched and looked.

Blood.

Suddenly, an arm snaked around his throat from behind, causing him to freeze. He stared ahead. Anko was gone. Which meant...

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" she bemusedly inquired, leaning her head forward on his left. "But I guess a big, tough kid like you ain't scared of some dumb old forest, huh?"

"Ehm... Eh..." Naruto stuttered.

"Well, you ain't the first genin to waltz into one of my tests, thinking they are all that and a pack of dangos. And you all end up having so much to say." She leaned in, her tongue suddenly darting out to wipe the blood of the blond's cheek. He couldn't help but notice it was forked. "And by say, I mean guys like you scream the loudest. Fun times."

Naruto desperately looked to his team for assistance. Neither looked like they were in a hurry to get between him and Anko.

The one-armed woman suddenly whipped her head around, attention grabbed by another figure that had advanced. She was a tall woman, with smooth black hair and a straw hat. Anko paused, then smiled. "Why, hello there. Shiore was it? Do yourself a favour and don't creep up behind me unless I'm inviting you in. You'll live longer that way."

"My apologies, I meant no offence," she softly responded, reaching out. "I merely wished to return your kunai."

"Ah, thanks for that. Saves me the trouble," the exam proctor replied, letting go of Naruto to take it.

"May I add, by the way, that you have very good form. Your throw was quite masterful. You must have had a skilled teacher," Shiore noted.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere in my exam," Anko noted with a smirk. "But thanks. You're right, I've had some pretty good teachers."

Naruto quietly tried to step away, only for the one-armed ninja's fingers to dig into his shoulder with iron strength. "Now, where was I?" she absent-mindedly asked.

"Ehm, letting me go so you could get back to explaining the rules?" he squeaked.

"Aw, but I've only begun making you squirm," she said, flashing him a toothy and slightly predatory grin. Then she let him go. "But I guess if I give you all the attention, your classmates will get jealous. And you'll have enough on your plate before long. So fine." She walked off, humming slightly.

"Are you okay?" Sakura concernedly asked.

"No. I don't feel so good," the blond admitted, looking slightly pale.

"Then do yourself a favour and stop provoking her," Sasuke added, rolling his eyes. "Idiot."

"Now, back to the exam," Anko loudly declared. "Unless anyone else is hankering for my attention? No? Okay then, here's the deal. You will all be given either an earth scroll or a heaven scroll." She held up two thick rolls of respectively black and white paper, sealed with paper tags. "You must bring one of each to the central tower of the forest before three days are up. Yes, you with the dog on your head."

Kiba lowered his hand. "So, what, will you guys supply us or should we have brought our own lunches?"

"You have what you brought. No walking off now. All part of the ninja life." She held up a map of the area. "As you can see, there's plenty of foraging opportunities. There's a river that goes right through the area, plus plenty of trees and animals. And if all else fails, you can always eat whatever competition you manage to kill."

"Ah. Glad to hear fucking cannibalism is allowed," Kiba commented.

"You are authorized to use any and all methods at your disposal to acquire the scrolls," Anko continued. "But still, there are a few rules. First off, all still living members of the team must show up together at the tower with both scrolls for a valid victory. Second off, you are not to read the scrolls until you get to the tower with both under any circumstances."

Shikamaru raised his hand. Getting a nod from Anko, he asked: "What if the seal gets damaged? That's not unlikely given what you're asking here."

"I suppose that is true." She smiled. "Let's just say that it would be very unfortunate for you."

"I figured as much. What a drag," he sighed.

"Anyway, I'll need you all to sign these handy-dandy consent forms we have right here. Deliver them as a team to receive your scroll," she told them. "It's really just a formality to make sure you understand the risk and no-one blames me if you go and get yourself killed. So come on up and grab them. We'll open up this here booth in ten minutes or so."

"Why do the teachers always have to bring up the death thing?" Naruto sighed, as he and the two others went for the papers.

...

Sakura signed her name on the paper. "There we go."

"I can't believe we have to sign more paperwork," Naruto complained, leaning against a big rock. "What's with this?"

"Since it's a barely supervised, no-holds barred test, we are putting our life on the line," Sasuke noted. "This is much more serious than that written exam."

"No surprise what with that creepy lady in charge," the blond added. "She sounds like she'd enjoy it if we got ourselves killed. Why do we even have people like her?"

"It takes all kinds to get a ninja village to function," Sasuke noted. "She is no doubt skilled, strong and as your dumb-ass discovered, quite intimidating. That has value."

"Whatever."

"Well, now we know why she was so confident about being able to whittle us down to half size," Sakura noted. "Even presuming best possible outcome, only half of us can win."

"Because we need both scrolls, right?" Naruto asked.

"Exactly."

"But since we don't know who has what scroll, we might just end up fighting pointlessly over nothing," Sasuke noted.

"Well, if we did end up with a surplus scroll, we could always bargain with it," Sakura noted.

"I mean we have three days," the blond stated. "We'll make it. We're good. Whatever that creep has planned, we'll handle it."

"Talking about someone I know?" Anko asked as she leaned over the rock, earning her a shriek from Naruto.

"How do you keep doing that?" he asked, having jumped to his feet.

Her single hand grabbed his uniform by the neck and pulled him closer. "Because I'm a ninja," she quietly replied with a smile. "And don't you forget it."

He swallowed nervously. "I... I won't."

"Now, who were you talking about?"

"N-noone."

She let him go and patted him on the cheek. "Good boy."

"Don't you have some other team to harass?" Sasuke asked.

"Maybe, but your friend makes for such a good chew toy," she noted. "And you're the Uchiha lad. Exciting. Anyway, I'm really just making my rounds, making sure everything's signed and sealed. Or handle things if you're getting cold feet." She let her gaze slide across the trio. "So, anyone feeling like going home?"

Sakura paused. "No. We're gonna give it our best."

"That's the spirit." She paused, her smile fading. "But seriously, this exam is gonna get really dangerous. You better take care out there, because second chances are rarer in the ninja world than cheap fugu." With that she walked off.

"I cannot make heads and tails of that woman," Naruto admitted.

"I don't think you're meant to," Sakura added.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino called, as she came over with her group. "So, ready for the second exam?"

"Yes," Naruto declared.

"Hopefully," the pink-haired ninja answered. "I just hope we have the supplies we need. I packed the basics, of course, but I wasn't prepared for this."

"Yeah, foraging will be a drag," Shikamaru noted. "Takes time away from the mission and leaves you exposed." He smirked. "But at least we don't have to worry about running out of food. Choji always makes sure we have enough of that and then some."

"Heh, gotta stay topped off," the large teen noted with a grin. "Besides, you like my Mom's home-made food."

"That I do. She gives my mother a run for her ryo," he admitted.

"So, which one of us Konoha teams do you think will get to the tower first?" Ino asked.

"Heh, we'll be first. Believe it. Right team?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not so sure," Sakura admitted. "Kiba and his team is much better at tracking from what I've seen. What do you think, Ino?"

"Well, we aim to be the first, of course," the blonde noted with a smirk.

"We do?" Shikamaru asked. "When did that become part of the plan?"

"Of course we're aiming to be the best," she fired back, crossing her arms.

"Eh, maybe you do, but I'm just aiming to pass. Alive and in one piece," he added. "This is gonna be enough of a bother without trying to rush things."

Sasuke looked around. "Any idea of what team you'll be going after or avoiding?"

"Think we'll stay clear of that Gaara guy," Shikamaru replied. "Especially after what Kabuto said. I'd also stay clear of Team Guy. We can fight, but we haven't got anything on those three. I'd advice you three to stay clear too. You're good in battle, but Lee, Tenten and Neji are a league above you. Trust me on that one."

Sasuke huffed annoyed.

"Anyway, we better get ready to deliver our paper. Best of luck," Ino said, as the three walked off.

"Yeah, you too," Sakura said, as she waved them goodbye. She paused. "Do you really think it'll be that easy, Naruto?"

"Eh, probably not, honestly," he admitted. "But we gotta believe we have a shot. Otherwise, why are we here?"

"To test our abilities and grow our strength," Sasuke stated matter of factly.

"Yes, yes, we get it," the blond said dismissively. Before the raven-haired ninja could further comment, Naruto continued with: "Oh, hey there Hinata."

The white-eyed girl was indeed slowly making her way over, Yatagarasu on her shoulder. "Ehm... Hey... Naruto," she began. "Oh, and Sakura... And Sasuke... Hey." She paused awkwardly.

"Hey, Hinata," the pink-haired ninja greeted her. "How are you holding up?"

"Oh, I'm... I'm fine." She fidgeted a bit.

The bird sighed. "Naruto, she..."

"Wait, wait," she quickly interjected. "I, uhm, I... Well..." She took a deep breath. "YougothurtsoIwanttohelp."

The jinchuriki blinked. "Wait, what?"

Hinata took another breath. "I saw you got hurt... And... And I... Wanted to... To help." She swallowed nervously. "I, uhm, I have some... Some traditional.. Hyuga medicine. For your cheek."

