Thanks to all my readers I know that's I take a bit tooo long to put these chapters out but I really appreciate and enjoy that you like my story. You know the drill if I can get sued for it, it's not mine. Now let's begin.
In an older time things like the Chūnin exams were impossible to think of. Testing your strength in for the money of others with the competition. All of their ancestors even the civilians could understand how stupid that was. Oh but things were certainly different now. The newer generation was more open to the challenge, how they went about it though was sometimes...a bit much.
"First things first, you!" The man, Ibiki said pointing to the back of the room. "I don't know what you sound villagers were told about the exams. BUT KNOW THIS! From the moment you submitted your application, you lost all and any autonomy you had. Unless you're told you will NOT fight. Deadly force his strictly prohibited so get in gear. If not you'll fail the test before you even start."
It's no surprise that in a room full of ninja everyone had their eyes and ears primed to the situation. Limits were important to know and they'd just been hand fed some rare knowledge. They were right to think it would be the last time anything was clear to them. As the proctor went on talking, he described the first test.
"You will all be given a number to determine your seat then you will begin the written exam." Many groaned at this but it wasn't like they could do anything about it. They all got seated and the teams were essentially shuffled around the room. "Listen up maggots, I won't repeat myself. There are a few tiles for these exams and I won't be answering any questions."
"No questions what kind of rules are these?!" Sakura thought.
"The written test is based on a point reduction system. You start with a hundred percent, a perfect ten. THE SCORES OF ALL MEMBERS ON YOUR TEAM WILL BE APART OF YOUR SCORE. Then there's rule number 3. You see those sentinels they are there to watch you and see that you don't cheat. Every time they do catch you, points will be deducted from your score."
If that all wasn't bad enough apparently getting a zero meant your whole team failed. "Begin!" The participants were baffled by the ridiculously high level problems. Sakura was certain that only she and a few others could understand the questions. While some tried to tackle the questions, slowly the others had realized the truth of the test. Cheating was the only way they could pass the test. And once they figured it out more and more cheating occurred. "So I just have to find someone with all the answers." Sasuke thought. He and the Hyuga quickly activated their dojutsu and got to work. All around the different teams were trying to communicate with each other and cheat slyly. Some used jutsu and other tactics they thought would be discreet. Others just blatantly cheated and took the points off. All this cheat was perfect for the sentinels though. Candidate by candidate the called out there number and dismissed them along with their teammates. The pool of Genin had dwindled significantly, whole rows of people gone from the exam room. The proctor went up to the board like he did at the start of the test and began to speak.
"It's time for the final question, and with it some new rules. To start you can choose not to take the question."
"Hey what's the catch? What happens if we DO decide not to take the question?!" The sand village girl, Temari asked.
"You can skip the question but you'll be given a zero, regardless of your answer on the other nine questions. Oh and one more thing...if you do take the question and get it wrong...you will NEVER be able to take the exams again!" Ibiki told them. Kona stood up and shouted at the man. He said he HAD to be lying people who took the exams multiple times were sitting in the room with them. The proctor luaghed. "I wasn't making the rules then. I do now though and that's the way it is. Maybe you're just unlucky." He got serious again and said "Now the tenth question, those who don't want to take it raise your hand." Hands popped up and very quickly teams were failed. Only 78 or so people remained then two more teams were dismissed. Nobody said anything the atmosphere too tense. Naruto was thinking about a cat nap right then and there but then he saw Mizu in front of him slowly raising his hand. "Like hell, I better step in before he blows it and Kiba kills him." He thought.
"What a load of nonsense. If you think you can scare me off with bullshit like that then you crazy!" And that was all the was to say. Everyone was still now a resolve found in the words of the redhead. The proctor waited and then once it was clear none of them were going to quit he spoke.
"You pass!"
"...HUH?!"
He went on to explain the whole test, from the information gathering to the lose-lose situation at the end. "As Chūnin you will face these situations all the time. We cannot pass those whose confidence and determination would falter when put in a hard position."
No sooner than his speech was finished did a man walk in. "I know I'm early but I'm here for the kids left. Oh? 24 teams left. Are you getting soft Ibiki?"
