Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
(Hello people, small Author's note before we start the chapter. For the following chapters or even the entirety of the arc itself, Akira's POV will appear rarely, at most it'll be a Third Person POV that follows him, similarly to a decent portion of the Land Of Woods Arc. For the simple reason - That I do not want you to know what he is thinking or WHY he is doing what he is doing, for the most part. Whether that is an ominous reason or not I'll leave it for speculation lmao XD)
I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
-Story Start-
-Third Person POV-
Following Morino Ibiki's congratulatory speech to the 32 teams that had passed the 1st stage of the Konoha's Chunin Exams, the room buzzed with a mixture of relief and anticipation.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, scattering papers everywhere.
The sound of kunai embedding themselves in the ceiling drew everyone's attention.
A large banner unfurled, reading "2nd Test Proctor" in bold, flashy letters.
A figure emerged from the whirlwind, a purple-haired Tokubetsu Jonin with an excited smirk.
"Heh? Anko-sensei?!" Sakura squeaked in surprise, rubbing her eyes to ensure she wasn't seeing things.
"That's right!" Anko confirmed with a bold point and a quick wink at Sakura.
Turning to face the room full of Genin, she placed her hands on her hips and announced, "Alright, fresh meat! Name's Mitarashi Anko, Tokubetsu Jonin, and your proctor for the 2nd phase of the Chunin Exams!"
Quickly, her eyes leveled a glare on the loaded room, and her eyes twitched.
Turning to Ibiki, she complained, "32 Teams left? Ibiki you've made it too easy this time!"
He shrugged with an easygoing smirk, "We've got some exceptional ones this time... As well as a few disruptors." He sent a knowing look at Akira's smirking visage for but a moment.
A displeased pout on her face, Anko rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "That so...?"
With a quick mood swing fitting of herself, she pointed at the participants, "Well! It doesn't matter! By the end of the next test, you'll be cut out by at least two-thirds!" She exclaimed with a wicked grin.
Groans of displeasure as well as nervous gulps echoed in the room at that foreboding claim.
As Anko gleefully let the weight of her words sink in, her booming and commanding voice broke them out of their stupor, "Now then! Let us not dally any longer and follow me! Right now! No delay! Chop chop!" She enthusiastically gestured as she waited for no one and headed out the door.
Over ninety Genin scrambled in a rushed and crowded chase after the Tokubetsu Jonin, her cackling at the sounds of hundreds of feet scrambling to catch up to her echoed through the Academy's halls.
Truly, this was the perfect job for her.
-------------------------------
-Shikamaru POV-
Honestly, this is a real drag.
The whole Chunin Exams are nothing but a headache.
I'd have preferred if it were all in one place, one test, and just get it over with.
Simplify the chaos and reduce the effort.
But fate loves to spite me, and our 2nd phase takes place all the way out of the village, making it an even bigger hassle.
I'm willing to wager the travel itself is meant to also wear down our motivation and will.
...It's working.
My already nonexistent motivation is dwindling with each step.
But what's actually bothering me the most is Akira's odd behavior.
And it appears I'm not the only one concerned.
"Shikamaru, you got an idea of what he's planning?" Choji's concerned voice rang out as we passed the Northern Gate of Konohagakure.
The three of us kept to ourselves at the back of the stampede of ninety-something Genin.
At Choji's blunt question, Ino's body twitched for an instant.
...Ah damn it, this reminds me of a couple of years ago.
I shrugged, sighing, "Not anything good, that's for sure. That sudden change in attitude or roleplay he's adopting, it reeks of all kinds of suspicion." I lazily pointed out.
He'd never have gone forward with such a confrontation with the Sound Shinobi. It just doesn't fit him.
Whatever this plan is, or whatever he's aiming for. It's stupidly bold and straightforward.
That's not something he ever goes for...
I added, sensing Choji's suggestion, "It's pointless to ask him about it. He'll dodge the question or play it off."
Frowning, Choji nodded, "Then... What do you think he's aiming for? I wouldn't be this worried if he were simply acting like himself, but this... Is too weird, you know?"
I scratched my head, grunting, "Akira's methodology here reeks of Makoto. On the surface, it looks like he's trying to paint himself in the manner he presents himself. As for why he wants to paint himself in a certain manner... I doubt it's primarily to make others underestimate him. Could be. But there are better ways to go about it than that, on top of him not needing any of those advantages in the first place... He's aiming for something else."
