Chapter 49

"...You're kidding, right?"

The first voice that would soon spark many more was filled with dubious amusement, as if he was expecting someone to jump out and yell 'psych' before the real proctor appeared.

"This is some kinda joke, right?"

"He's younger than us!"

"Where's the real proctor!"

More voices chimed in, and before long, the entire crowd was a sea of noise and protests. Strangely enough, not even one Iwagakure Genin seemed to join in on the mockery. Naruto could only assume it was because they already recognized him as a threat once word spread through their village of his lineage. At least they saved him the trouble of quieting more voice.

Now, how should he go about doing it...

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

...Huh, he didn't say that.

His eyes found a head of pink, her hair and fit sticking out amongst the mass of Genin; almost painfully so.

"THE NEXT IDIOT WHO OPENS THEIR MOUTH IS GETTING THEIR SKULL CRACKED, SHANYAROU!"

...He honestly couldn't say he expected that from her. His student truly had changed.

And it seemed her threat actually worked.

For all of two seconds.

"The hell you think yer talkin' to, brat?!"

"What's the matter, kid? Can't fight your own battles?"

"Been wanting to crack your skull since the first phase, pink bitch."

The crowd was alive again, each voice more venomous than the last and now split between him and Sakura, the latter looking about ready to make good on her promise.

"Just what I expected from a bunch of teenagers. Doesn't help that they're all from vastly different regions with clashing egos." Sothis interjected from the blonde's head, ending her statement with a sigh. "Well? Aren't you going to do something? Let them look down on you even once, and your authority will always be challenged."

"I know that." Naruto's response was quick, already understanding what he had to do and just how he would do it.

Raising a hand to the sky, palm open and fingers extended, his mana flared. Blue lightning sparked in his hand, followed by the air shifting and rippling before a beam of light shot into the air. A loud thunderclap popped the ears of almost everyone in the vicinity, causing most to duck or even drop into their combat-ready stances.

The beam didn't last long, dissipating within a fraction of a second and leaving a gaping hole in the cloud it had penetrated. The area was silent for a long moment, everyone's attention now on the blonde currently lowering his hand, sparks of electricity still sparking from his arm. Their expressions were a mixture of shock and awe.

"Now that I have your attention," Naruto spoke in the silence, his voice raised but calm, "let me start things off by saying: yes, I'm younger than most of you. No, I'm not here for your approval, nor your respect. Unlike you lot, I've already lived through and passed the exams. Furthermore, I am Jonin. A rank 80% of you are likely to never see in your entire career as Shinobi. The only time you can talk to me as equals is when you prove me wrong."

His statement caused quite the stir amongst the audience, though it didn't seem to be enough for the more brazen or prideful, like a certain Kumo-nin who looked to be nearing his 20's. Good, because he would be made as an example.

"Doesn't take away the fact that you're just a kid." The no-named Shinobi spoke. "Think you can talk down on us just because Konoha gave you a bit more power than you deserve? Just shows how desperate the Leaf ha-"

His tongue stopped mid-syllable. There was something poking dangerously close to his carotid artery, his spine, and his heart. Once this was processed, the rest of his body became stock still as if frozen. The kid he had been mocking was no longer standing in front of the group. Instead, he was now behind him, next to him, and somehow also in front of him. He couldn't see the other two even from his peripheral, but he could feel the sharp blade they each held to key points in his body—spots that if they didn't kill him, it would definitely cripple.

"You're dead."

The flat, matter-of-fact way the boy spoke was more chilling than his words. The look in his eye, the complete and utter lack of empathy. It wasn't the voice of someone trying to intimidate—it was the voice of someone who was simply stating a fact, that he could kill you with little to no effort. The fact that he hadn't even blinked and the kid suddenly had him at his mercy was certainly humbling.

"Arrogance is one of many reasons most Genin do not make it through these exams. To be Chunin, one must evaluate their situation with a more level head than that of Gemini. That includes seeing anyone and everyone as if they can kill you in the blink of an eye."