After some time they were all escorted from the academy and to a fenced off area. It was littered with signs and warnings most notably big ones with skulls. "This is the Forest of Death, a befitting moniker. Make no mistake that once you enter the other teams won't be all you have to worry about." He got something out of his vest. A stack of papers, "These are your standard consent forms. You'll be required to sign before you start this phase of the test." One of the grass ninja asked why, and was answered with a chuckle. At least that's what it started as, the man was practically manic with laughter before answering the question. "Well kid some of you aren't coming out of this forest. These papers are just making it clear that if that happens I won't be held responsible." He had some Genin hand out the papers. "He's almost as bad as Anko sensei." Shino said to his team. The rest of team 8 agreed Kiba especially claiming that "the two psychopaths can go pig out on sweets together while we get a day off."
"This test will force you to use every single survival skill you have. Not only that but you'll need to get to the tower in the middle of the forest in order to take the test. But that's not enough fun so you'll also have to get into an anything goes battle for these two scrolls." He said holding out a blue and white scroll. One with the kanji earth and the other, heaven. "Half of the 24 teams here will be going for the earth scroll. The other half, for the heaven." Sasuke spoke up, a privilege he not anyone else had with their last proctor. "How do we pass?" The man put the scrolls away and started speaking again. "Get both scrolls to the tower. Oh by the way you have five days to complete the test." Murmurs had started getting louder and louder ever since the survival aspect was brought up. Being from different villages done with completely different terrain this was going to be a challenge for sure. Choji Akamichi had other concerns.
"Aw man what are we gonna eat!" He griped
"Oh there's plenty of stuff in the forest just look around!" The proctor said. Kabuto from earlier had chosen to inform everyone that there was beasts and poisonous plants in the forest as well. Everyone tried to point out the disadvantages they'd have beyond the time limit. "We'll be completely surrounded with no time to rest." Sasuke said. "Exactly this test also shows you what it's like to fight behind enemy lines. Most of you probably don't have what it takes." Shikamaru then raised his hand. "So mid test can we just quit?" The man luaghed again "Try quitting during a battle and see if you don't end up dead kid." The boy sighed. "Ugh what a drag." The proctor faced the all the groups again after he'd had his fun. "There some way you can get disqualified though. One if all three members can't make it to the tower with th scrolls in five days. Number two if one teammate can't go on to the next phase. Most importantly three, and you don't want to know what happens if you brake this rule. No peeking in the scrolls till you're in the tower. This is to test your integrity. Turn in your papers and pick a gate. Last bit here, try not to die!"
Karin watched as they set up a drape to hide what scroll each team had. "Tch look guys it's not a fight I'm worried about here. What we really need to do is be selective. We can't waste time and energy on battles that won't bear any fruit. This isn't like the pit or whatever the research trio calls it. We don't get a surplus of energy to fuck around with." They other Uzumakis nodded at her. In another area though a less serious discussion was being had.
"Well well, take a look at the future failure. I can't believe you haven't been tossed from the program all together Billboard Brow!" Ino said to Sakura. The pinkette put on a sho led face before shifting into a pout.
"Oh I see now this is just sad. Now that I'm spending time with Sasuke 5 days a week your jealousy has finally consumed you. It's made you so ugly Ino and you were already such a pig."
They traded insults back in forth before Ino finally backed up. "You and I both know you're too weak to pass this test so you might as well QUIT NOW." Sakura just shook her head and stormed off the other way. "Ha that pig! She has no idea what's coming for her." Thought Sakura as she walked off. She passed by a happy team 8 who was already waiting in front of a gate. "Thank god Anko forced us to train here we know what's safe and what's not." Mizu said. "Well she only ever let us so deep into the forest." Shino said checking on his bugs. "Now that I think about it she never let us spend the night either. Those huge beast were further into the forest so we could run into someone we don't know how to deal with." Mizu murmured. Kiba slapped both of their backs, trying to refocus them. "Yeah well we're still gonna kick ass!" Akamaru yipped in agreement.
After about five minutes the all the teams were ready to be let in. The Chūnin unlocked the gates and the Genin got ready to rush in. "All right the second part of the test has officially begun!" And that was all they needed to hear. Everyone darted into the forest with various strategies in mind. Some wanting to get the fights out of the way, others wanting to make it closer to the tower, and some of them just wanted to get the test over with.
