10 Trials & Temptations II
After the next proctor ordered them to exit and follow her, Sakura numbly walked from her desk. "Sakura?" Ino questioned her once best friend.
"Leave me alone, Ino, please." She mumbled and continued with the crowd of remaining genin.
They followed her up the Hokage mountain and further into the hills before coming to a large fenced-in forest with multiple gates and signs displaying DANGER and DO NOT ENTER.
"This," Anko said, gesturing behind her. "Is the location for your next exam." She took a stack of paper from a chunin. "Pass these around. Before you take the test you have to sign these consent forms,"
"Why?" Shikamaru questioned.
"Because starting now these will be deaths." She smiled. "If you don't sign it and take this test it will be on my head if you die," She laughed. "Once I explain everything you can sign them and move on, once signed you will exchange them for the item essential to this test in the booth behind me," She huffed and leaned against the table. "And if your pee brains haven't figured it out yet, this is a survival test."
"What a drag," Shikamaru mumbled.
"Look at this map," Two chunin unrolled a large map and held it up. "There are 44 gates that spread around this forest, inside is a deep forest, river, and tower located in the middle, from the gates to the tower is 10 kilometers. You will have a certain task to complete in this exam, using all the weapons you have on you now, you will complete a no-rule battle for these scrolls." She held up two scrolls one white with the kanji for Heaven and the other black with the kanji for Earth. "You will be fighting for these scrolls, there are 26 teams, half will get the Heaven scroll, and the other will get Earth. To pass the test you must have both scrolls and make it to the tower in the time limit."
"So that means at least half will fail," Sakura said. "If not more," She mumbled.
"Exactly! Your time limit is 120 hours, five days exactly."
"Five days in there?!" Ino cried out.
"What about food!?" Chouji cried out in horror.
"You're on your own, but the forest is filled with all kinds of food." A boy with silver hair and large spectacles piped up.
"There's also man-eating beasts, poisonous bugs, and plants which puts us on the food chain too," Shikamaru said, Anko laughed and nodded.
"This is designed to be a grueling test, some of you will fail by losing your scrolls, or being late, and some will die by other people's hands or by the harshness." She shrugged. "Now rules for the exam, if you do not follow them you will be disqualified, if you fail to make it in time with both scrolls, two; those who lose a teammate by death or other reasons, and finally the most important you must not open the scrolls before you enter the tower."
"What happens if you do?" Sasuke questioned.
"Let's just say, you don't want to know." She said. "Sometimes a chunin or jounin will be asked to handle classified information and it's a test of your trustworthiness. That's it! Now think it over, sign the papers if you want, and with your teammates exchange the forms."
Sakura let out a shaky breath still unable to shake the feeling of malice in Naru's chakra and now with the forest looming her heart was hammering in her chest and her skin grew clammy.
"Sakura?" Sasuke asked, she smiled at him and signed the paper shakily. "You sure?"
"Yeah! Of course!" She laughed and brushed her hair back.
"You're pale-"
"I'm fine!" She yelped and looked as Naru walked up and looked down, Sasuke frowned at the interaction before looking at the signed form in Naru's hand.
"We're all in?" Both girls nodded and joined the line of teams as nylon was closed around the booth blocking the view of each scroll.
"So we have no idea who gets what scroll," Naru mumbled.
Once in they were given the Earth scroll which Naru stashed in her pouch, they stood at an unoccupied gate and waited.
A shrill alarm sounded at 11 AM, the gates burst open and everyone shot inside.
Team 7 jumped through the forest quietly until they landed in a clearing.
"I think we should be smart about this, any genin can use a henge if we get separated, so we need a way to know it's us safely," Sakura said.
"A password?" Sasuke asked the three thought for a moment.
"How about when should a ninja strike?"
"A basic common sense question? Pass." Naru said. "Something only we would know."
A loud rumbling sounded shaking the ground before the tree exploded around them and a solid wall of air slammed into the genin throwing them far apart.
Naru cursed as she pushed up from the ground, stumbling about before she caught her footing. "What was that? A jutsu no doubt but from who?" She mumbled.
A loud hiss sounded behind her as a shadow covered her, she turned to find a monstrous snake arched behind her. She yelled as she dodged its strike and it moved like lightning cutting off her path, she whimpered as it opened its jaws and launched towards her intent on swallowing her whole. Hot breath wafted on her, she peeked to find the red chakra holding the massive jaws open wide, she stepped back and quickly jumped in the air as the chakra released and the snake bit its own body letting out a pained noise before it slithered away into the dark forest.