Naruto's eyes drifted across the mass of Genin. The faces of each Shinobi had become serious, some even looking concerned for their well-being. That was good. He needed them to take this seriously; else most of them wouldn't make it out of the forest alive.

"In case you all need a reminder, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I am the proctor for the second portion of the exams. That means I ultimately decide whether or not you pass the next phase. And as of this moment, the next person who speaks without being addressed will fail. Are we clear?"

Silence.

Good.

Vanishing his sword and clones, he deliberately chose to walk through the crowd and back to his original post in the front.

"Well done. Truly an admirable performance." The praise from the Goddess was most definitely welcomed.

"Now that we got that out of the way, I'm now going to explain the next phase of the exam. This phase is meant to challenge your situational awareness, analytical processing, survival skills, and critical thinking to ensure that your team makes it through the forest alive. Your objective," a blur of leaves and two new Naruto's were standing next to him holding scrolls, "is to make it to the tower at the center of the forest with these two scrolls."

The first Naruto held up a brown scroll.

"Earth Scroll"

The second Naruto held up a white.

"Heaven Scroll."

"Inside these scrolls are important documents. These documents are what we'll be trading for your chance at the final round. Each team will receive one scroll, meaning you must acquire its opposite from another team by any means necessary. There are only three rules you must keep in mind. One, under no circumstances are you to open your scroll. Doing so will result in immediate failure. Two, you must have both scrolls in hand before arriving at the tower. And three, you have 5 days to make it to the tower. Anyone who is not in the tower on the morning of the sixth day will be disqualified and will safely be extracted by ANBU."

Once again, silence reigned. At least they weren't as stupid as Sothis made them out to be.

"Now that you know the rules, there is just one last thing that you must be aware of."

At once, the two clones held up a cross hand sign, and immediately, a row of blonde clones appeared before the gathered Genin, shocking most of them with the sheer number.

"Myself and exactly 100 clones shall act as passive obstacles in your route to the tower." As expected, murmurs arose, a mix of doubt and worry. "I know what you are thinking, so allow me to address it. No, we will not be actively seeking out teams. If we did that, none of you would make it to the tower. Instead, we will all be designated to key points throughout the forest. These locations will be known as danger zones. Anyone who enters these locations will have 3 minutes to leave. When the three minutes are up, you will hear a bell."

To demonstrate, he pulled a bell from his pocket and lightly shook it. Despite its size, its jingle spread throughout the clearing, reaching everyone's ear no matter how far they were from the front.

"Once you hear this bell, your time is up, and whatever clone is in that area will freely hunt you down and take your scroll. Any questions?"

"How the fuck is that fair?!" Someone, another Kumo-nin with long, flowing red hair, shouted from the back. "That's like, what, a hundred Jonin in the forest?! We might as well hand over our scrolls!"

"The exams have never been fair." Naruto responded flatly. "Every Shinobi who participates in the exams at their village has a home field advantage. Do you think that is fair? What about those who are clearly older or have taken the exams before? Is that fair to the newbies?"

Her mouth opened and closed before she crossed her arms and looked away, likely realizing he had a point.

"You may also hand over your scrolls willingly. Doing so will not disqualify you from continuing. However, whatever scroll is taken from you, it will not return, meaning there will be even fewer scrolls to retrieve. If you feel as if your team cannot go on, you may also use these locations to be extracted safely. Trust me, you will know when you've entered one of these zones."

Searching the crowd for any more protests, he found none. He opened his mouth to continue but stopped upon seeing a raised hand. Looking in its direction, he waited for them to speak.

A bandaged foot stepped from behind the man obstructing his view. The first thing that was obvious was the Iwagakure colors of red and brown, followed closely by the bandages that seemed to adorn his arms and legs.

Then there was his face. A smirk, one with a glint in his eyes that seemed to be a mixture of amusement and malice. It was a smirk Naruto had seen before—one that he knew intimately due to their previous encounter a year prior.