"Oh. Oh, that's nice. But I heal pretty quickly." He paused and he noted she looked kinda crestfallen. "Oh, but, I'm sure your medicine thing will only help. Yep. So thanks for offering."

"Oh. Sure..." She reached into a pocket and handed him a medicine canister. "Ehm, here you go." She immediately and quickly retracted her arm the moment Naruto's fingers brushed against hers, almost causing the container to fall to the ground.

Yatagarasu sighed.

Naruto opened it and found it filled with a herbal paste. He dipped two fingers and smeared it against where he had been cut. "There, thanks," he said. "Do you want it back? You'll probably need it for the exam."

"Oh, no, I've got plenty," she noted, blushing notably. "Just... Ehm... Go-good luck... Naruto. And... You two too." Then she quickly turned around and stiffly walked off.

"Sons of the Sage, that girl is awkward," Sasuke commented.

"Hey, come on, she's just trying to be nice," Naruto admonished him.

Sakura nodded. "That she is. Especially to you."

"Well, I am pretty cool," he noted with a grin. "You know, I never noticed her much in class because she's so quiet, but I think we could be great friends."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to hear that you'd like to get closer to her," Sakura noted with a faint smile.

...

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke stood in front of the gate in the fence, a proctor on its side watching the skies. They had delivered their forms and received a white heaven scroll in return. They had then arrived at their assigned gate, where they waited with nervous anticipation.

Suddenly, a loud bang rang across the woods, as a signal flare went off.

"And in you go," the proctor said, as he pushed the gates open. "Best of luck to you three."

"Thanks," Naruto and Sakura replied as they headed in, the latter putting on her wig to hide her pink hair.

Immediately, the great, ancient trees blocked out the sun, leaving them walking among the thick roots in dusky darkness. Behind them, the metal of the door echoed as it was closed.

"Luck. Ridiculous," Sasuke noted. "A ninja needs skill."

"Hey, luck's useful," Naruto argued.

"Luck's unreliable," Sakura countered. "A ninja must make their own luck."

The raven-haired ninja looked thoughtful. "That is one way to look at it," he admitted. "On that note, we need a plan."

"Well, we should probably start looking for other teams," Naruto said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's so obvious. Do you think I'm as slow as you?"

"Alright, if you're so smart, why do you need our opinion?" the jinchuriki challenged. "Oh, that's right. Because you're not as smart as Sakura and need her to tell you what to do."

"I wanted her opinion, yes," the Uchiha scion replied with a scowl. "So if you could butt out and let the adults talk, maybe we could get somewhere."

Sakura had to concentrate to not start yelling at them. "How about we stop arguing," she began. "It only risks getting people's attention." She took a deep breath. "Okay, so we all start at the edge of the forest. This is information that every single team is privy to and they in turn know that everyone else know. So what we need to do is try and outguess them. I think many of them will probably start hunting in the outer circle, looking for teams that are slow. Perhaps we can set up some sort of ambush to... Naruto?"

"Yeah, I gotta pee," the blond admitted, lowering his hand.

Sasuke facepalmed.

"Uhm, okay. Well, uhm, you just do that," Sakura noted and turned around. "I'll just... Look this way for now.

"Couldn't you have gone before your exam?" the raven-haired ninja asked exasperated. "Would at least have given us some time to set up?"

"Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go," he replied, as he fiddled with his pants. He sighed contently as be began relieving himself.

A faint noise reached his ears above the sound of liquid.

He threw himself to the side, tripping in his pants as a blade slammed into the wood he had been standing in front of.

Sasuke whirled around, drawing his katana in one fluid motion, as their opponent leapt forward.

He was clad in a brown suit that encompassed his body, a leathery gas mask on his head connected to a canister on his back. His drew a long knife and made a swing at the raven-haired ninja, who blocked with his blade.

Sakura immediately rushed into to attack the assailant from behind, but before she could hit him, he sunk into the ground, leaving her off balance as her tekko connected with nothing but air.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke yelled.

"JUST A MOMENT!" the blond called back as he struggled to get his clothes back on. "STUPID PANTS!"

The attacker burst out of the ground next to Sasuke, swinging his blade as he did. The raven-haired shinobi twisted his body out of the way, feeling the sharp edge slide against his armour as he used the manoeuvrer to begin another swing of his katana.

Only to hit nothing as the attacker dived into the ground again like it was water. He burst out a bit away, holding in his hand a boulder which he launched with great speed.

Sasuke, still recovering from his missed swing, couldn't dodge in time and was launched back as the stone hit his torso.

The attacking ninja scooped up another rock and hurled it at the advancing Sakura, who punched straight through it, before taking another swing at him.

Again, he sank into the ground before she could hit, instead resulting in her fist impacting against a tree with a splintering sound.

Naruto, having finished putting on his pants, paused and listened. "SAKURA! LEFT!"

The pink-haired ninja immediately moved, catching the attacker with a kick to the stomach just as he popped out of the ground.

He grunted loudly in pain as he bounded across the ground.

Sasuke had gotten back on his feet and concentrated, feeling his chakra turn to fire in his mouth as he prepared to attack.

The assailant quickly slid into the ground again.

Naruto strained his ears. "HE'S COMING TOWARDS ME!" he called to Sasuke.

The Uchiha scion got ready to fire.

There was a blast of dirt and a cloud of dust as the attacker broke out of the ground. And when it had thinned enough for the others to see, there were two Narutos.

"Wha... Hey, quit that you faker," one said.

"No, you're the faker. You quit," the other one replied.

Sasuke paused, a thin trail of smoke drifting from his lips.

Sakura quickly glanced back and forth. "LEFT ONE!" she ordered.

The raven-haired shinobi immediately launched his attack at the designated Naruto. The ball of flames collided with the impostor, resulting in a yell of agony. His concentration faded and his disguise broke as he ran off, clutching his wounded arm. He jumped and dove into the ground, vanishing.

Naruto paused, listening carefully. "He's leaving," he informed the two others.

Sakura breathed out. "Good job, team," she said.

"Yeah, we kicked his butt," the jinchuriki replied with a smile. He paused. "Ehm, hey, you okay, Sasuke?"

"I'll bruise," he replied. "That's it. Nothing I can't handle." He paused. "You're an idiot and you need to learn how to get your uniform ready in seconds. That was ridiculous. But... Good job hearing him."

"Thanks," the blond replied, choosing to focus on the compliment. "And you did great too, Sakura. How did you know which one was me?"

"Your shuriken holster," she replied. "It's on the right side. His was on the left. I guess because he's left handed."

"Impressive," Sasuke admitted.

"You think his team's around here?" Naruto asked.

"No," Sakura guessed. "They would have joined the moment he was taking our attention if that had been the case. I think it was a hit and run attack. They probably split up to quickly strike other teams in the periphery of the forest."

"Pretty stupid, taking on an entire team alone," the jinchuriki commented.

"If he had wanted to take the scroll, I'd agree," the pink-haired ninja continued. "But I don't think that was the case. I bet him and his team are doing hit and run attacks to weaken other teams, not defeat them."

"Probably so they can swoop in once the weakened teams have started fighting each other," Sasuke guessed. "That's why he ran the moment things turned against him. Not worth it if he's not here to get the scroll just yet."

"Exactly."

"So, what do we do now?" Naruto asked. "Because, I'm pretty sure the others could hear us fighting."

"We move out," Sakura replied. "We find a quiet and safe place where we can take a moment to recuperate and make sure Sasuke's injuries aren't worse than they seem."

The Uchiha scion frowned, but did not protest as they hurried further into the forest.

...

Kiba paused, looking around the greenery. They were currently in a small glade, one of the few areas they had seen so far where sunlight reached the floor, allowing something other than moss to grow. "Alright, this is a good a spot as any," he said, turning to Shino and Hinata. "So let's begin."

"So... What's our plan?" Hinata asked, holding up her briefcase in both hands.

"You saw the map. The tower is in the middle. And everyone with a scroll will be heading there sooner or later," Kiba replied.

"A trap then," Shino commented.

"Exactly. Any team that comes by with two scrolls will already have been fighting. Easy pickings," Kiba explained. "And anyone with the same idea as us will be heading that way sooner or later. So, we're better off..." He paused, as he heard Akamaru sniff. He smiled. "Better off getting there as soon as possible so we can get them before they set up traps. Gonna be easy that way."

Hinata glanced to the side, the veins around her eyes pulsing slightly with increased blood flow. "That sounds... Sounds like an... A great idea," she commented. "What do you... You think, Shino?"

"I think a trap is our best option," he replied. "Lure the confident into our reach and render them helpless."

Kiba raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, they heard screaming from the nearby thicket, followed by a crashing sound.

"Laying it on a bit thick there in the end, didn't you?" Kiba asked, as the four headed towards the sound.

"Perhaps. They might appreciate the irony," the obscured shinobi replied.

Pushing through the thicket, the group found a trio of ninjas strung up in a net, barely able to move. Large leeches clung to their exposed skin, slightly squeezed between them and the ropes.