A scream echoed in the forest drawing her attention to a small clearing where a trio of Rain ninjas stood across from Gaara and team.
The rain ninja raced towards Gaara who made a tiger sign and rotated his hand as sand under his feet grabbed the rain ninja and quickly covered his body until his face was the only thing visible.
"As you can see Gaara has total mastery of the sand on the ground and in the air as well." Temari supplied.
"I can free myself easily- aurgh!" He cursed.
"If you don't stop yapping I'll seal your lips and cut off your air supply." He gasped as Gaara picked up his discarded umbrella holding it open before raising his hand and making a fist, the sand around the rain ninja tightened before it exploded raining blood all over and hitting the other ninja in the area. Naru let out a shaky breath wanting to run but was frozen in place. Gaara dropped the umbrella and looked to the teammates who quaked in fear, they produced a Heaven scroll and rolled it towards them.
"Please just let us go!" They begged, Gaara held both hands out and let sand envelop them as well, they screamed in horror as they were wrapped up like their teammate.
"Bye-bye!" Temari chirped waving at them before Gaara squeezed the sand letting more blood stain the earth.
"Lucky for us we needed the Heaven scroll," Kankuro said taking the scroll. "Now we can head straight for the tower."
"Not yet," Gaara hissed. "No, I still haven't been sated." He turned to the bushes and stared intently.
"Come on Gaara, let's go,"
"Coward," He hissed.
"Listen, maybe you'll be fine but Temari and I can't risk it. One set of scrolls is all we need, we're done."
"I don't take orders from you, fool."
"That's enough!" Kankuro barked glaring at the redhead. "Just for once Gaara listen to your older brother!" He grabbed the white scarf around his body.
"I never thought of either of you as my siblings cross me and I'll kill you." Gaara hissed and smacked his hand off his clothes.
"c...Come on now Gaara, please don't be so cruel aren't I like a sister to you? I'm begging." Temari said.
Gaara raised his hand towards the other bush as sand lifted around the air. "Gaara!" Temari yelled.
"Okay, fine." A cork formed that he used to close his gourd, he turned on his heel and walked away followed by his two siblings, Naru stood shakily and walked out as the bushes rustled before Team 8 appeared shaken.
"Naru.." Hinata said, Naru stared at her once friend.
"Uzumaki," Kiba said. His voice had a quiver and his pup hid in his jacket.
"Get out of here," Naru turned and waved a hand.
"Thank you," Hinata whispered as she followed her teammates.
"I gotta find the others." She muttered and focused her chakra searching for her teammate's chakra.
-o0o-
"SASUKE SNAKE!" Sakura screamed, pulling the boy's hand from her mouth. He cursed as he leapt from the tree just barely dodging the jaws of the reptile.
Sasuke gasped as he looked into the eyes of the beast and gasped. "GET AWAY!" He screamed, throwing a kunai rapidly that slammed into it and caused it to collapse into the tree. Sasuke stumbled back on a branch and fell to his knees.
"For shame letting your guard down! Stay on your toes, as good prey should!" A voice hissed as the Grass ninja rose from the dead body. "For the predator!" She hissed, she shot out with speed as his body curled around the branches like the snake before him racing towards Sasuke who gasped in horror, Sakura screamed in fear before a kunai slammed into the tree before her. They turned to find Naru standing above them and sighed.
"Looks like you're pretty scared there Sasuke," Naru said. He huffed and looked at the man again, his blood-red eyes faded away and he huffed.
"Naru, give him the scroll…"
"What?"
"If that's what you want we'll give it to you, just take it and go."
"The hell we will!" Naru snarled.
"You don't know what we're up against!" He snarled.
"You boast like you're some tough Uchiha, but you're a coward if you want to give up like that."
"Shut up Naru!" He snarled.
"She's quite right, why bargain when I can kill you and take the scroll." He snarled, his tongue slipped from his mouth and licked his lips before he bit his thumb and spread his blood on a black seal on his wrist, both genin stumbled as a giant snake appeared. The tail rose and smashed through the trees smacking into Naru and throwing her through a branch, she coughed up blood as she hit and fell to the lower branch.
"Naru!" Sakura cried out.
Naru stood shaking off the hit and shot forward, she brought the chakra up and slammed it down on the snake's nose, her whiskers widened and her blue eye shifted to red, the snake smashed through two branches before stopping.