...As for what that something else is, it'll take a bit more information to confirm.
I hazarded a guess, "He did ask me for advice about his engagement the other day... But I doubt this perception he's aiming for will do it any favors."
Especially given that we have no clue as to what is to come in this pain of an exam.
But, Ino might know something about Akira's situation.
I turned to my troublesome teammate who had been awfully silent, "If this exam is worrying you. We could just drop out. I definitely wouldn't be against it."
Blinking, Ino frowned, "No way..."
She saw the questioning and rather serious look in my eyes, and her eyes widened.
Nodding she hesitantly mentioned, "During the earlier test... I might've used Mind Body Switch on him?" She giggled nervously.
Met with our deadpan gazes, she protested, "What?! He was the best bet on that exam and you know it! Who else could I have used it on?!" She vigorously proclaimed her defense, like a banshee.
I lifted an eyebrow, "So? Is he angry at you or something? That's what got you in a pleasant mood?"
...The uncanny silence from her usual nagging was a real breath of fresh air.
Choji shivered lightly, "It is a pretty unpleasant jutsu to experience..." He mentioned matter of factly.
Slowly growing angry, Ino's vigor renewed, she stopped herself short of getting mad, as she exhaled a calming breath.
She started, with a more leveled tone, "When I took over... I heard over a hundred voices, the exact same voices, yelling at me over and over to get out... Once I did, Akira glared at me like I've never felt before."
Choji quickly nodded, "It is a very unpleasant jutsu to experience..."
She shook her head, "That's not the issue. I'm not stupid..."
The issue was the voices.
Lowering my gaze, as my thoughts raced and my legs went on autopilot in our walk, I muttered, "They were identical, correct?"
"Yes." Ino nodded.
I huffed, "Those are Whiskers."
...I see.
This makes no sense for Akira, the Chakra Conservative and Efficiency Freak...
Choji blinked, as he noticed the issue as well, "Over a hundred? He usually doesn't keep more than a dozen manifested at a time. And even then it's because he has a good reason for it. He doesn't waste Chakra unnecessarily. Not with something like this going on anyway."
"That means he has a reason." I nodded.
Turning to Ino once more, I questioned, "Did you recognize where they are located?"
She gave it a momentary thought but shook her head.
"Keep your eyes peeled for any Rabbits whatsoever," I state seriously.
I tiredly added, shaking my head, "Let's just focus on surviving instead of worrying about Akira's plan. Whatever it is, it isn't going to hurt us. He can take care of himself."
The two of them gave me hesitant nods.
"We can still quit." I proposed once more.
"NO! And not surviving! Winning is what you meant!" Ino huffed in indignation.
If my suspicions are correct...
Akira knows where the 2nd phase of the Exam takes place.
As for how...
With the information of Anko and Sakura's connection, that is the most plausible explanation.
Yet, she was surprised herself, but she may have also been acting.
Personally, I'd rather eliminate all options than suspect Akira has been hiding another of his Shadow Creatures for years, which is capable of conditional precognition.
If an ancient famed line of priestesses can conditionally see the future with their unique Kekkei Genkai, it doesn't eliminate the probability that an unprecedented Kekkei Genkai could be capable of similar feats.
After all, if one had the ability to predict the future to a degree, it is smartest to keep that ability a strict secret.
...My earliest memory has Akira involved, I know when he's acting and when he isn't.
The weight of these thoughts and possibilities was already giving me a headache and a sinking feeling regarding the following exams.
Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut and not be so obviously suspicious?
That's not even mentioning how he made it infinitely more troublesome by keeping more of the competition with his dissection of our prior test.
"What a drag..." I couldn't help but let out the declaration of my literal agony.
The only comforting sight was the beautiful clouds blocking the sun's stingy rays.
Would've been the perfect day to just lay down.
What a tragedy...
-------------------------------
-Third Person POV-
It was a long stroll, but nevertheless, as the evening sun peaked over the horizon, the 32 teams arrived before the stage where the 2nd phase of the Chunin Exams shall take place.
Their eyes were greeted with a looming gate, many Chunin Proctors, and a small enclosed booth.
But what caught everyone's eyes, was the most obvious sight - That which lay beyond the flimsy gate.