"Well, hello there," Kiba greeted them with a toothy grin. "Let me guess. You heard us talking out in the open and decided to spy on us?"

"No, we... What is this?" one asked.

"Big leeches. We found they had a nest here. Otherwise a perfect place to spy from," Kiba remarked. "So we just decided to give you guys something to spy on, long enough for the leeches to get the drop on you. That, and our net." He turned to Hinata. "Good work on that, by the way."

"Oh, thanks," she mumbled, blushing. "Shino helped a lot too."

"It was a group effort," the glasses-wearing shinobi emphazised.

"Please, let us out. They're eating us" one of the captured ninjas begged.

"Oh we will. In a moment," Kiba said. "Shino, your estimate?"

"In three minutes, this amount of leeches will have sucked enough blood to start causing nausea, dizziness and constrictions of the blood vessels to maintain pressure," Shino noted. "At that point, we will free you. You will hand over your scroll, because you must be smart enough to realise that in your weakened condition, we could easily defeat you. Or even kill you, should it be necessary. The loss of the scroll should seem minor in comparison to losing your lives."

"What... What if our scrolls are the same?" one trapped ninja asked. "You can't just... Just do this to us..."

"Oh I think we can. But fair enough. If we have the same scrolls, we'll let you go now, no problem," Kiba replied. "So, what's your scroll?"

"Ehm..." The guy's eyes darted back and forth. "Earth scroll."

"Well, ain't that funny? We have a heaven scroll," Akamaru noted. "Guess you're stuck in there with your new friends for a while."

"Wait. I lied. We have a heaven scroll," the guy quickly replied.

"And you know what? My friend also lied," Kiba said. "Maybe I should leave you in there for a few extra minutes. Once those guys have had their fill, their friends will probably want their turn." He looked up at the large leeches slithering across the branches above. "They sure do look thirsty today."

"No, we'll give you the scroll. Please."

"That's the spirit." Kiba turned to Hinata. "You okay there?"

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," she replied.

"Good. Just checking. Shino, I trust you've kept an eye on the time?"

"One minute more and we can let them out," he responded.

"There, see. It'll soon be over."

...

"Looks like you were right. Just bruising," Sakura remarked, trying not to blush too heavily while observing Sasuke's chest. His fair skin had taken on a blueish-purple color where the rock had hit, but it did little to diminish how well-trained he obviously was.

"Glad we could establish that I was correct," he said, holding up his shirt. "Can I put my uniform back on now? I'd prefer to be armoured when we're attacked again."

"Oh, of course," she said, stepping back. "That would be for the best, yes."

"So, what do we do now?" Naruto asked, as Sasuke got redressed. "I mean, I think we should try to get the drop on one of the other teams before they find us."

"Finally, a sensible idea from you," the raven-haired ninja dryly remarked, as he adjusted his combat vest. "We talked about how our previous battle would attract the curious. I suggest we double back and see if we can surprise anyone investigating the area."

"Hmm, it's not a bad idea. We might even be lucky and find some other groups that have started fighting each other," Sakura agreed. "Of course, if it's too dangerous, we should be ready to stand back."

"And let them fight each other, yes," the Uchiha scion continued. "Then pick off whomever look the weakest."

"Right. I think that's a good plan."

Naruto looked up. "Maybe we should get up into the trees. I mean, best place to get a drop on anybody. And Kakashi did train us all in walking up trunks."

"If I didn't know better, I'd suspect you'd been replaced," Sasuke remarked.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"That is unusual for you to have two good ideas in a row."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks you jerk."

"That does remind me," the pink-haired ninja noted. "That guy we fought did take Naruto's shape. He made a mistake, but that was just us getting lucky. Next time, we might not. Especially if we have to split up for any reason."

"What do you have in mind?" Naruto asked

"Some sort of password."

Sasuke nodded. "I have an idea then. Are you familiar with When Does a Ninja Strike?"

"From Kona Ishidou's collection of ninja poems, yes," Sakura replied. "It goes 'A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike.'"

"I'm sorry, what?" Naruto asked.

"Kona wrote a series of ninja poems to help teach children," she replied.

"They're classics," Sasuke added. "Didn't your father ever tell you any?"

"What do you think Pops is, a ninja chef?" the blond asked annoyed. "Can't you pick something easier?"

Sasuke groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And now we're back to the stupid again. The entire point is that it's not easy."

"Fine. Can you repeat it then?"

"How about you pay attention?"

"And what if we agreed to use something else? How much of your ninja nonsense am I supposed to remember?"

"You're a ninja. You're supposed to collect as much information as possible, not try and guess what is going to be important. You have a memory like a sieve."

"Guys, please," Sakura sighed. "Look, the password is fine. Let's start moving or everyone will have combed over the area and moved on."

"Fine. Let's move out," Sasuke commented surly and turned. "I suggest we..."

There was a tink sound as something bounced across the forest floor. A small metal orb covered in paper tags. Paper tags which immediately lit up.

"Is that...?" Naruto began, wide eyed.

"EXPLOSIVE TAGS!" Sakura finished.

There was a flash, followed by a boom, as the tags detonated. The ancient trees shook from the force, leaves raining down, dozens upon dozens of birds flying into the air to escape.

A couple of branches broke off, raining down on the ground below.

Sasuke coughed, the smoke getting to him. He had jumped the moment he had realized what had just landed among them. He scowled. Once again, an enemy had gotten the jump on them. It was starting to rankle him. He pushed himself back on his feet, using an exposed root for support. His stomach ached, the bruising exasperated. He had gotten out of the way of the initial blast, but the force had still launched him several meters across the mossy ground. He was lucky the damage wasn't worse. He placed a hand on his katana in case he'd need to defend himself or his team, and set out to find Sakura and Naruto. He moved around the site of the blast, hoping the two others had either dodged or been thrown clear of the explosion.

A rustle caught his attention. Sakura untangled herself from a bush, her wig knocked askew, revealing some of her pink colour. She looked up and spotted him. "Sasuke?" She paused, her expression uncertain. "When does a ninja strike?"

"A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike," Sasuke replied, loosening the grip on his weapon. "How are you feeling?"

"Considering what just happened, I'm fine." She looked around. "We gotta find Naruto. He was practically next to it when it went off."

"Of course he was. Damn idiot has no reflexes," Sasuke groaned. "Let's hurry. If he's injured, he'll need our help sooner rather than later."

"Heh, nice to hear you care," Naruto commented, pushing his way past a low branch. "But I'm okay."

"I see," the Uchiha noted. "When does a ninja strike?"

"Right, right, the password," the blond stated, pausing. "A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike."

Sasuke paused, then smirked. "Correct." With one swift move, he drew and threw one of his shuriken, aiming at the blond's throat.

Naruto reacted quickly, sliding to the side to avoid the projectile. "Hey, what was that for?" he began accusingly. "I remembered your stupid password."

"That's the problem. No offence to Naruto, but I didn't expect him to get it right word for word," Sakura noted, raising her fists defensively.

"And even if he had by some fluke remembered it, I've seen him dodge. The way you evaded my attack, that was the moves of an experienced ninja," Sasuke added, drawing his blade. "Give it up, we've seen through you."

The fake smiled. "Clever. And here I went through the trouble of listening to your little password talk. But I guess you were prepared for that." The imitator's features shifted, their body growing and their hair lengthening.

"You," Sakura remarked. "I saw you at the meeting. Anko said your name was Shiore."

"Good on you for paying attention," she replied. "Now then, I imagine you want this?" She held up a brown scroll. "Would go well with your heaven scroll, yes?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"How do I know? Well... I have my ways. But if you want it, you'll have to take it." She grinned and held the scroll up, before pressing it into her mouth.

Sakura stared with disturbed fascination, as the lady's throat bulged from the document passing through it, seemingly entering her stomach without issue.

"Seems like the only way to get it is to slice you open," Sasuke stated. "Not the brightest move."

"Hmm, how haughty of you," she replied, lowering her head. "For the prey to think itself the predator." Her head jerked up, locking gazes with both of them.

Immediately, Sasuke and Sakura froze, their brains hit with a paralyzing wave of fear. Their muscles quivered and their limbs turned soft as butter. The pink-haired ninja collapsed to her knees, while the Uchiha scion fell backwards, landing on his behind.

With a shaky hand, he clutched his chest. His heart was beating erratically, his breathing unstable and going in sharp bursts. His head felt foggy, his thoughts sluggish.

Sakura clutched the ground, trying to get her mind in order. Tears and snot dripped from her, her emotions completely overwhelmed. Her stomach felt like it was tying every single knot on itself she could think of.

Shiore observed the two for a moment. "What's wrong, children? Not used to fearing for your lives?" She shook her head. "How disappointing. I honestly expected more from you. Oh well." She drew two kunai from her belt, holding them aloft. "If that's all you can do, killing you will be a mercy."