"Out of curiosity, what do we get if we, I don't know, manage to kill one of these so-called Jonin?" Tamahagane Katsuo asked, his tone casual yet dripping with confidence. How he was even standing in the condition he was left in was a question Naruto wished he had an answer for. He shouldn't be walking, much less still be an active Shinobi, so how... "What's wrong? Not gonna answer, Jonin?"

Naruto did not rise to the obvious disrespect to his name. He could worry about the how's and why's later. Right now, he still had a role to play.

Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a gold scroll similar to the Earth and Heaven scroll, only this one had the character for 'God' on its front. "If you are brave, or dumb enough to fight me, then you are free to do as you please. Each clone carries either an Earth or Heaven scroll, so that will be your reward." He raised the golden scroll up higher for the crowd. "This scroll guarantees you access into the tower, no matter how many scrolls you may have. The only way to get this scroll is by defeating the real me."

He could see the grins growing, not only on Katsuo but nearly every Shinobi in the vicinity. Seems their spirits were renewed.

Putting away the gold scroll, he pulled out something else, this time a piece of paper.

"Before you enter, all of you must first sign this waiver. By signing this, you accept the risks associated with the next phase and acknowledge that the Leaf cannot be held responsible for your death or any injuries sustained. This includes keeping me strictly to the rules set unless under extenuating circumstances."

Naruto knew the dangers that would come from this. He knew that he was putting his life on the line, as well as the lives of every single individual that still believes he was an easy target. Regardless of his plans and willingness to defend himself, he was not here to kill Genin, nor did he have any interest in entertaining their curiosity.

Taking a page from his former sensei's book, he frowned at the gathered Genin. Though he did not yet understand how to exude killing intent, his words would certainly be enough.

"A warning to anyone of you stupid enough to challenge me. I have fought Shinobi far stronger than any of you and lived. If you seek my life, then prepare to lose yours."

...

"HRAH!"

Naruto caught the flying fist before it could make contact with his face. Thankfully, the strike wasn't infused with Bijuu chakra, sparing him from having to put in more effort.

"Are you trying to get yourself disqualified?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious to know the thought process behind his friend's actions.

"Where the hell have you been?! Haven't heard from you in nearly a month, and now you decide to show your face? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass."

There was the Fū he knew and loved.

"Getting disqualified and blacklisted from Konoha is a very good reason not to hit me."

It was amusing watching Fū's expression suddenly turn sour before she yanked her fist away.

"You're an ass." She said, her pout audible in her voice.

"So I've been told." Was his reply. Looking away, his eyes landing the two guys just behind her. "Are they your teammates?"

"They're cannon fodder." Fū flatly dismissed.

"Stop calling us that!" Both unnamed boys exclaimed, their indignation shared between them.

"Shut up and start signing. The sooner we get to that tower, the sooner I can get rid of you two." Ignoring the way the two boys fumed, Fū turned her angry glare back on the blonde. "As for you, you better pray I don't see the real you in there, 'cause I'm not going to the tower till I pummel every last one of your stupid faces."

Not giving him a chance to reply, she walked off towards her gate, her teammate's following soon after, though not without a few dirty looks aimed at her back.

"Always such a pleasure." Sothis sign, sounding, dare he say it, amused.

Moving on to check more gates, he eventually found a familiar mop of pink, her team's eyes already trained on him.

"Sensei." Sakura greeted him first, a small smile on her lips. "You could've given us a heads-up, Sensei. I had to stop myself from throttling those idiots earlier."

"Honestly, I'm just happy you didn't get yourself disqualified when you've come so far. Would be a shame if I had to wait another 6 months to watch you three get promoted." Naruto retorted.

"We're happy you care so much about us, Sensei." Hinata spoke, for once sounding genuine. "Aren't you going to say something, Sasuke-kun?" She turned to the Uchiha, her smile still present.

"...Where exactly will you be?" Naruto wished he could say he didn't expect the question; he really did. Unfortunately, he knew Sasuke.

"If I told you that, it wouldn't be fun. Plus, it would be cheating."

Instead of being put off by his reply, Sasuke smirked. "Then that just means we'll have to take out all of you until we find the real one."