"Choji are you kidding me?" Ino said to her teammate. He was sitting there in the forest floor framing a fist full of barbecue chips into his mouth.
"What? I can't help it, I gotta eat!" He said. When Shikamaru came over to support Ino he turned around and continued snaking. "Honestly we haven't even been out here five minutes and you think you need to recover your strength? This is a survival test you know, you should've packed more kunai and less candy." He heard Ino say. That was when Shikamaru told them to hide. They were looking out from the bushes when a team came in the spot they'd just stood. Shikamaru was praying they wouldn't see the chip Choji had left on the floor or he would've if he wasn't so lazy. Kami was taking potty in him that day it seemed because the team then ran off in another direction. "I gotta deal with five more days of this?" Shikamaru thought. In another part of the forest team 8 was taking a break from their rush to the tower. "I say once we get there we lay a bunch of traps and save time. Which means you're up Hagihara." Mizu was excited at first but then remembered something his grandfather had mentioned. "Well we can't do too many actually. A trap works best when you can pull the strings at right moment. You can't do that if you can't monitor the situation." Kiba was about to argue that they would know if anyone came thanks to him and Amamaru but Shino agreed with Mizu. "It wouldn't do to have a trap like Mizu's turned on us. We don't know how well these people are with traps or anything else. If our enemies just power through a fight and have time to rush to the tower we could be taking in more than we can handle." With Shinos input they all knew it was settled. But before they could get moving again Kiba started sniffing around. "Looks like we have company guys." From the trees a group was watching trying to prey on the rookie team.
"Ha those loser don't even know where we are." One of them chuckled. "Yeah even though they seemed to have sensed us they can't pinpoint our exact location." One of them groaned suddenly. He looked pale and his expression read clearly that he was uncomfortable. "Hey what's wrong?" The ninjas hood dropped to reveal a huge bug on his back wriggling about. Its tests stick in the shinobi's neck. They barely even had time to gawk before dozens of the same bug rained upon them. "Looks like those leeches we saw last time we were here came in handy eh Shino?" Kiba said with a grin. The leeches were an intelligent species of predators that could detect body heat and hunt in packs. Using Shino as a guide for the bugs they were never without help in the forest. He could form a bond with almost any bug he met. "Mizu you're up." The blue haired boy eagerly pulled a wire that activated a net. It snatched up the team into the air leaving them screaming with their patristic attackers. "Five minutes and they should be done for. Well that's one we don't have to worry about." Those were some of the first screams to echo around the forest. Everyone and everything was out on high alert. Over with teams 11 and 13 things had taken quite a the unexpected turn. With team 11 having been made of all sensory types they knew when someone had come a little too close. Hinata Hyuga was simply after the closest target and didn't care who it was. For a moment it seemed like a battle would start. Everyone was in their fighting positions and waiting for the enemy to strike. It was Kyō who broke the tension. Putting away his green tachi he stepped up to Hinata and pulled out their scroll from his trench coat. "Earth, you too yeah?" It was almost the stupidest thing he could've done and Karin was definitely ok to try strangling him for it. She coul while she was pulling him back, after all what if they had heaven and just took the scroll and left. No sooner did she think that did Hinata pull out a scroll identical to their own. "So what do you want to do now you know we don't need to fight? You could take us out of the running if you want." Rio said, her bones still out and flaming. "Well don't make it sound so easy Rio!" Yakumo said. "Actually just the opposite why don't we team up and hunt down the other teams. We got a fifty percent chance of finding what we want." Kyō said. "And when we do? What then Kyō, we rock paper scissors for it?" Hinata asked. Kyō looked back to his team and they shrugged. He seemed to have handled it well enough. "Well sure why not. Winner books it to the tower with the scroll. It's not like any of us will have trouble finding a new target." He explained. Hinata nodded and huddled up with her team. "Okay we accept. On the condition that food and shelter be left to the teams individually. No sharing, we can't get soft when it comes down to that game of rock paper scissors." She said finishing with a chuckle.