A gigantic forest - Whose trees reached hundreds of meters tall.
To a select few, this was a familiar sight - Such as one pink-haired girl who could barely wipe the smug and confident grin from her face.
This was...
"Welcome to the Training Ground Fourty Four! Also known as... THE FOREST OF DEATH! BUAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Anko, the proctor of the exam declared with a sinister cackle.
"Erm - Why's it called Forest Of Dea-" A Waterfall Genin innocently interrupted with a raised arm.
"I was getting to that fresh meat! Your next interruption will end with me cutting off your arm!" Anko flashed him a broad smile.
"EEP!" He squeaked his understanding.
Coughing at the awkward and uneasy silence, as some were already growing pale at the possibilities lying in this forest, Anko elaborated, "Good! Now, this forest is teeming with powerful wildlife! Dangerous and poisonous flora! Did I mention gigantic AND poisonous animals? All enclosed in a circle twenty kilometers in radius!"
No one seemed to share Anko's enthusiasm, as she happily recited the aspects of the forest before them.
Pointing at the Genin, Anko elaborated, "Now. Here's where you come in the picture."
Directing a thumb at the booth manned by a couple of Chunin, she explained, "Each team will be given a scroll. Either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll."
Unfurling a map, in a not-so-subtle gesture and hint, she showcased the entirety of the Forest Of Death, "Within the circumference, there are forty gates. Each team will randomly start from one of these gates and the goal is simple..."
She pointed to the center of the forest, "Reach the tower within five days with both a Heaven and Earth Scroll to pass the test."
At that, loud murmurs broke out as everyone digested the weight of this information.
Sasuke muttered his observation loud and clear, "That means we'll have to fight others and take their scroll. Correct?"
Smirking sadistically at Sasuke, Anko nodded as silence reigned at her words once more, "That's right~! Now, I'll need all of you to also sign some forms in the booth over there." She pointed once more at the booth.
Scratching her hair lazily, "Something about me not being responsible for any deaths and yada yada."
"P-Pardon?"
"Oh, I will enjoy this~" Anko let loose her sadism to the open without any sense of measurement at the whimpers of some of the Genin.
Choji's voice echoed as he lifted an anxious hand up, "Erm, what about food?"
Blinking, Anko innocently replied, "What? You haven't been taught to hunt in the academy?"
Choji and a few others visibly paled.
"Sheesh, Genin these days..." She groaned.
Lifting two fingers Anko continued, "As for the disqualification rules. First, if one of your teammates happens to die from whatever! Second, it's opening any of the scrolls. I'll just mention this but... I wouldn't recommend trying it if you want to pass~"
Cheering with a clap of her hands, "Now then Genin! Chop chop! Grab those scrolls, sign those forms, and be guided to your respective gates, and let's get this show on the road, shall we?! Good luck and try not to die~!" She waved cheerily.
-------------------------------
Team 7 stood before their designated gate, a Chunin beside them who closely monitored the clock to announce the start of the exam.
"Excited as well, heh, Sakura?" Akira smiled broadly.
Sakura beamed, nodding, "I know this damned place like the back of my hand! Let me lead the way." Her tone came out prideful and eager as she gestured to herself.
"About that..." Akira's voice gained a sinister edge.
Prompting Sakura's raised eyebrow and Sasuke's narrowed gaze.
"I think we should split up." Akira suddenly announced.
Blinking, Sakura repeated, "Split up? What? Isn't that a bit sudden?"
Folding his arms and huffing, Sasuke inquired, "You were counting heads back there, weren't you? You're aiming for someone?"
Shaking his head, Akira corrected, drawling out, "Not exactly. I'd just like to have some fun and test myself is all~"
At the mention of "Testing himself" Sasuke's gaze sharpened dangerously.
Lifting his arms in placation, Akira added, "I mean, come on! You were just as excited as me, Sasuke. These are a bunch of Genin! We can't have fun without a little handicap? Besides, we can regroup if we're in trouble with Whiskers. Also, the scroll is with me in the shadows. No one can take it away." He mentioned.
Considering it for a moment, Sasuke appeared unconvinced.
His coal-black eyes met with Akira's emerald green gaze, and a moment of tense silence passed them by as both wills clashed.
Eventually, Sasuke relented with a reluctant grunt, "Fine. Dodge the question. Come up with weak excuses. Split up from us if you want. I'll be fine either way."