Once again, Naruto wished he didn't know Sasuke as well as he knew Sasuke. Thankfully, his teammates weren't so ready to risk their careers for their teammate's ego.

"We'll be sure to fight you only when it's absolutely necessary. Right, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata spoke, her voice sickeningly sweet and leaving no room to misinterpret her intentions if the ravenette were to disagree.

"...Whatever." With that, the Uchiha turned away and headed off, his teammates quickly following after him, but not before giving their farewells.

Seeing as the other Jonin had the rest handled, he proceeds to walk to his own station. He was halfway there when a male voice called him, causing him to turn around. Approaching him was a tall, bespectacled young man wearing the Leaf's insignia strapped to his head. His smile was sheepish, as if not sure if he should even be addressing him.

"Sorry, Uzumaki-san, but if it's not too much trouble, can our team get a replacement scroll? Ours seems to have taken a bit of damage." The Genin raised the scroll in his hands, a large tear on the side, which would certainly be a problem when summoning their designated Chunin later if the ink inside had also been damaged.

"How did this happen?" Naruto questioned, taking the scroll and looking it over.

"Sorry, I take full responsibility here. I was putting it in my pouch for safekeeping, but forgot it was stashed with a shuriken I packed before the exams. Tore right through it." The kid admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Naruto wasn't sure what was more impressive—the fact that the Genin was honest about his mistake or the sheer recklessness it took to store sharp weapons alongside something so critical. He shook his head, knowing there was no use in chastising him now.

"You're lucky this happened before the exam officially started," Naruto said, inspecting the scroll closely. "I'll get you a replacement, but this is your only freebie. If you screw up again, you're out of luck."

The bespectacled boy bowed deeply. "Thank you, Uzumaki-san! I promise it won't happen again. Trust me, the last thing I want is to retake these exams an 8th time."

"Eighth?!" Sothis practically squealed—not that the blonde didn't share her shock.

"Eight times? You're either the most determined Genin I've ever met... or the unluckiest."

The boy gave a sheepish laugh. "A bit of both, probably. My teammates keep changing, and, well... let's just say things never go according to plan. I'm pretty smart, but that's about the only thing I have going for me. Not exactly prime Chunin material, but I'm definitely determined."

Naruto couldn't help but crack a small grin. "Well, at least you have the guts to keep going. That counts for something."

"Oh, thanks, Uzumaki-san. It means a lot coming from someone like you," the Genin replied earnestly.

Going back to the scroll, Naruto gave it a once-over one last time. He could definitely get a new scroll. It wouldn't take long, just finding the right Chunin to go back and retrieve a spare.

Or he could take the faster route.

With a quick application of his chakra, a dome invisible to all eyes but his encircled the scroll momentarily. Before Naruto and the Genin's eyes, the scroll began repairing itself until not even a tear remained.

"There, good as new." With a smile, Naruto handed the scroll back, the Genin taking it and inspecting the now intact scroll with disbelief.

"How did you...?"

"Trade secret." The blonde deflected, making the Genin look to him with stars in his eyes.

"With an ability like that, no wonder you became Jonin so quickly." The Genin praised. "I'll be extra careful to avoid you in the forest. Though I'm sure you'll go easy on me."

"If I did, it wouldn't be much of a learning experience, would it?"

"I suppose not."

With a chuckle, the young man bowed.

"Thank you again, Uzumaki-san. I'll be sure to protect this scroll with my life."

"I'm sure you will. Now get back to your team. The exams will be starting soon."

"Right. Thank you again, Uzumaki-san. I hope to see you at the tower!" With a final bow, the Genin dashed off, leaving the Jonin to himself.

"I fear for that young man's safety." Sothis commented.

"Just goes to show the path of a Shinobi isn't easy…or for everyone." Naruto reassured. "Still, his determination is admirable. I just hope he lives long enough for me to change the world."

"Indeed."

With that, he turned and moved to his proper station. Three Chunin met him at the gate, one immediately walking up to him with a radio in hand.