Sasuke tried to move, tried to get up, tried to draw his weapon. But his body wouldn't listen. The feeling had been like when they had first encountered Zabuza, but concentrated into one singular jolt of terror. And their assailant had done so with a glance. His teeth grinded against each other, as he realised that if they didn't do something, they would die in a few seconds.

Sakura could feel her thoughts flicker and fade, as her mind short-circuited. She felt herself sink into darkness, a comfortable warm nothing that embraced her as she sank ever deeper. There was a feeling, of something grabbing her. She could almost envision a smiling face. "Don't worry, I'll take it from here," it seemed to say, before letting her go, letting her sink fully into peaceful numbness.

Shiore paused, then almost disdainfully flicked her wrist, launching the two kunai with barely any effort. They arced through the air, ready to strike the two genin down.

Sasuke stared, eyes widening. And then someone grabbed him, lifting him up in the air.

The two kunai clattered across the ground.

Shiore turned her gaze as the two figures vanishing into the thickness of the trees' foliage. "Interesting. Seems like they've got a little bit more fight in them than that." She smiled. "Let's see what else they can do."

...

Naruto groaned and slowly opened his eyes. His arms hurt, his legs hurt, his head hurt. In fact, it would have taken less time for him to go over what wasn't hurting. The world looked wrong to him, only for the realization that he was upside down to set in. He shook and shifted, falling over from the tree his crumbled body had leaned against. He just lay there for a few seconds, staring up into the thick crowns of the trees. Then he sat up and investigated himself. His uniform had numerous scratches and cuts in it, a few parts even scorched by the explosion. Fortunately, he could only see minor cuts on his body at best. "Good old combat vest," he said, patting the protective clothing, before standing up. "Better go find the others, see if they're okay."

He heard a sound and froze. It sounded like shifting dirt, something rubbing against bark, leaves quietly rustling. He jumped up and turned towards the sound.

A large, white snake slithered over the roots, eyeing the blond. Their tongue flickered, as they moved closer. "Hello there."

"Oh, ehm, hello," the blond said, stepping back as the serpent slowly moved closer. "I didn't know there were... Snakes here. Ehm... Anyway..." He paused, as the white-scaled creature slowly encircled him. "I, uhm, better go. You see, my friends they.. Uhm, there was an explosion and... Uhm..." He paused, noting the snake's coils getting ever closer, their head hovering over him with the closest to a bemused expression they were capable of. "What are you doing?"

"Ensnaring my lunch," the snake replied with a creepy amount of casualty.

The blond paused. Then he jumped in the air, just as the coils were about to crush him. "Nope, nope," he yelled, as he bounded across the floor.

The big snake dove forward, mouth wide open, biting down on air as the jinchuriki leapt to the side.

Naruto put foot to the nearest tree and began running up its trunk, hoping to lose his predatory pursuer in the thick branches above.

The snake lifted their tail and slammed it into the tree with ferocious force.

The vibrations caused Naruto to stop, as his chakra was disturbed. He waved his arms around like windmills, trying to retain balance.

The connection broke.

Naruto fell.

The snake reared up and shut their jaws around him.

The jinchuriki barely managed to keep the jaws, stretching his legs and arms both to keep mouth open and to prevent himself from sliding in even further. "STOP IT!" he yelled. "I'M NOT YOUR FOOD! LET ME GO!"

The snake's forked tongue pressed against one of his legs. The slick insides of their mouth made his foot slip. He fell and the maw closed, shutting out all light. He felt a muscular tube press against his body, forcing him further down. He tried to move his arms to reach his tekko-kagi, but the constricting environment prevented it.

The snake paused, enjoying the sensation of the squirming ninja sliding down it's throat. "I don't see what all the fuss about them was about," they noted, as they circled the spot and curled up. "Not even a decent meal really."

The jinchuriki held on to the spongy flesh as well as he could, but it barely served to halt his movement. He was no biology buff, but even he knew what awaited him. He'd be melted away to nothing in the snake's stomach soon enough.

He gritted his teeth. Of course he realized ninja life was dangerous. Deadly. But to die like this seemed undignified. As he was pressed even further down, his thoughts went to his family. His friends. Would they even learn what had happened? And what about his team? He had no idea how they had fared. Maybe they were dying too and he was their only hope. Yet here he was, getting slowly eaten by some snake.

He felt angry. He needed to do something. But the snake's body was clamping down on him like a rubbery straitjacket. It was dark and what little air he had was becoming near unbreathable. He was running out of time and he only had one good trick.

But if this snake thought to eat him, he'd give them the mother of all indigestion.

He moved his arms as much he could, barely making the hand signs and focusing all the chakra he could call upon.

The snake paused. They could feel the small lump that had been the ninja settle pleasantly in their stomach. It was kinda surprising to them. And then came a feeling of fullness. Of being bloated. The snake was now realizing something was off, as their stomach began painfully expanding, nearing the point of tearing from the inside. They constricted their muscles, twisting and turning to force up the rapidly growing lump. They could feel it travelling up their throat, before countless Narutos exploded from their jaws. They coughed and sputtered, bile dripping from their mouth, a burning sensation ravaging their throat. "Oh... You... Ghurk... You little... Kharh..." they coughed. Lifting their tail, they slammed it down on one Naruto, crushing them. They then swept the limb to the side, launching two more, one of them hitting a tree and breaking their neck. The snake then lunged forward, impaling another Naruto on their fangs, before the clone dissipated. The snake looked around at the scattering blonds, trying to figure out which single one of them was the real one, before attacking again with an angry hiss, scooping up another three and swallowing them whole. "You little pest, I'm gonna strangle the life out of you when I find you."

Up in the trees, Naruto paused, having speedily ascended with a combination of his chakra and the tekko-kagi. He shivered, as the clones' memories reached him, before he moved up into the thicket, hurrying across the branches as he began searching for his friends.

...

Sasuke's breathing was still erratic, his heart still pumping madly, as he tried to figure out what had happened. He had gone from sitting on the ground paralysed with fear staring death in the eyes, to being hoisted up and carried into the tree tops.

By Sakura.

But it didn't add up. He had seen her. She had been affected just as badly as him, if not worse. Yet there she was, standing mere steps away, observing the ground below, no doubt looking to see if their attacker was in pursuit.

She looked up at him. "You done?"

He blinked. "What?"

"You done freaking out?" she asked, looking back down. "Can't expect me to carry your ass for the rest of the exam, you know."

He paused, slowly sliding his hand to his katana. "Who are you?"

"What kind of question is that?" She crossed her arms. "I'm Sakura."

"She'd never talk like you do," he remarked, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course she wouldn't. Too afraid of upsetting people," the girl replied.

"So you're not Sakura."

"I am Sakura."

The raven-haired ninja paused. The situation was getting absurd. "So, Sakura wouldn't talk like you do?"

"Nope."

"But you are Sakura?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Seriously, you're supposed to be one of the smarter guys in our class. What is not getting through your thick skull?"

The Uchiha heir scowled, then paused. "So what you're saying is, you're also Sakura."

"Yes, you done asking stupid questions yet?" the pink-haired shinobi asked. "We gotta find Naruto before that woman does. She might just eat him alive and not in a way he's gonna enjoy."

"So you're claiming to be another Sakura," Sasuke surmised, slowly standing up. "Why are there two of you?"

The girl shrugged. "How should I know?"

"And does... The other Sakura know you exist?"

"Eh, maybe. Sorta."

"Great. Absolute perfect time to find out she's got an entirely separate person in her head," Sasuke groaned, rubbing his temples. "But fine. At least you're on our side." He looked around. "Naruto might still be near the blast site, but if he's woken up, he's probably moving. The sensible thing would be to go somewhere we could easily meet up, but I doubt that idiot would think of anything like that. Most likely, he'll pick a direction at random. If he's wounded, he might leave tracks or something, but that also means others can follow him. So we gotta make a move before an enemy team does."

There was a creaking sound above and the two ninjas looked up.

Curled around one of the massive branches was a large, white snake looking down on them. "Oh, I would be less concerned about your friend and more worried about yourselves if I were you," they said, before baring their fangs.

"Well... Shit," Sakura commented, as the large snake lunged at them.

The two jumped, as the white-scaled predator snapped at them, the two ninjas leaping across the branches in two different directions.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder to see the great serpent pursuing Sakura. He paused, at first to turn around to assist her, but then he stopped completely, as Shiore stood in front of him, observing him with a slight smile.

Immediately, Sasuke felt his pulse quicken. "You... Just... JUST LEAVE US ALONE!" he yelled, flinging several of his shurikens at her.

She nimbly weaved between the projectiles, before landing a kick to his stomach that lifted him off the bark of the branch and bounced him across its mossy surface.

He felt himself slide down the side of the wood and latched on to prevent himself from falling. He looked up, as Shiore slowly approached. In the distance he could hear the shaking of branches as Sakura continued to evade the snake.

He gritted his teeth and got up, drawing his blade with a shaky grip. With a yell, he charged forward, swinging upwards as he did.

Shiore sidestepped the blow and raised a kunai, taking a jab with it, which Sasuke deflected.