"Guys... gotta take a leak." Naruto said he went off to do his buiness and after a few seconds came back to the team. "Wow that was a lot whew! But let's get going now." He took one step before getting launched into a tree. Sasuke stood there, eyes glaring. "Who are you, and where the real Naruto." He said lowly. Sakura took a look at Naruto and at first glance didn't see anything out of the ordinary with the redhead. But that's when it started to make sense. Naruto usually had his hair up half down with some spiked bangs framing his face. It was now pulled back completely into a ponytail and that wasn't all. Naruto who was right handed was NIW wearing his weapons holster on the left leg. "Gosh you have to be the most careless ninja alive if you can't even get hairstyle right." Sasuke said. 'Naruto' tried to warn off Sakura that their fellow team member had gone crazy. "She took out a hatchet and threw it at the boys head. He deflected it with his kunai and tried to snatch it out of the air. Sakura was no fool though she pulled the ninja wire on the handle and yanked it back to her. Sasuke then rushed the shinobi he had dropped his transformation justsu and tried to fight back. He threw a kunai at the other Genin one that was tied to an active bomb.Sasuke was blown back a bit but still managed to land properly. Another Naruto appeared and sent a kunai down on the former look alike. The boy dodged and continued to find a way out of the fight. Sasuke had caught the knife in his chakra and using his foot threw the kunai at the enemy nin. Sharingan ablaze he leapt up and took out his own kunai and stabbed the man. When they checked him out thought he didn't have a scroll. "As much as I hate to say it. We have to... make the most of this." It didn't take long for the others to catch on. They took his weapons and other supplies. They had Naruto seal it away, and they went to discuss what just happened. It was Sasukes idea to have a come up with a password although to Naruto it sounded like a speech. Nothing could ever be simple for team seven though. One giant gust of wind later and the team was divided again. This time their enemy was much stronger. So strong she had Sakura and Sasuke literally paralyzed with fear. They barely escaped meanwhile Naruto bursting out of a humongous snake. "Like hell am I gonna die like that! Summoning jutsu!" In a puff of smoke Tora stood before him. "Yeah this better be good I was just about go hunting." He growled. And he must've been wating good recently because like Labolas said his appearance had radically changed. The ince plane brown cat with the black striped mark was was now to several shades of dark green. The pattern of a T with three lines remained but it was green and now starching over his back and to his tail. A tail that now resembled a scorpions. The gradient pattern of his fur going from a jade green on his signature mark and paws to a green so dark it was almost black. That color swirled around with other greens all along the rest of his body. To think this was what he had become without even tatsting divine blood yet was incredible. "Well turn around kitty and help yourself to a feast." Tira turns and saw the remains of the snake corpse. His little size may have been fixed when summoned this way but his hunger remained intact. He devoured the flesh and bones of the beast. Only a free bloodstains left to say it was ever here. "Alright you got my attention. What am I here for?" The demonic house cat said. Naruto had given him a rundown on the situation and why he believed he needed some help. "Besides this will be a good way to fight like this you know find our footing until you fully become an infernal. You said you had a new ability you think you can use here?" Torra nodded and turned to the one of the trees nearby and started hacking up a furball? His jade colored fur and eyes went bright neon green and he shot out a ball of acid. The ball melted through the tree and two more trees behind that one! "Wow. That'll definitely come in handy. I assume that tail isn't for show either? Let's get going the others need us."
Sasuke was just pushed out of the way of yet another giant snake by Sakura who finally recovered from their attackers jutsu. The lady had literally crawled out out the snake and called them her prey while licking her lips. "I sense your fear and desperation." She then lunge after Sasuke. She was wrapped around the branch like a snake, legs bending unnaturally around the trees limb. Her attack only coming to a halt when several shuriken were thrown in her path. The woman luaghed at this, watching the internal disputes with the team over giving up and the severity of the situation. When the she summoned another snake the woman was angered to find that it quickly met an icy death. A portion of the body being frozen and then shit at with icicles. "Hmm? Well this is interesting. Could it be one of the special Uzumaki?" The woman thought. She began to study him as he fought. Naruto was just about using every combo catalogue he had with cruel altea and it wasn't yielding any results. The freaky lady was flexible in a way that wasn't human. She was moving quickly, very quickly and it was in a sudden turn in the battle. There was no stagnation in their clash now, some how beyond his teammates belief Naruto was pinned on the ground. It was possibly the first time they'd ever seen him in true danger... and that wasn't right. "HEY BITCH!" The lady slowly turned. She flung Naruto of the branch the shared in the gigantic trees of the forest. His descent was luckily interrupted by a frantic Sakura.