"All teams are ready, sir. We can begin the countdown on your go." The woman reported.

Nodding, Naruto took the radio in hand, holding the mic to his lips as he spoke, "The countdown for the second phase of this year's Chunin Exams is now underway." His voice echoed around the forest, carrying to every Jonin and Genin stationed within. "Good luck."

Handing the radio back to the Chunin, Naruto brought up his hands into a sign. With a burst of smoke, 100 clones now stood in the clearing.

Not wasting any time, they all charged into the forest, each making it to their respective positions within seconds. The original disappeared soon after in the blink of an eye, reappearing in the spot where he would await his first victim.

Outside the forest, a loud alarm sounded, opening the gates to the forest and allowing over 150 Genin inside.

The second phase of the Chunin Exams had officially begun.

Karin followed behind her teammate's with a bit more apprehension than normal.

Honestly, she didn't understand why. Ambushes bothered her just like any other potential violent scenario, but the fact she could feel every living being in a mile radius definitely diminished the fear. She always knew where the danger was and what direction to go to avoid it.

So, then, why did she have a bad feeling? The forest had this dark, eerie atmosphere that made her stomach churn, like they were all being watched constantly, yet there was no one there. She tried convincing herself that it was just her nerves acting up, but for the last few minutes, her gut was telling her otherwise.

"Oi, stop falling behind!" The voice of her teammate made her jump in fright. They were both a ways ahead, making her realize just how lost she was in her apprehension.

Karin shook her head and forced herself to walk faster, catching up with her teammates.

"S-sorry, just a little distracted is all." She explained.

"Well, don't be," her other teammate said, the older of the two, and the leader."

"Tch, we're never going to get another scroll carrying around this dead weight." The words were like daggers, and Karin didn't bother hiding the wince from them.

"Enough, Kouta." Their leader interjected. "She's an important asset to the team. As long as she's doing her part, she's useful. Don't forget that."

Kouta's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue, turning his attention forward as they continued deeper into the forest.

Karin adjusted her glasses, thankful for her leader's intervention, but her nerves remained on edge. Her senses were acting both as a blessing and a curse. While she could pinpoint every heartbeat within range, the sheer volume of life teeming in the forest was overwhelming. The constant buzz of insects, the rustle of leaves, and the occasional growls of predators made it impossible to focus on any one thing for too long. It didn't help that she had the constant feeling that someone was watching them but couldn't pin them out.

As they pressed forward, the team moved into an open clearing, upon which they were met with a river. It was a stark contrast to the dark, eerie forest they had been trekking through for the better part of 3 hours.

Showing no caution, Kouta ran forward towards the running stream of water.

It was a mistake, one Karin immediately tried warning her teammate of as her senses screamed.

"Wait—" she started, but it was already too late.

Someone appeared out of thin air right in front of Kouta, their fist reeled before it was buried into her teammate's gut. His feet left the ground as he was bent over the stranger's arm. Before his body could fall, a brutal knee was delivered to his jaw, causing him to spin. A hard spinning kick to his side sent the boy tumbling across the floor, where he lay in a heap, motionless.

"What the hell!" Her leader shouted, a kunai now in hand and his body tensed for combat.

Karin could only stand there, her eyes wide as her senses finally caught up to the scene and the culprit who had caused it. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she registered the chakra signature, her blood running cold.

"Wow," the Jonin spoke, standing tall with that same placid stare that seemed to look through your very soul. "You guys are really unlucky."

Uzumaki Naruto, the proctor of the second phase, and the one they'd been explicitly warned to avoid. His posture was relaxed, as if he wasn't remotely concerned about the two remaining Genin before him. Yet, that nonchalance carried an undeniable weight, the kind that made Karin's instincts scream to flee.

"You're..." Karin stammered, her heart racing while her fear-rattled body took a step back. "Th-the real one..."

"If you know that," the Jonin smirked as a sword appeared in his right hand, "then you know how this ends."

They were screwed.