He pulled his blade back and struck, trying to bisect his opponent, but Shiore just leaned backwards, ducking under the blow, before lunging back up with a speed the Uchiha scion was sure would have torn his own spine apart.

He was forced to step back, giving ground as she advanced. His sword vibrated as his limbs shook, every moment in her presence only increasing the fear growing in his heart. Shiore's every movement was quick and fluid, unnaturally so, done in small bursts that were hard to follow. He tried to focus, to activate his sharingan, but his own near-panic kept breaking his concentration, kept stopping him from using it.

Sakura, meanwhile, ran up one of the trees, the big snake slithering up behind her. She scowled. At first, she had been happy the serpent had gone for her. Sasuke was still recovering and this would give him time to hide. Yet now, while she was luring the snake into a chase, Sasuke had been ambushed by Shiore. Far too well timed to be a mere coincidence in her opinion. Which meant she needed to change strategy.

She spun on her heel and began running down the tree, rearing her fist back as she did with a vicious grin.

The snake paused, surprised by her audacity.

Sakura's fist collided with their snout with a meaty thwack. The snake's head was knocked backwards and they shook it from side to side as they processed the painful impact.

Sakura jumped and landed on their scaly back, running down it and jumping off while the serpent was still recovering. She leapt across several branches, hoping to get to Sasuke, but the white snake had recovered faster than she anticipated, shooting out in front of her, fangs bared as they tried to bite her.

The pink-haired shinobi was forced to diverge, several branches snapping off and falling to the forest floor as the scaled attacker crashed through them.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was pushed even further back. He suddenly felt the trunk of the tree press against his back, as Shiore advanced. He knew he couldn't beat her. He knew Sakura couldn't get to him. He knew he was out of options. "Wait," he said, holding up a hand.

She paused, a curious expression on her face as she awaited his next move.

"If I... If I give you our scroll... Will you leave us alone?" he asked.

"A sacrifice. Clever." She nodded. "It is not uncommon in this world. Nesting birds will abandon their eggs and chicks to predators to survive. Sometimes, one must prioritize. Very well." She reached out. "Give me your scroll and I'll let you go, Sasuke."

He paused, then reached into his backpack, pulling the white scroll from it. He reached out with it, the paper rattling from his unstable grip.

A kunai struck, slamming it out of his hand. He tried grabbing for it, but the rolled up paper was seized by gravity, quickly falling out of reach.

Only for Naruto to grab it. "You know," he said, sounding slightly exhausted. "Giving up the scrolls seems like a team decision, Sasuke." He paused. "Also, the ninja strikes when the enemy has forgotten his sword at night. Or something like that."

"What... What are you doing?" Sasuke asked flabbergasted. "You idiot, she's gonna kill us all."

"Yeah. Zabuza tried the same." The blond wiped his brow with his sleeve. "But maybe it's you who haven't been paying attention. Ninjas like her. We never know when we'll run into them. C, B or A rank, doesn't matter. And what happens then? Are you gonna give up all of Konoha's secrets because she's scary? When did you become such a coward, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha scion froze.

"My, things are getting interesting," Shiore noted amused. She looked up, as another great snake slithered around the trunk of the tree. "Ah, Kazumi. Managed to slip away, did he?"

"I was... Unaware his cloning technique was so advanced," the snake noted, annoyed. "I will not repeat that mistake."

"No, I'm sure you won't. But I have another job for you." She gestured to Sasuke. "You can deal with this one while Yumie handles the girl. The blond's bravado intrigues me."

The snake rose in the air, hovering over the raven-haired shinobi. "I always did prefer noble blood," he remarked with predatory enthusiasm.

Shiore smirked and jumped, landing on the same branch as Naruto. "Well then, boy, let's see what you've got."

Naruto sneered as he drew his tekkan and held it up.

His opponent advanced, swinging her kunai down.

He stepped back, avoiding the blow, before attacking with an overhead swing, aiming to crush her skull, which she slithered around, swinging her blade as she did.

The blond hissed as she cut him across the shoulder. He stepped back, gritting his teeth, before advancing again, swinging his weapon several times.

But the woman kept moving around his blows, bending and wavering in uncomfortable looking ways. Naruto couldn't figure out if she was just some sort of mutant or if it was some sort of jutsu. She moved in quick jolts, sometimes so fast that she seemingly teleported whenever he blinked. He was barely holding his ground and he had yet to land a blow on her.

He needed help. And he knew how to get it.

He jumped back, her blade barely missing him, giving him a moment to focus his chakra. Three clones puffed into being, before rushing forward, attempting to surround and flank Shiore.

The assailant's body flowed like water, as she rapidly began dodging the attacks, each of his clones wielding their own tekkan.

Naruto grinned. She was put on the defensive. He charged forward, weapon held high, ready to slam her.

Shiore's leg shot out, catching him in the stomach with a kick like a horse lashing out. He was launched back with a gargled sound, crashing into the trunk of a tree.

The woman quickly slipped her kunai up through the bottom of one of the clone's skull, killing him, before swinging the body, slamming another clone of the branch and into a freefall. The last clone grimaced and charged, only for Shiore to grab his weapon and halt his attack, before slipping her kunai between his ribs. "I'm only interested in the real deal," she remarked, as she let the dying clone drop.

Elsewhere, Sakura paused, Yumie raising her head above her. The snake was more careful about attacking, having felt first-hand how hard she could hit.

The pink-haired shinobi grinned and asked: "Are you gonna attack or what, you overgrown worm?"

"What a little nuisance you are," the serpent replied. She shot forward, not at Sakura, but to her side, quickly moving around her, her body closing in like a noose.

The teen ninja quickly held up her hands, barely stopping the snake from completely enveloping her.

"What's wrong? I though you wanted me to attack?" the snake remarked as she kept trying to squeeze.

Sakura grimaced as she kept pushing back. She raised her leg and started walking up the side, slowly turning her body as she did. When she came to the edge, she pushed up hard, jumping and flipping as the coils squeezed shut underneath her, before she landed on her feet. "Ta-daaa."

Yumie looked at her. "Most humans would not be so inclined to provoke a snake of my size," she noted.

"But that's half the fun of it," Sakura replied.

At the same time, Sasuke leapt across the branches, as Kazumi slithered after him. His legs buckled with every move he made, his breathing unstable and uncontrollable. He felt torn. He couldn't focus. What Naruto had said, what he had called him, rankled him. Offended him. Hurt him. But Shiore terrified him. He had been so confident they could take her and then... That feeling. That feeling of fear, of danger, of death. It took him back. Back to the massacre.

Back to when he lost his family.

He didn't want to feel that. He didn't want to go back. He just wanted Shiore to take her snakes and leave him alone.

But Naruto had ruined that. Naruto had called him a coward.

He evaded another, almost playful bite from Kazumi, as the snake chased him around the trees.

Sasuke's mind felt like it had snapped. He had no focus any longer. So he did the only thing he could. It was the only thing he could do back then. He kept moving. But his body was weakening, every step he took.

Down below, Shiore slowly advanced, as Naruto got back up, clutching his chest. "You'll have to do better to beat me, boy. Hasn't that sunk in yet?" She smiled, lifting her kunai. "Didn't you fight Zabuza and his students? I've heard so many things of this new team of miracle genins from Konoha. Guess it was all just luck."

"Oh, do shut up," Naruto snarled, holding up his weapon.

"Still defiant? How about you learn your place. As prey." With those words, her gaze focused and Naruto stumbled back as fear seized him. His weapon fell the to bark with a clatter as his grip loosened. His knees bent, as the weight of standing up became too much.

"Still just a scared little child," Shiore remarked. "And after your pretty little speech too. What a shame."

Naruto quivered. He tried to focus, but his body wouldn't respond.

"Aren't you supposed to be a ninja?" a deep voice inside him asked. "You are a predator too, kit. Act like it."

The blond felt a jolt through his body, his reserves of chakra refilled. He charged forward, snatching up his weapon as he did, swinging it at Shiore.

The woman jumped back, as the tekkan slammed into the bark, splintering it.

Naruto exhaled. "I am afraid," he admitted while looking up, his eyes amber and his pupils slitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop fighting."

Shiore paused, then smiled. "I see now. You are the jinchuriki of the Fox. That does explain a lot." She held her kunai up. "Show me was you can do then, Naruto."

The blond charged in, swinging his weapon in quick, successive strikes with enough force to snap bones in half. Shiore danced backwards, evading his attacks but giving ground to him.

Meanwhile, Sakura dodged out of the way of another bite, before swinging her fist at Yumie. The snake was quick to retract her head, pulling out of reach.

"You're not scared are you?" the pink-haired ninja asked, jumping from foot to foot. "Come on, we're having a brawl here."

"I don't usually take so much enjoyment in the idea of squeezing the life out of my prey," the snake noted, rising up. "But I'll make an exception for you." She charged again, slamming into the base of the branch Sakura was standing on, snapping it off.

The pink-haired shinobi immediately started falling with a curse-filled hollering, before she slammed down stomach-first on a thick branch below.