"Hmmm I'm curious to see where your skills lie young Uchiha. Show me!" They lady and Sasuke fought like Naruto did but where Naruto had been caught off guard, hardly anytime to react. The world move slowly for Sasuke, every twitch, every footstep, every slight movement was processed and double. Sasuke could do more than see now it saw the future. Something his opponent seemed to be keen on. Like his last great foe this woman was also just a bit too fast for him. He was more perceptive now though and his intense trying was proven worth the effort. He could escape nearly everything that the enemy threw at him with the exception of one attack. Until then Sasuke was on the run, sneaking in hits a long the way but he was just too slow and tired to keep the distance. He tried swinging around the humongous trees trunk to catch his breath for a moment but there she was waiting. The woman sucker punched him, knocking him onto the branch slumped over. Sasuke tried pulling himself up but faltered he was just too exhausted. "You were a disappointment. A disgrace to your family name and legacy." She murmured strolling, slowly, over to his body.
"Your ancestors weep." And before she could reach down to finish him off and make off with the scrolls a bang went off. Mini bombs were now very clearly placed on most of the woman's lover back half. Oh? Maybe I spoke too soon. The woman thought crazily. They ressume the battle, a new fire in Sasuke that burned out any of the fear he was feeling before. Sasuke threw a volley of kunai at his foe through out the battle and with the powers of the Sharingan, he was able to trap his foe. "This precision! You really are his brother!" The lady's mad rambling was abruptly halted though with Sasukes Dragon flame jutsu. The fire was so hot and long lasting that when the effects off the jutsu ended the devilish woman's skin was melting off.
It was impossible to think the he could be here but if the Uzumaki and Yamanaka were coming to him with the information together. It could only be the truth. The proctor for the exam had given the order to report the matter to the ANBU. If anyone could assist him with this task it was the village's secret elite task force. Normally in a situation like this, with high ranking criminals, solo work is strongly advised against. What could he be after! That snake, he's been gone all this time so why? Why come back now? What's the goal? The proctor thought. But alone with his thoughts the narrative shifted. Not a what but a who. He looked at the picture in his vest again. "So he's stolen the face of a Kusa konoichi..."
"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA! Yes yes YES! You will do nicely, Sasuke." The lady was somehow not dead. In fact she'd proven to be even more strange than before. If the freakishly snake like attributes weren't enough, under her melting flesh...WAS ANOTHER FACE!
"Wha-" Sasuke didn't have the energy to move any more. The lady shook violently and her neck stretched out. The speed at which her head came near and her teeth sunk into his neck was unreal. Definitely faster than when they'd fought. She clamped down a little harder almost as if to make the experience as painful as possible. Sasuke couldn't even fight back he just stood there in shock and pain. From the higher branches too small for their fight a figure came crashing down. It spit on the lady's neck. She receded back to her body but not before getting hit again. This time the scrolls she'd swallowed when she first encountered the team fell out. The figure dashed toward them somehow picking them up even though the figure, now in the light, was revealed to be a house cat. It jumped down to Naruto and Sakura and hissed. It was there to protect them it seemed and that was all that Sakura needed to know. She summoned her axes and went to her teammates aid. "What have you done to him!" She demanded.
"Oh just a parting gift. Now Sasuke will come for my power. That's said I enjoyed the skills shown today." And with that the evil creature sunk into the branches of the tree. Sakura looked the boy over. His neck was bleeding and not too far from the wound was a mark it almost looked alive. Pulsing with its own beat a beat that drew loud screams from Sasuke. To Sakura those screams lasted for hours. It was only a short time until he passed out from the pain. For a time she didn't know what to do. She was alone and her teammates weren't there to help her. Then it came to her, the screaming. Somebody would try coming by to see what happened or worse attempt joining in to steal the scrolls . She couldn't allow that not with things going this poorly. Sakura looked over to the cat guarding the scrolls and her friend. It was definitely not a situation she was equipped to handle but now was a time for action. So she got up and got shit done.