"FANG OVER FANG!" The swirling vortex crashed into the wall of sand for the 10th time, and just like all the other times, the wall stood firm. Similar to his past attempts, Kiba was forced to retreat as his jutsu came to an end and the sand reached out to grab him. Seeing what it did to Shino, he wanted no part in joining the fate of his teammate.

"Goddamn it!" He cursed, jumping out of range and taking his position behind a tree.

He leaned heavily against the tree, his breath ragged as he clutched at his side. His body ached from the repeated failed attempts to breach the sand's defenses, but the pain wasn't what gnawed at him—it was the humiliation.

He'd underestimated them, letting his pride get the better of his judgment. It only took one of them to take them out. The only solace he had in this situation was that Akamaru had safely gotten Yakumo and Shino away, and that the other two Suna-nin didn't bother following. Now, it was glaringly obvious that the red-haired one didn't just outclass them—he was on a completely different level.

Kiba glanced around, his ears twitching as he listened for signs of pursuit. The forest was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. It felt unnatural, as if even the forest itself was wary of the presence of the Suna monster.

"Damn it..." he muttered under his breath. He hated running, hated the idea of retreating and leaving a fight unfinished. But with Shino and Yakumo's condition, his first priority had to be getting them out alive. Akamaru did his part, now it was time for him to do his.

His resolve set, he leaped from his cover, ready to engage once more.

The last thing he expected was to be met with a wall of sand.

There was no time to dodge. He collided full force into the sand, and while it didn't hurt, his momentum was immediately cut short, the sand immediately wrapping around him to cover his entire body until he was completely cocooned.

Kiba could only watch as the sand began to reel in, bringing him back to the team of Suna-nin and stopping in front of the monster, looking as impassive as he'd been when he defeated the rest of his team. The fact he hadn't even moved an inch from the spot they had first struck was further proof that they never stood a chance.

"Your scroll." Gaara's voice was as cold and devoid of emotion as the expression on his face. Kiba struggled against the sand holding him, but it was no use. The grainy prison tightened slightly, cutting off his movements entirely. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of frustration and fear.

"Don't...got one," Kiba forced out through clenched teeth, his defiance still intact despite being in the face of overwhelming power.

The faintest flicker of irritation crossed the redhead's face as his eyes narrowed. Raising a hand, the sand constricting Kiba began to shift, the pressure increasing. Kiba felt his bones creak under the pressure, yet he still remained defiant. He would die today, but he'd be damned if he sold out his friends. The pressure grew, and grew, and grew, and grew...

And stopped.

The sudden lack of pressure confused Kiba for a moment. Focusing his eyes back on the redhead, he found that he was no longer looking at him but at something in the distance. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open ever so slightly. He looked to have gone a shade lighter while his body shook almost uncontrollably. He looked, dare he say it, afraid.

Gaara swallowed, his eyes shakily returning to Kiba, the fear on his face more obvious now that they were staring eye to eye. As soon as the thought that he'd possibly let him go came, it left just as quickly as sand began to cover his nose and mouth, blocking air from coming and going. The feeling of being suffocating followed swiftly, making the Inuzuka thrash wildly in his prison. A minute later, his body went limp and his world turned black.

Gaara slowly lowered the Konoha-nin to the ground, being far more delicate than he ever had with anyone before. His usual impassive mask fractured, his pale, aquamarine eyes darted toward the horizon, his face that of an anxious child awaiting the approval of the unseen presence in the distance. Only when it slowly retreated back into the forest did he allow himself to breathe again.

"Gaara," Temari's voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy silence like a blade. She stood a few paces behind him, her fan partially unfolded and her stance tense. Her brother's behavior had set her nerves on edge, and Kankuro, standing beside her with his puppet slung over his shoulder, looked equally unnerved. "Everything alright?"

Gaara took a moment to reply, first doing his best to calm his racing heart like he had been taught. Mildly succeeding, he returned to his cold, stoic demeanor, though the cracks in his composure were still faintly visible. He didn't turn to face his siblings immediately, his gaze lingering on the forest where the presence had faded back into the forest.

"We're leaving."