Yumie immediately followed, preparing to crush her before she could get back up.

Sakura suddenly shot up, slamming her fist into the snake's lower jaw.

The white-scaled attacker pulled back with a hiss, rubbing her sore face with her tail. She could feel how several of the scales had fractured.

"It's gonna take more than sweeping my legs away to take me out of a fight," Sakura called, though sounding a bit winded. "But nice try."

Yumie hissed and lunged forward, ready to bite her.

Sakura leapt to evade, only to realize that the snake had swung her tail to catch her mid-jump. "Fu..." Her curse died out with her breath as she was slammed through the air.

"How's that for a nice try?" Yumie asked annoyed as she rose up and pursued.

At the same time, Sasuke was dashing through the crowns of the trees, trying to stay at a distance from Kazumi. If he got too far away, he risked getting lost or that the snake would just double back. And his teammates didn't need that. But his body felt like lead, his bruised chest was only aggravated by the exercise and he couldn't focus enough to come up with a plan, his every attempt interrupted by flashes of blood spattered tatamis and dead faces staring at him. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to force the images out. He felt his foot slip on the moss. He fell.

Underneath them, Shiore was being pushed back. Naruto kept swinging, less to hit his opponent and more to keep her moving backwards. If he could force her out where the branch was thin, she'd have a harder time dodging. Then he could start focusing on striking her.

A sound caught his ears and he diverted his gaze.

Sasuke bounced off one of the thick branches and landed on the next one with a thud.

He was obviously wounded, barely getting back up.

And the snake was closing in.

Naruto grimaced, then set off, leaving Shiore behind. He jumped across the branches, willing his legs to carry him as fast as he could.

Sasuke tried to move, but the impact had stunned him. His breath had a metallic taste to it. He looked up, eyes wide, as the serpent's maw opened to swallow him.

Sakura dodged around a trunk, as Yumie's tail slammed against it. She looked up, noticing the issue. She jumped, but part of her knew she was too far away.

The Uchiha scion stared, paralyzed, as death opened its arms for him.

With a loud thump, Naruto slammed into the snake's side with fearsome impact, knocking his attack of course, leading to Kazumi slamming into the thick trunk of the ancient tree.

"SASUKE!" the blond yelled, still clinging to the disoriented snake. "I KNOW YOU'RE SCARED! BUT YOU CAN'T LET IT CONTROL YOU!" A hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him up with great speed, before slamming him down on top on of the snake.

"What a fascinating performance," Shiore remarked. "You have done well."

The blond snarled and he tried to swing his weapon, only for both of his hands to be pinned down by one of hers.

"Not so fast. Let's make things... Interesting," Shiore continued, holding up an open hand. Her fingers lit up with purple flames, which she jabbed into Naruto's stomach.

The jinchuriki's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, unleashing an agonized, inhuman scream of suffering. And then he went limp.

Shiore picked him up and removed the white heaven scroll from his backpack, then threw him away as one might a toy one had lost all interest in.

The blond fell lifelessly through the air, only to be grabbed by Sakura. She landed on a branch, cradling him. "Good. Still breathing," she sighed. She turned around, eyeing her last teammate. "SASUKE! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

The raven-haired boy stood there, staring, as if barely comprehending her.

"WE'RE GETTING SLAUGHTERED! ARE YOU JUST GONNA SIT THERE AND LET IT HAPPEN!? GET YOUR ASS MOVING, YOU IDIOT!"

Sasuke stiffened. His fists clenched. He felt a wetness on his cheeks. He realized, slowly, that he was crying. He was crying, because he was scared. Scared just like back then. He shivered.

A coward. An idiot. A little child, too scared and too stupid to do anything. He couldn't protect his family then. He couldn't protect his allies now. He'd be useless as a leader of the Uchiha. Worthless.

His teeth gritted. Had he not sworn to hunt down the one who had slaughtered so many of his kin? Was it all empty words? Hollow bragging? No better than Naruto's dream of becoming the hokage? Would he turn tail if he finally found the monster that had slaughtered his parents? No. No, he didn't want to be that person. He didn't want to be a stupid coward, a fool no one could rely upon. A white-hot fury built up in his chest, pushing back the fear. He'd become strong. He'd become mighty. No one would ever take anything from him ever again. He felt the pressure build behind his eyes. He opened them wide as his sharingan activated, while letting out a roar of anguish, frustration and hateful rage.

"My, seems like we've got a reaction," Shiore noticed. "Kazumi, help Yumie deal with that bothersome girl. I'm curious what Sasuke will do with his new resolve." With those words, she jumped off, landing on the same branch as the infuriated Uchiha heir.

"As you wish," the snake muttered, turning away to join his compatriot in hunting Sakura.

Sasuke drew his blade, holding it up.

"What do you intend to do, boy?" she asked.

"I'm gonna kill you," the raven-haired ninja snarled, before attacking. He swung and she dodged. But his sharingan allowed him to follow her movement, allowed him to adjust the swing.

The edge nicked her side, cutting more cloth than flesh, as she managed to pull away.

But she was bleeding.

"I can see you," Sasuke hoarsely said, his voice laced with rage. "I can see your every move, you pathetic wretch."

"Is that so?" she asked with a smirk. "Then show me."

"I'll show you the path to Naraka!" he yelled, charging in again. Each swing was swung with both force and precision, his grasp adjusting with every move to bring it closer to his opponent. One nicked her chest, another cut off a lock of hair. He could feel his eyes strain harder and harder, bringing her movements more and more into focus, allowing him to absorb every detail.

A twitch of her leg gave her intended movement away.

With a roar, Sasuke stabbed forward, piercing her stomach.

Only for her to explode into leaves.

He heard the thunk of her landing behind him. He spun, swinging his blade, but her fist slammed into his face before he could strike, knocking him off balance and off the branch.

Sakura, meanwhile, was now in full retreat. Fighting two of the snakes would be daunting, but she was confident she could handle them. Doing so while carrying Naruto, however, would be quite difficult. And she did not want to endanger him.

She leapt forward, as branches behind her were shattered by Kazumi's bulk slamming through them.

Suddenly, Yumie slithered out in front of her has she jumped. Sakura pulled her legs back just in time to avoid the snake's mouth closing around them, before pushing off the white-scaled predator, launching herself in a different direction.

Elsewhere, Sasuke had landed hard on a thick branch. He heard the thump of Shiore following him. With a growl, he pushed himself up and swiped his blade at her, forcing her back. He noted with satisfaction that she still had numerous cuts. So she had only substituted herself at the end when he was sure to hit her fatally.

She smiled and pulled from her dress a metal sphere covered in explosive tags, which she hurled at him.

Sasuke leapt to the side as it went off. His eyes caught the shapes of metal shrapnel flying towards him. He drew and threw several shurikens, deflected the projectiles as he landed on another branch.

He had an idea. He rushed along the branch, drawing a handful of wired kunai from his belt while he kept his eyes on his opponent.

Shiore matched his stride on a parallel branch. Smiling at him.

It only angered him more. He'd wipe that smug grin off her face.

He jumped, flinging several of the projectiles in her general direction.

She easily weaved among them, before hurling another sphere.

The raven-haired ninja leapt forward, using another trunk to give him cover from the explosion. With a flick of his wrist, he tightened the wire in his grip, using it help swing around the tree.

Shiore was on the other side. She threw a fan of kunai at him as he swung closer.

Following their arc, he kicked out, smacking those in danger of hitting him out of the air.

He sailed around her position and threw another set of wired kunai the opposite way. They were wildly off course, raising Shiore's suspicion. But as the wires tightened against each other, pulled by the Uchiha heir's body weight, the trap went off. A fine set of wires slammed into Shiore, pushing her back and forcing her up against the trunk Sasuke was swinging around. The raven-haired ninja continued running around the trunk, pulling the wires tight as he did, before landing back on the branch.

Shiore struggled against the wires, the fine metal digging into her skin.

"Let's see you dodge this," Sasuke began, as he focused all the chakra he had into his mouth. He exhaled, spewing forth a massive lance of burning flames.

Shiore wriggled, but could not move. It hit her, bathing her entire body in fire, forcing from her a pained scream.

Sasuke was unrelenting, pumping more and more power into the attack, until the shriek died out. Then he stopped. He gasped and fell to his knees, his body shaking. Using so much chakra in one burst had depletes him, leaving him dangerously close to going into a state of shock.

He looked up. Shiore hung limply in the wires, the bark around her cracked and blackened. Her clothes were little more than ashen scraps barely held together, her body fatally scorched.

He sighed, as the pressure behind his eyes faded, too little energy left to maintain the sharingan.

With a metallic twang, one wire snapped.

He opened his eyes in shock.

More wires snapped, as Shiore took a step forward. "Very good, Sasuke. Very good," she said. But her voice was different. It was smooth, intense, slightly fascinating and yet also intimidating. "I was so afraid I had overestimated you. But you and your team have performed better than I had expected." As she walked forward, her skin and clothes flaked away. Alabaster skin was exposed to the light. Long, smooth, black hair hung from the head. Two eyes, yellow with irises like those of a snake, observed the Uchiha.