His eyes sharpened, as he approached and reached dangerously close to Akira, "However, you're being even more of a pain than the Dobe with your insulting lack of trust."
Akira's smirk twitched at that for but a moment, as his smirk morphed into a more genuine expression.
A genuinely apologetic one, as Akira's features softened and his voice came out with regret, "Sorry, Sasuke. But I believe this is for the best."
'The best for who?' Went unsaid in Sasuke's mind.
Perplexed and slightly bewildered by Akira's sudden apology, Sasuke grunted his agreement, "Hn."
Sakura frowned, having been sidelined from their argument, "If you wanted to cover more ground by splitting up, then isn't it better if we do it later on if we can't find a team?"
Turning to her, Akira shook his head, nonchalantly stating, "Nah, finding teams is no issue for us. With your knowledge... We could even finish this whole exam in an hour, but where's the fun in tha-"
"START!" The Chunin beside them suddenly exclaimed.
With that, Team 7's muscles tensed, and they wordlessly burst through the gate, dashing into the forest.
As they reached a clearing, Akira flashed a bloodthirsty smirk, sending shivers down Sakura's spine.
Announcing a single sentence before departing from their sight, "I'm off to enjoy myself. Be back soon~"
He hadn't lingered to catch sight of Sasuke and Sakura's frowns or further protests.
His steps echoed loudly in the forest amid the sounds of wildlife and foliage, as he leaped from tree to tree, his pace brisk and rapid.
Sakura shook her head and pointed deeper into the forest, "Let's head that way. The river runs through there, and we can catch food and find drinkable water... Maybe even other teams."
Sasuke nodded stoically, yet his thoughts echoed unease.
'He forgot to summon the Rabbit. How is he planning on finding us?' Sasuke's inner voice grumbled.
-------------------------------
-Akira POV-
Everything was accounted for.
The Whiskers I had positioned were at each of the forty gates, with others scattered throughout the forest.
I knew where everyone was.
Even Orochimaru and Kabuto, whom I'd prefer not to encounter while I'm enacting my plan.
I already knew where my target was, and where he was heading.
Splitting up from my team with little trouble made my task easier.
My heart beat like a drum as I tensed my muscles and relentlessly closed in on my target.
The wind swept across my face as I sped through the trees.
I was in peak physical condition, with little weight on me from my Shadow Storage, having kept only the critical necessities there.
My chakra was still at a healthy spot from keeping all those Whiskers active for this long.
More than enough for what I intend.
Leaping from tree branch to tree branch, diving into the shadows to avoid other teams on my path.
They'll come later.
I was not aware whether the excited and bold smirk on my face was genuine or not.
I couldn't discern the difference.
Whether I'll enjoy this or whether I will loathe myself afterward.
...I truly couldn't tell.
But, the plan takes priority.
I must not be fickle.
I must act my part.
Detaching would only hinder my play.
My only shame is my selfishness.
For I have left Sasuke to deal with Orochimaru.
No matter what... I could not think of a way to enact this plan without Sasuke being branded with the Curse Mark.
But, with an S - Rank Shinobi of Orochimaru's caliber.
Whether I'm there with Sasuke or not...
Makes no difference.
Besides momentarily delaying him for... Nothing.
ANBU?
Anko?
They can't do anything to him.
I could only pray, he doesn't kill Sakura like before.
I reminded Whiskers, 'Notify me if you catch sight of Orochimaru approaching me or when he appears before Sasuke and Sakura.'
'No. Problem.' Whiskers affirmed.
My plan relies on Orochimaru's lack of interest in me.
Should he head straight towards me, instead of Sasuke before I complete my goals for this phase...
I'll have to go with Plan B.
Nevertheless, my plan could have only worked thanks to a flaw in the Chunin Exams.
A flaw that Orochimaru and Kabuto themselves are abusing...
There is no quality check.
No fairness.
A bunch of Genin could find themselves against an S - Rank of all people, to hopelessly flail around as he plays with them.
Or simply decide to pluck out an entire Village's future talent before they can grow strong enough.
While I may not be S - Rank.
I'm more than enough for this...
-------------------------------
-Third Person POV-
It was roughly fifteen minutes following the start of the 2nd Phase of the Chunin Exams. The vibrant greenery and lush forest floor were painted crimson.