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances. Looking down at Kiba's limp body, Kankuro spoke up. "What about him? He could have—"

"Leave him." Gaara's voice carried an edge of finality that brooked no argument. Wisely, neither of his siblings argued and followed him out of the area with no further questions.

Hidden in the trees far above where the battle had concluded, Team 8, Ino, Chōji, and Shikamaru let out breaths they had been holding, each exceedingly grateful the Suna-nin stopped his attack before they interfered.

Across from them, Team Samui mimicked the Konoha Genin, none of them confident in their chances of taking down the Suna Jinchuuriki even with the odds stacked against him.

Both waiting a couple more minutes for the Suna team to get far enough away before each acted. Team 8 quickly checked their fellow Konoha Genin, while Team Samui opted to find a completely new area to hunt—preferably as far away from the Suna monster as possible.

Kurotsuchi rifled through her defeated opponent's pockets, not finding anything but lint.

She cursed, getting up and turning back to one of her teammate currently walking up the last of the three boys that attacked them. "Any luck over there?"

"None here." Akatsuchi said, sounding disappointed.

Landing between them was their third member, a smile on his face as he presented what they were looking for. A sigh of frustration left both their lips upon realizing the scroll wasn't, in fact, what they were looking for. Meaning they had essentially wasted precious time and energy, again; as short as it may have been.

"What's with the long faces?" Katsuo prodded, the playfulness in his voice making Kurotsuchi want to punch him. "We got to wipe our fists clean with desert rat blood. That's a win in my book."

"We wasted time on fodder. Again." Kurotsuchi retorted, irritation clear in her voice.

"Hey, don't blame me. If you didn't want to fight, you coulda just sat back and let the men handle it. We both know how you get whenever you break a nail, Princess."

Kurotsuchi didn't dignify his taunts with a response, instead standing to begin their hunt once more. "Let's not waste anymore time here." She said, turning to walk away.

"Woah woah, Princess." Trying her best not to glare, she turned to find Katsuo kneeling next to the downed Suna-nin, his hand on their face and digging his fingers into the boy's cheeks. "This one is still alive."

"Does it matter?" Kurotsuchi questioned, already knowing where this was going.

"Come now, Princess, y'know I can't leave competition lying around. What if they're stupid enough to want revenge?"

Kurotsuchi didn't say a word, watching with a neutral expression as her teammate reached into his pouch, withdrawing a single kunai and flipping the blade a few times.

"We are not here to satisfy your desire for blood." She stated, which only seemed to make his grin grow.

"Kinda hypocritical considering what we did to those tree-huggers earlier, don'tcha think?" He reminded her, the memory causing the girl's jaw to tighten.

"Those circumstances were different. These guys are defeated. There's no need to-"

"Kurotsuchi," the way her name was suddenly uttered caused her to hold her tongue, the serious tone from her teammate having an undertone of violence that Kurotsuchi recognized all too well. Katsuo was never one to take orders lightly, especially not from her. His grin remained, but his eyes darkened, signaling that his patience was wearing thin. "I'm not asking for permission," Katsuo continued, his voice low and dangerous as he twirled the kunai one final time before gripping it firmly.

Akatsuchi, who had been silently observing the interaction, shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to get involved, but the tension between his teammates was palpable. Looking to Kurotsuchi, she met his gaze. 'Stand down' was what he could read, and though he was reluctant, he did as told.

Seeing the silent acceptance from her partner, the female turned her attention back to Katsuo, whose gaze was locked onto hers, expectantly.

"Do what you want."

The smirk he wore grew into a full smile. Kurotsuchi turned, ignoring the sounds that followed soon after.

Not long after, they were leaping through trees once more, one of their members significantly more cheerful than the others.

"Why the long faces?" Katsuo asked, his voice cheery and his demeanor far too bright for their liking. "We're still in this, and with no injuries! If we keep this up, we'll be the first to reach the tower!"

Neither of his teammates had a response, making the clan head actually pout.

"Excuse me for trying to lighten the mood. See if I ever offer to carry you when someone kicks your ass."