"I'm so happy to have found such fascinating specimens. You all have much potential."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You... You were... The Sharks..."

"And you remember me. I am honoured, Sasuke Uchiha." The man bowed theatrically. "But how rude of me. I know so much about you. And you know so little about me." He smiled, though it was less mirth and more the grin of a predator cornering its prey. "My name is Orochimaru. And I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He walked forward. "You have suffered so much. And that suffering threatened to swallow you up. Yet you pushed through and let your rage, your hate empower you. Quite the scene."

"You... Stay back..." Sasuke warned, raising his blade. As Orochimaru took another step closer, he swung.

Only for the pale man to catch his wrist, halting the attack.

"Ah, but I must cure you of some delusions first," he said, lifting the struggling teen with his hand. "Truth is, me and my companions have been holding back. I wanted to see your abilities bloom and just killing you would have prevented that. You did well. But know this Sasuke." He pulled him closer. "You can't beat me," he whispered with a smile. "And thus, you can't beat him."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Yes, I know. But don't feel discouraged. You have so much potential yet to be tapped. Let me... Add a personal touch to it." He opened his mouth, two long fangs unfolding, before he bit down on the Uchiha scion's neck.

Sasuke screamed, feeling something pour into the wound, something freezing cold, yet it burnt like fire. He convulsed and shook, before his tired, overwhelmed mind collapsed into unconsciousness.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, landing on the branch. "You get away from him, you son of a bitch or I'll..."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm quite done," Orochimaru said, dropping the unconscious teen. "But do refrain from attacking. I would have to hurt you and you will need your strength for the upcoming trials. I look forward to seeing your potential tested." He smiled. "But now you have no scroll, so the test shall be all the harder for you. What will you do I wonder?" He clapped his hands, as Kazumi and Yumie rose at his sides. "We're done here. Let us move on."

He jumped, landing on Kazumi's white-scaled head, as the three left through the treetops.

Sakura paused, then stumbled forward. She clutched her head, eyes twitching. "Really? You wanna... Tag in now?" She closed her eyes. "Fine."

The pink-haired ninja collapsed on her knees. She blinked, her body sore, her mind jumbled. Naruto was slung over her shoulder. Sasuke was lying unmoving in front of her.

She blinked, tears forming in her eyes.

She had no idea what to do.

...

Anko opened her mouth and closed it around the skewer, sucking the three dango off it. She enjoyed the feeling of the dumplings resting in her mouth, before she swallowed, pleased by the sensation of them sliding down her throat. She had been sitting on the roof of the guardpost for quite a while, enjoying the quiet occasionally punctuated by loud noises from the forests. The sun was slowly setting, painting the sky orange.

The crinkling of grass caught her attention and she turned her gaze to another ninja approaching her. "What's up?" she asked.

"As per standard procedure, we have informed the other nations of the arrival of their teams," he replied. "And there is a discrepancy."

"How so?"

"Well, Kusagakure claims that one team is not from their village despite the team's papers claiming it to be so." He looked at his papers. "Shiore Sanjou, Katanao Kawguchi and Yoso Kaneko."

Anko rubbed her cheek. "Nope, I distinctly remember them having Kusagakure's crest on them. So it's not us who've screwed up the paperwork." She crossed her arms. "So, we've got a team of fraudsters in my test. Wonder why."

"It does seem rather odd," the messenger agreed. "There was speculation back at the office that maybe they wanted to spy on the new chunin candidates."

"To get info on the other villages. Possibly." Anko jumped down on the grass. She frowned, thinking back. "Possible indeed." Her mouth became a thin line. "Skilled teacher. Teacher." She echoed the word, then whipped around towards the forest. "Wait just a minute."

"Something wrong?" the ninja messenger asked.

"A lot of shit's been going on. Leading up to the chunin exam. We even have it confirmed by Team... Kakashi..." She paused, then scowled. "Sasuke Uchiha. Of course. It's him. Maybe the others too."

"What?" the ninja asked.

Anko spun around. "Contact ANBU immediately. Tell them Orochimaru has infiltrated the chunin exam and I've gone in after him."

"Oro-Orochimaru," the ninja replied, slightly stunned. "Are you... Sure?"

"Yeah. Would be just like him to worm in under out noses like this. Every single one of the genin here could be targeted by him," the one-armed ninja said. She began running towards the forest, telling the ninja to: "Get moving."

"Right. On it," the messenger said as he set off.

...

Sakura exhaled as she sat down on the hard dirt, finally allowing herself to rest. She had carried her teammates down the tree and through the forest, finally finding a hollow under a tree where she dared set up camp. She had investigated her teammates' wounds and injuries, but whatever had happened to them was outside her expertise. She had almost expected puncture wounds in Naruto's stomach, but there was no sign of whatever Orochimaru had done. The same wasn't true for Sasuke though. Where he had been bitten, three black spots had formed, like three commas arranged in a swirl. She could have mistaken it for a tattoo hadn't she known how it had gotten there. But she had no clue what it meant. She was aware that jutsus could be stored in the form of designs to have specific effects, but she had no experience in how to go about deciphering whatever had been stamped onto Sasuke's skin. All she could see was that both her teammates twitched and groaned in their restless sleep, obviously pained by their conditions.

She buried her face in her hands. The chunin exam had already turned worse than she could have ever imagined.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, followed by pangs of pain. She reached into her backpack and withdrew a case full of rolled up balls, a mix of rice, fruit and other things rolled up into a calorie packed and easy to eat ball. A classic for ninjas one the move. It meant she could stay in the cave and not have to forage or cook, activities that could draw more attention. She popped a couple into mouth and chewed them joylessly.

Swallowing, she could feel her stomach cease protesting. Leaning against the earthen wall, she had time to think. Time to process what had happened.

Shiore, that is, Orochimaru, had paralysed them with fear. And she had been certain that they had been about to die. It had been so bad, she had fainted. And she had felt a presence.

Next thing she remembered, she was leaping around trees pursued by a large snake. Yet, it didn't feel like it was her doing those thing. It was like looking out the eyes of another person, every impact received and strike made reaching her as a dull echo.

She rubbed her chest. A large bruise had formed from where the tail had impacted against her.

It had all been so surreal. When Naruto was injured, it was like things became clearer. And when Sasuke was bitten, she somehow broke through, got back in control.

But what did it mean?

She sighed and stared out into the darkness, night-time having engulfed the forest. She was wondering if she should just drop the exam and get her friends out. But she didn't dare do so now. She'd be too vulnerable in the dark. Maybe she'd just stay put in this cave for the next couple of days, waiting for the timer to run out.

She yawned, her eyelids growing heavy. She wanted to stay awake, wanted to keep an eye on things. But she was too tired, too exhausted. She tipped over and fell into a deep slumber.

...

The moonlight cut through a hole in the trees, illuminating the alabaster face of Orochimaru, as he stood contemplatively on a massive branch of one of the forest's many trees.

Kazumi rose up at his side. "What now?"

"We wait. The pieces are in motion. No need to nudge them any further." He folded his arms. "Dosu will handle the next step of my little experiment."

Yumie slithered along a branch next to them. "I cannot imagine they well be pleased that we're running these experiments so close to the mission. It will only engender more suspicion."

The pale-skinned man shrugged. "This is a unique opportunity. I could not let it slip away." He smirked. "Money must come secondary to progress, after all."

The female snake shook her head and chuckled.

"What is it?" Kazumi inquired.

"I imagined how Kakuzu would react if he had heard Master Orochimaru say that," she replied.

The other snake sighed. "Yep, he would be highly infuriated."

"He puts too much stock in money," Orochimaru noted. "But the power of money is too unreliable to have true value. Real power cannot be..." He paused for a split second, then jumped, as several kunai slammed into the branch. He withdrew a sphere from his robes, then threw it with precision in the direction the attack came from.

There was a flash and a loud bang, leaves and branches scattering, as a figure vaulted through the air, evading the explosive.

Yumie and Kazumi rose up baring their fangs, as the figure landed.

"Well, spry as ever, Sensei," Anko noted with a grin, as she stood up. "And here I thought I could get you while you were jabbering."

"Anko," Orochimaru replied, leaning his head against his hand. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to figure me out."

"Pretty brazen, wading into Konohagakure," the one-armed ninja replied. "But once we figured out your papers were fake, well, rest was easy." She scratched her head. "So, what brings you back?"

"Curious as ever, aren't we?" the pale-skinned man replied with a smirk. "Suffice to say, I have grand designs in motion, but did you really think I would just tell and spoil the surprise?"

"You always have something big in play," she shot back. "It's just, you know, once I'm done with you, you'll be too dead to tell Ibiki anything. Figured I might as well try and ask."

Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle. "Confident as ever. Well, I would certainly be delighted to see how much you've grown, my dear student."