An eerie and disturbing silence followed the pained screech of a Genin and the loud squelch of crushed bone and flesh. His Waterfall headband dropped unceremoniously on the ground with a wet clang, drenched with blood and viscera.
The only sound amid the unsettling silence was the dripping blood, the scurrying of rabbits in the nearby flora, and the satisfied huff of the perpetrator.
"More..." Gaara growled, his figure looming over three brutalized corpses, sending shivers down his teammates' spines.
Temari grimaced, wiping blood off her clothes, "Urgh, got blood all over me," she muttered in annoyance.
She turned to her brother and teammate, "Kankuro, what scroll did they have?"
Kankuro crouched to grab the bloodied scroll, lifting it up with a groan, "Damn, it's an Earth scroll. A waste. Gaara, let's move on ahead."
Gaara slowly turned, his eyes filled with a malicious and bloodthirsty glare, "You don't call the orders here," he threatened in a dangerously calm tone.
Temari visibly paled, throwing a worried glance at Kankuro.
Sweatdropping, Kankuro quickly wiped the blood off the scroll and smiled nervously at Gaara, "S-Sorry, my bad. You call the shots."
The tension was uncanny, but a moment later, Gaara loosened his Killing Intent, much to the relief of his teammates.
Turning away, he resumed walking towards the center of the forest, perhaps to find teams on the way to the tower.
Temari and Kankuro exchanged looks, sharing their worries regarding surviving and finishing this ordeal as quickly as possible, following him nervously with a degree of distance between each other.
Gaara's unstable nature proved to be their greatest anxiety in this exam.
An exam filled with snot-nosed brats would amount to nothing in their path, not even mentioning Gaara himself.
Or so... They thought.
As their purposeful march came to a sudden stop.
Without warning, with naught a sound...
But the loud impact of the coarse and hardened sand met with a powerful kinetic force.
Gaara's eyes widened, as mere inches from his face sharpened nails pierced through the automatic sand defense that rushed to his protection.
Before he could react, an easygoing and gleeful voice caught his attention:
The boy hummed lazily, "Hmm, a lot tougher than I thought."
Gaara wasted no time, as the sand from his gourd rushed in blinding speeds toward the perpetrator behind his sudden assault - Mockingly standing before him.
With a blur of movement, the sand reached... Air.
As the boy backed off to a safe distance to levy an amused glance at the stupefied trio.
Gaara's eyes widened in recognition, "You... You're from before." He recalled their momentary eye contact a few days ago.
Lifting a finger, the boy praised as his elongated fingers shortened, "Nice memory! But I've got to ask, genuinely curious here... How does that even work? I'd love to have an automatic defense of my own~!" He questioned with a hint of mockery in his tone.
Kankuro and Temari's eyes widened in similar recognition.
Kankuro's voice rang out, unease enveloping his entire being at the confrontation between Gaara and... "Nara Akira. The Nara's Prodigy."
Gaara growled, "Doesn't matter... He met my eyes. He must die. You'll feed my reason for existence."
The boy scoffed waving his hand, "Not interested. We just met. Maybe if we got to know each other a little better you could offer me that again. Maybe on a bad day, I'd probably agree?" He offered with a sadistic smirk.
Kankuro's nervous gaze narrowed at Akira, "Where's your team? I'd suggest against fighting Gaara. You'll die. Just run away and we'll forget this ever happened."
Gaara turned to Kankuro with a snarl, "Do. Not. Interfere!"
Yet Kankuro stood steadfast, his sweating visage clear for all to see, his muscles tensed ready to avoid the possibility of Gaara's sand rushing at him.
Kankuro was confident Akira would lose to Gaara.
But he was not sure how far he may even push Gaara, for the Nara may or may not have exaggerated Akira's prowess in the rumors.
And Kankuro was definitely not too keen on finding out, lest he and Temari end up casualties in their clash.
Suddenly, a certain weight pressed down on Temari and Kankuro's shoulders.
A familiar weight, yet it felt different.
Gaara seemed to feel it as well, as a bloodthirsty grin formed on his face in spite of it.
The temperature dropped, as Akira's killing intent enveloped the Sand Siblings.
"Me? Run away? Why?" He pointed at himself, his words chilling.