'What is this… she's got so much power…' Sasuke thought looking at her as she skidded back and huffed.
"Let's see what you do Sasuke." He hissed, the snake shot towards the Uchiha who screamed in horror and flinched. A loud cracking echoed making Sasuke peek to find Naru before him, red chakra held the snake back, she huffed and glared at the boy who shook.
"You okay?" She asked. "Or are you too much of a wimp?" Naru screamed as the man's tongue slithered out wrapping around her body and raising her to him. "Let me go!"
"Quite fascinating you've come so far little jinchuuriki," He purred, Naru growling at him and struggling as he shifted her shirt up revealing the seal on her stomach. "You'd be interesting to fight if I didn't have other motives, stay out of my way." Chakra built up on his hand before he slammed it on Naru's seal. "Five-pronged seal!" He hissed, and she screamed in pain before she slumped in her grip, she struggled to move before he flung her to the side.
"Naru!" Sakura cried out and threw a kunai out that caught her jacket and left her pinned, Naru moaned before she passed out.
"Naru proved she was ready, how about you Sasuke-kun ready to play with the big kids?." He hissed and turned to the boy who closed his eyes before opening them again revealing the sharingan.
'I have to be strong to prove myself to him!'
"Sharingan … now we play," He purred.
Sakura watched in horror as Sasuke tried his best to beat the man but the use of taijutsu, firejutsu, or bukijutsu did not work and he kept getting up. "WHO ARE YOU?!" Sasuke snarled, falling to his knees next to the girl and both froze at the intensity of his chakra.
"I'm Orochimaru the giant snake," He pulled out a Heaven scroll and held it out. "And if you want a rematch you'll finish this as quickly as possible. I'll see you again if you can defeat the three Sound ninjas who answer to me."
"What are you going on about? We never want to see your face again!" Sakura yelled, he chuckled as he made a hand sign.
"Perhaps not… but wishing won't chase me away." Suddenly his neck extended as he shot toward Sasuke, fangs gleaming as he bit down on Sasuke's neck, Sasuke gasped in horror as he pulled away leaving two puncture holes in his neck before three black tomoes appeared on his skin, he screamed in horror grabbing his neck and fell to his knees.
"Sasuke-kun! What did you do?!" Sakura snarled looking at Orochimaru sunk into the tree.
"Just a little something to remember me by,"
"AAAUGH!" Sasuke screamed and shook, Sakura held his hand as he quivered and gagged, and she turned to Naru who still hung unconscious.
"Naru.. Sasuke… what do I do?" She whimpered and looked at the Heaven scroll lying in the place where he disappeared.
-o0o-
A day passed after Orochimaru's run-in with the team, Sakura moved her unconscious teammates to a downed tree by the river and waited for them to wake up. A full day passed with Sakura checking on her teammates and waiting for both to wake up. Both grew a fever in their downed states.
"Some lookout, at least you're tired, it'll be easier on our part," She gasped whirling around to find three ninjas sporting Sound hitai-ate.
"What do you want?" She asked her voice quaking.
"Wake Sasuke up so we can fight him," The boy with bandages all around his head except for his eye said cocking his head.
"Why? What do you really want?! I know that weird guy is calling the shots from the background! What's this weird mark on Sasuke's neck!?" Sakura questioned, they grunted in mild shock.
'What in the world is he thinking?' The boy with wraps around his head thought.
"I can't keep still after talking to us like that! First I will beat you, then I'll make you watch as I kill Sasuke!" The other boy said and stepped forward.
"Wait Zaku!" The first said,
"Why?!"
"It's obvious, this is the color of dirt that's been recently dug up," He said. "If you're going to lay a trap, make sure it's a good one." He said. "Now, we kill her," They launched in the air jumping over the clearing, Sakura smirked and sliced a rope that released a large log from above. "A trap above too!" He cursed, Sakura gasped as he held his hand out and the log shattered, she shook in fear as they landed closer to her.
"LEAF HURRICANE!" Sakura gasped as a green blur flew towards the three knocking them back and landing in front of her.
"Lee-kun…"
"Sakura," He smiled over his shoulder.
"Why are you here?!" She asked.
"Because I love you Sakura, and I will always appear when you are in any danger,"
Sakura shook her head at the confession. "But right now I'm your enemy!"
"No, never." He smiled. "Now, protect your teammates, I can handle them," Lee said turning to the three.
"Thank you," Sakura whispered.
"Dosu?"