"You're unhinged." Kurotsuchi finally said. "What you did back there was unnecessary, especially considering our mission."

"Oh come on, Princess, it's not like those desert rats are gonna be hurting over losing a few no-names. If anything, I did them a favor by weeding out the weaklings."

Kurotsuchi turned to once again glare at her teammate. "I am dangerously close to losing my patience with you."

Katsuo's irritating smile didn't falter, not even for a second. "If you think that scares me, then you have a lot to learn abo-"

Kurotsuchi couldn't sense the blur that suddenly crashed into their party, specifically right into Katsuo. One moment he was talking, and the next the blur of white practically made him vanish along with it.

Coming to a stop on a nearby branch, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi quickly surveyed the situation. They found their missing teammate easily enough, the clan head having been embedded into a tree, but fortunately still alive if the snarl on his face was anything to go by.

The one who had attacked wasn't below, but above. Familiar mint green hair with transparent wings flapping behind her, keeping her floating above the trio. They couldn't see her face from behind, but going by how her arms were crossed and the air of confidence surrounding her, they were sure she was smirking.

"Wow, you're more durable than you look." Fū remarked, her voice light but dripping with mockery as she glanced down at the Idea-nin currently struggling to pull himself free from the splintered tree trunk. Looking away from the recovering Iwa-nin, she took in her teammates, unknowingly disrespecting the downed clan head. "Though I guess that doesn't say much about your skills. Naruto definitely would have dodged that."

Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed, her gaze flicking between the girl and Katsuo. The mention of the Yellow Flash's son wasn't lost on her. Be it a deliberate provocation or not, she forced herself to remain calm. "Taki-nin, what scroll do you have?" She asked a perfectly logical question, her voice steady and hiding her irritation.

Fū smirked. "Both." Kurotsuchi matched her grin. "...Is what I would say. Unfortunately for you, neither are on me." The mint-haired girl admitted with a shrug, which immediately soured Kurotsuchi's mood once more. "Actually, we have a lot of scrolls. So many that I had to stash 'em. I'd tell you where they are, but it's not like they'll do you any good since I'm about to kick your ass."

The statement was followed by the girl cracking her knuckles. Any interest Kurotsuchi had in fighting the girl died the moment she confirmed she didn't have a scroll.

Sighing, she dropped her stance. "You don't even have what we need, so there's no point in wasting time on you," she stated, her tone curt, genuinely confusing the Taki girl.

"Like hell there isn't!" Katsuo roared, breaking free from the tree and glaring bloody murder at the mint-haired girl. "This bitch is only leaving when they carry her out in a fuckin' bag! Either of you leave, and I swear on my clan's name you will be next!"

Kurotsuchi's eyes flicked to Katsuo, her irritation mounting as his fury bubbled over. She knew his temper would be a liability, but this was becoming absurd, even if, for once, his anger was justified. "You're letting your pride overtake reasoning. Again," she snapped, her voice sharp and commanding.

Katsuo's glare shifted to her. "Don't start with me. I'm not gonna sit here and let some bug-brained bitch make a fool out of me! If you're too scared to fight, just stay out of my way!"

Before Kurotsuchi could retort, Fū clapped her hands loudly, drawing both their attention. "If you're gonna fight each other, can you at least do it after I'm done kicking your ass? I promise it won't take long."

The comment did not get her a retort. Instead, all three Iwa-nin shared a glance. Not long after, they returned to Fū, their silent agreement not lost on the girl who smirked at their new resolve.

"I hope you have money, 'cause you're gonna need a lot after I'm done with you."

In the middle of the forest, Team 7 stood wearily before a Kusa Shinobi, her wide, unnatural grin sending shivers down their spines as much as the equally unnatural long tongue sliding across his lips.

A/N: FIGHT NIGHT NEXT CHAPTER! Action aplenty here folks! Look forward to it! Not much else to say other than that. About 6 chapters away from the Konoha Crush/? Arc, so look forward to it!

As always, thank you for the follows, favs, reviews, and have a DAMN good day!