"You're about to get a real close-up show," Anko remarked. She shifted her stance, her empty sleeve suddenly expanding as something moved through it. An eyeless snake with brown scales slithered out, its body as thick as an arm. Anko stretched the serpentine limb, feeling the bones within crackle, sore from having been wrapped around her stomach all day. "You better be ready, Sensei, 'cause I'm gonna give it everything I got."

"Oh, I would be disappointed if you didn't," Orochimaru replied and snapped his fingers.

Yumie and Kazumi surged forward with great speed.

The female snake came in first from the left, mouth open.

Anko jumped up, as the attack passed under her. But she quickly realized it was a ploy, as Kazumi snapped forward, intent on devouring her while she was hanging in the air.

Her snake-limb shot out, biting into an overhanging branch, pulling her away as the white-scaled predator's jaws closed around nothing.

She landed on the bark-covered surface, catching movement out of the corner of her eyes. She raised her arm, deflecting a blow from Orochimaru.

He smiled and struck again. She parried the blow, letting her snake-limb snap forward towards his face, which he dodged by snapping his neck back at an angle that would kill most people.

Just then, Yumie slithered up behind her, winding around the branch.

Anko jumped, back flipping onto the striking serpent.

Orochimaru followed her, attacking her with a rapid series of strikes and kicks. She in turn used her one arm to deflect and counter, before striking with her snake limb.

The pale-skinned man bent backward to dodge, but Anko quickly surged forward, kunai drawn, striking down.

He weaved to the side, but couldn't quite escape the snake-armed woman's calculated strike, the blade cutting into his side, staining his alabaster skin red. As he finished his move, he spun, striking the overextended Anko's back with his foot, kicking her off Yumie's body.

As she fell through the air, she saw Kazumi rise up in front of her. She swung her arm, launching the kunai she had just used. The snake jerked to the side to avoid having the projectile lodged in his throat.

Anko launched her serpentine limb out, letting it bite into the white-scaled predator's chin, using it to swing around. She landed on his back and began sliding down.

Yumie came in from the side, ready to ram her.

Anko jumped and landed on her, but as she did, Kazumi shifted around, trying to loop himself around her. The snake-armed woman kept jumping from coil to coil, as the two snakes spun around each other, trying to ensnare their prey between them.

Suddenly, their coils parted, letting Orochimaru jump through as Anko was mid-air. His fist collided with her chest, knocking her backwards.

Immediately, Yumie snapped forward, trying to bite down on her.

Anko managed to grab the fang, just before its venomous point would have slid into her chest. She curled up, pushing her feet against the roof of the snake's mouth to prevent her from closing it. Her muscles tensed and burned as Yumie tried to chomp her.

The snake-armed woman gritted her teeth and swung her serpentine arm, its jaws closing around the very base of the fang. Then was a crunch.

The white-scaled snake opened her mouth in a pained yelp as her fang was snapped off.

Anko rolled forward, tumbling out if the serpent's mouth, holding the broken tooth in her hand. She kicked out, using the white scales of her opponent to launch herself away.

She landed on one of Kazumi's coils and looked up, finding Orochimaru advancing on her. She pulled back and stabbed forward with the tooth, using it as a spear.

Her old teacher had no choice but to duck and weave to avoid her aggressive offence.

Meanwhile, Kazumi doubled back and tried to attack her from behind.

Finding herself with a battle on two front, Anko vaulted over Orochimaru, before slamming the tooth point-first into the snake's flesh.

The male serpent's attack was halted as he jerked back with a pained wince.

Anko tried to quickly get back up, but the pale-skinned man had already taken advantage of her attack. His knee slammed into her stomach, bending her over, before striking her head.

Anko stumbled, stars dancing before her eyes, only for Kazumi's tail to blind-side her, striking her and slamming her into a nearby tree. She slid down onto a thick branch with a prolonged groan.

Orochimaru paused, before grasping the tooth and pulling it out, earning a hiss from Kazumi.

"You okay?" Yumie inquired.

"Yes. Just stung is all. You?" the other white-scaled serpent replied.

"It's gonna hurt for days, I can already tell."

Anko groaned, as she got back up. "Man, I'm getting put through the wringer today," she said, pushing her back as she stretched. "And here I thought my students were gonna be having all the fun." She grabbed her coat and pulled it off, letting the wind carry it away, leaving her wearing nothing but a bra on her upper body. "Said I was gonna give it my all. 'Bout time I get to that." She focused for a moment, then felt a familiar burning sensation in her neck. The three tattoo-like dots placed there quivered, then expanded, growing into a lattice of diamond shapes across her body. She exhaled, as her bones began shifting and rearranging. Her pupils lengthened into narrow slits. Her skin began cracking apart, hardening into scales, brown in colour with long black stripes running down her body. Her back quivered as the flesh rearranged, six serpentine extensions like the one replacing her left arm shooting out, as a massive bulge of meat spilled out of her pants, lengthening into a long tail. She stood up and stretched her newly grown appendages.

"I see you can still use your seal efficiently," Orochimaru noted with a hint of admiration. "Such a smooth transition. You barely left an opening there."

"True. It was risky. But I also knew you'd be too curious to stop me." She smiled. "I know your type, Sensei. You like to watch."

"True. But I'm also excited to be getting a hands on experience," he replied, as Kazumi and Yumie surged forward.

Anko charged ahead to meet them. Two of her new snake tentacled grasped onto Kazumi's snout, allowing her to vault over him. Yumie was prepared for this and had delayed her own attack, planning to ram into Anko while she was dodging.

The serpentine woman's snake tentacles launched out, biting into the side of the advancing snake, their muscles tensing as they swung Anko around the attack. She landed on the scaled back of the snake and advanced on her actual target, Orochimaru.

The pale-skinned man got into a combat stance as she attacked. He began stepping from side to side, first to avoid a punch, then a series of snapping strikes from her now numerous snake limbs. He ducked under one blow and slammed his knee into her stomach. She gritted her teeth, but her scales absorbed most of the blow's force. Anko swung her leg for a low kick, which he jumped over. But then came her actual attack, her tail striking at his legs, knocking him off balance and causing a stumbling landing.

Her fist connected with his face with fearsome strength, launching him off Yumie's back, onto a nearby branch.

Anko followed, as he bounced across the bark. As she saw him pushing himself back up, she struck out with her numerous serpent tentacles, aiming to pin him down.

Orochimaru rose up in a sudden burst of speed, his limbs moving with a smooth flourish.

Anko jerked back with a hiss, as blood spattered the green moss. One of her tentacles has been cut off.

The pale-skinned man lifted his weapon, a shin gunto, its blade stained with his pupil's blood. A large bruise marred his face, his cheek swelling slightly, yet it did not seem to curb his enthusiasm.

Anko advanced again and launched a series of rapid strikes, though more careful as her old teacher responded with a series of smooth slashes of his own, each very much capable of taking off a limb.

She ducked under a blow, striking out with her leg, but Orochimaru countered by leaping backwards, ascending to a higher branch.

Kazumi and Yumie both charged in, slamming into the branch, pulverising it on impact.

Anko leapt off the shattering wood, her feet making contact with the central trunk, her chakra attaching her to it. She began running up its length, as her serpentine limbs ripped kunai from her belt and began rapidly hurling them at Orochimaru.

The pale-skinned man began leaping upwards, jumping from branch to branch to evade the storm of projectiles, as the two white-scaled snakes slithered up the tree, smashing through branches and twigs.

Anko jumped, her snake arm grasping one of the thick branches of the tree's crown, pulling her up.

At the same time, Orochimaru jumped one last time, landing in front of her.

They both paused for a second, framed by the moonlight, before they charged each other.

Anko ducked under a swing of the blade, her snake-arm launching forward like a battering ram, smashing into Orochimaru's stomach.

The pale-skinned man doubled over and Anko jumped forward, her last kunai ready.

But her opponent suddenly unfolded with great speed, using the momentum to power an upward strike. The blade slashed across Anko's torso, sending her stumbling back momentarily stunned by pain.

Orochimaru gave her no time to recover, swinging the sword back and slamming the pommel into her head, leaving her dazed. He then pulled back and stabbed forward.

Anko gasped as the blade went through her body. She winced and grabbed it, trying to pull it out.

Kazumi and Yumie slammed up through the tree's crown, shattering it.

The serpentine woman felt herself fall backwards, sliding off the weapon and descending at great speed towards the darkened forest floor.

Orochimaru paused, looking down over the shattered edge into the shadows below.

"She's still alive, isn't she?" Yumie asked.

"Oh, I do believe that she is," he remarked. "She has a strong will to endure. But for now, we have other matters to attend to. In a few hours, Dosu should have a report ready for me to peruse and I'd hate to delay that any longer than necessary."

Down below, Anko lay on the mossy ground, staring up, as her features slowly returned to normal. "Well... That could have gone better," she hoarsely said as she rolled over, clutching her bleeding stomach. "Better go... Report this..." She grabbed an exposed root, pulling herself up on her feet. She took a deep breath and began slowly walking towards the nearest gate, trailing a line of blood behind her as she went.