"Let's go!" He growled and launched forward, Lee punched the ground and pulled up a large chunk of roots that blocked Dosu's hit.
"I know your tricks so I know I can't just dodge," Lee smirked, Dosu glared at him.
-o0o-
"Lee sure is late, strange he is usually first here … could he have run into an enemy that was too much?" Tenten, Lee's teammate wondered out loud.
"Well it's unlikely, but let's go find him," Neji Hyuuga said.
Tenten nodded and both launched into the trees looking for their missing teammate.
-o0o-
Lee unwrapped the bandages from his arms as Dosu charged again. "To protect the life of someone precious!" He said focusing, Dosu blinked in shock as he disappeared from the spot before Lee's foot connected with his jaw sending him flying through the air. Lee appeared behind him and wrapped Dosu with the bandages grabbing his bound body and began to spin rapidly bringing him towards the earth head first.
"No! Dosu, there's no way he can defend himself!" Zaku said running through hand signs as Lee spun faster.
"Take this! Primary lotus!" Lee yelled and brought Dosu down to the earth just as Zaku slammed his hands into the dirt. Both slammed into the earth throwing dust and dirt up. Sakura cried out shielding her eyes.
Lee jumped backward and huffed for air, Dosu was sticking out of the earth his head buried in a pile of dirt.
"Got 'em just in time," Zaku muttered and smirked, Lee glared at the scene as Dosu got up shaking his head.
"WHAT?!"
"That is a terrifying jutsu, you nearly took me out even with landing on this soft dirt," Dosu muttered, he slid his long-hanging sleeves up revealing a metal device on his forearm. "Now it's my turn,"
'Oh no, my body hasn't recovered yet!' Lee thought struggling to stand.
Dosu launched out swinging his arm, Lee cried out as the wind hit his body and he wavered slightly his vision twisting.
"Your jutsu is fast, but ours is faster because it travels at the speed of sound," Dosu said, Lee fell to his knees shaking, and Sakura watched as they moved closer with malicious smiles. "We're gonna show you something called The Wall." They laughed as Lee vomited and gagged.
"LEE!" Sakura yelled, he grabbed his ear that was bleeding.
"You may be able to dodge my moves, but thanks to my gadget, you can't get away from it," Dosu said, tapping the device.
'What kind of trick is this?' Sakura wondered and glanced back to her still-downed teammates.
"I don't need to hit you with my fists, I can hit you with the power of sound," He said. "And what is sound?"
"Vibrations," Sakura answered his question.
"Give the little girl a prize," He chuckled. "The sound and vibrations travel through the outer ear and inside, it will make your eardrum shake and when it goes in further you can damage the inner ear membrane, you'll lose your balance, so you won't be moving for a while," Zaku pulled out a kunai and rushed forward, Sakura shifted into a defense position.
-o0o-
"What was that commotion?" Chouji asked his teammates Shikamaru and Ino.
Both turned to the faint clangs of metal and screams. "Sounds like a fight," Shikamaru muttered and walked towards it and ducked into the bushes watching Zaku beating Sakura mercilessly.
"Both Sasuke and Naru are out…" He muttered. "Sakura doesn't stand a chance, what do we do?" He asked Ino.
"Why ask me?"
"She was your best friend once…" Ino turned watching the Sound girl grab Sakura's hair hauling her from Zaku who held his arm she had been biting down on.
"You bitch!" He snarled. "Hold her Kin!"
"Why nice flowing hair," Kin taunted yanking it, Sakura whimpered in pain at the pressure. "If you spent more time training instead of shampooing you might have stood a chance," She sneered.
'I'm so weak, all the time being rescued…' Sakura thought and tried to get free but it resulted in multiple yanks. 'No more!' She grabbed a kunai from her holster and held it closing her eyes tight.
"What's that supposed to do to me?" Kin laughed.
"It's not for you." Sakura smiled at her before using the blade to cut through her hair effectively freeing herself. Ino gasped in shock as the pink locks fell to the ground. Sakura spun around kicked Kin's feet out and went to slam the blade into her arm before a gust of wind slammed into Sakura throwing her to the side, she screamed in pain rolling into the dirt.
"Ino!"
"Gah!" She yelled launching from the bushes as Kin and Zaku beat on Sakura, she tackled the girl to the side as Chouji slammed into Zaku, Ino stood in front of Sakura who looked in shock.
"Ino?"
"Look, I'm not gonna let you show me up and get Sasuke-kun's love!" She smiled at her friend, Sakura blinked back tears and nodded.
"Thank you…"
"Don't matter who joins I'll kill you all!"
"Try it," He turned to find Naru standing on weak legs huffing for air. "I'll kill you first,"
"Bring it!" He snarled, Naru clapped her hands together red chakra shot from her back and wavered, she eyed them and frowned. 'Not enough chakra for nine, but even one...'
A symbol appeared and smoke filled the area as the scythe-wielding figure appeared behind her.
"Two more to kill easy!" Kin boasted. The figure raced forward and swung its blade catching Kin and throwing her backward into a tree, blood leaking down her front.
"Oh Yeah!?" Zaku snarled and held his hands out revealing holes in the palms, wind blasted from the holes tearing the area up, and the figure dodged each blast and rushed towards Zaku and swung its blade, he dodged with a Ha! Naru appeared and threw her body into his throwing him to the side.
"Naru!" Sakura cried out, Zaku snarled kicked her, and brought a kunai up to stab her but the scythe blocked.
"Such a nuisance!" He snarled.
"Gale palm!" Naru snarled clapping her hands together and throwing him backward.
Zaku looked up finding Dosu fighting against Shikamaru and his team, Kin was struggling to get up while Sakura tended to Lee.
"You all are second-rate nobodies!" He screamed.
"Then you must be third rate!" They paused and looked up finding Neji and Tenten in the trees above them.
"You Konoha ninjas are like bugs crawling out of the woodwork," Dosu said.
"Oh Lee…" Tenten said in concern to their fallen teammate, Neji glared at them.
"You beat our teammate," He closed his eyes. "No one does that and gets away with it!" He barked activating his byakugan, Dosu let out a breath of fear.
'He looking through us…'
Neji shifted forward then stopped. "Well? Are you going to come down and do something about it?" Dosu sneered, Neji allowed his byakugan to fade and closed his eyes.
"It looks like I won't have to," An explosion of dark chakra made them spin around to find Sasuke standing, with blade flames spread on his face and arms, his sharingan blazing as he glared at them.
"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out then let out a shaky breath seeing the chakra spinning around him.
"Sakura… who did this to you?" He asked.
"We did!" Zaku barked.
'This is what she meant, what was he thinking?!' Dosu thought picturing his master Orochimaru.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called out in concern.
"It's okay, this is power." He flexed his hand and smiled. "He made me realize I was weak before, this is my path, and nothing will stop me."
"Who cares!"
"No Zaku!" Dosu warned as Sasuke raced towards Zaku and dodged his blows before flipping the boy over grabbing both arms stretching them back and putting his foot on his back.
"P…Please!" He begged.
"You didn't show mercy to my teammate," Sasuke stated before wrenching his hands back and stomping, Zaku screamed in agony and collapsed to the earth his eyes opened wide.
"Here!" Dosu yelled dropping their Heaven scroll and rolling it, Sasuke glared at him and stepped forward, he scrambled back in fear.
"STOP IT!" Sakura screamed throwing herself forward and wrapping her arms around his body, he grunted in shock. "Stop… please stop it." She sobbed into his back, he grunted before his legs gave out the marks disappeared and he leaned into her arms.
"Please…" Dosu whispered eyeing Naru's aid, Naru huffed for air.
"Wait! What did Orochimaru do to Sasuke!?" Sakura snarled, Naru eyed her teammate wondering what happened exactly.
"I don't know why or what he did … he simply told us to find and kill Sasuke. I promise the next time we meet in battle I will not flee." He said looking at his slain teammates before running into the forest.
Naru moaned and collapsed to her knees as her summon disappeared.
"Lee," Tenten whispered, Neji eyed the scroll then Shikamaru who gestured to take it, he grabbed it and nodded.
"Tell Lee…. thank you.." Sakura whispered, Tenten lifted her teammate and they disappeared.
"We need to get to the tower, can you walk?" Sakura asked, Sasuke nodded and looked at his hand that shook, he gulped and looked at Sakura brushing her hair back.
"Sakura…" He whispered. "Thank you." She smiled and hugged him tight crying into his shirt.
Naru frowned as they arrived at the tower and were ushered further in after being explained the aspects of the test. They came to a large auditorium with five remaining teams standing with their jounin leaders, the Hokage, and Itachi stood waiting.
"Congratulations on passing the second exam!" Anko said stepping forward. "You have proved your worth, I expected you to be single digits." She smiled. "But now, we move on." A few murmured their disbelief and exhaustion.