His eyes narrowed dangerously at Gaara, pointing at him once more, "You should be telling that to your teammate. He should get those wee little legs of his moving. And soon..."
Adding with finality:
"Cause just standing in that one place relying on his defenses is going to get him killed."
The temperature lowered suddenly, as did the weight, Akira's voice lighter as he smiled broadly, "To translate... I'm his worst nightmare and opponent. So I might as well have some fun~"
Following his words, Akira shot forward in a blur towards Gaara.
Temari and Kankuro backed away in a panic whilst Gaara stood with a wicked grin, his eyes narrowed as he extended his hands forward.
The hands commanded the sand, and with the smallest gesture, the sand hardened and culminated into a thick concentrated wave, bursting into motion at great speeds towards the rushing figure of Akira.
With fluid movements, Akira weaved through the wave of sand which moved, twisted, and turned at Gaara's command, attempting to catch or at least graze Akira.
But it proved too slow.
Akira had already reached arm's length of Gaara, intruding on his personal space as the automatic sand defense rushed to Gaara's aid.
Reacting as best as he could, Gaara's hand flew to make a hand sign.
Only for it to be swiped away without issue, followed by a remark, "Oh, stop that."
Gaara's expression morphed in confusion and he couldn't utter his own retort, as a powerful punch landed in his gut.
Prompting Gaara to bend over from the pain, despite hastily wrapping himself in Sand Armor.
A crack resonated followed by Gaara's infuriated grunt.
But a millisecond later, Gaara felt a second impact from the same punch, breaking the sand armor in his abdomen.
The rare feeling of pain welcomed itself with Gaara's audible guffaw.
"Gaara!" Kankuro's concerned shout reverberated throughout the forest.
Akira's knee flew towards Gaara's pained expression, planning to seize the opportunity caused by the stupor.
Only for him to back away as Sand was hastily approaching his location.
Reappearing at his spot prior to the 1st round of the altercation, looking no worse for wear, Akira let out a hum.
"Would end pretty badly for me if that caught me... Really amazes me how that thing just protects you automatically, regardless of your condition. You should really teach me that trick~" He flashed a devilish smirk, his tone expressing a mix of intrigue but moreso amusement at the situation.
Gaara slowly rose up, as killing intent radiated from him, sending chills down the spines of his siblings.
The snarl on his face was truly feral.
He slowly rose up, patting his pained abdomen gently, stating, "Nara Akira. Was it?"
Akira tilted his head, nodding silently.
"Your death will fuel my existence. I'll crush every bone in your body and a river of blood will form from your corpse... You... Are now my prey." He declared wholeheartedly, sand convulsing beside him, as his killing intent and expression turned even more wild.
"Kind of repeating yourself there, buddy. I'm just out to try to have some fun~ Why so serious~?" He waved him off.
Then, with a quick weave of a hand sign by Gaara, a clone began to form from the Sand.
The Sand Clone and Gaara himself exerted their wills and the Sand began to fly towards Akira at a complex pattern, with little openings.
'He's playing it safe. if he went with a wide tidal wave of sand, he'd have almost nothing to defend himself should I somehow avoid it. He's still got his head in the game, at least.' Akira noted with a thin line on his face, lazily observing the attack charging towards him.
Then, that smirk of his returned with full force at the following thought, 'Unfortunately for him... He's still not moving those legs of his against his worst matchup.'
Akira's movements were a blur, as he took out a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it, igniting it immediately.
Gaara's eyes narrowed, yet he and his clone proceeded with the offensive.
Akira shoved his hand down the shadows and a moment later, the hand appeared below Gaara.
Akira aimed true, sending the kunai flying towards Gaara's face.
Gaara couldn't even react, what was left of his sand stock rushed to his defense, blocking the kunai...
But not the explosion.
A cloud of smoke, dust, and sand enveloped their forested battlefield.
Gaara's clone had dispersed and the controlled offensive of sand had lost its shape - Gaara's control was let go to switch back to defense.
Akira had already dove into the shadows appearing before the vulnerable Gaara whose sand had been dispersed and scurrying to protect him.
A vulnerability Akira planned on taking advantage of.
'I think now's the best time as any. Before he can transform.' He coldly thought.
His hand shot forward, coated in Chakra as his nails lengthened and sharpened beyond the sharpness of a traditional kunai.
Gaara's panicked expression was one to savor, as he threw a punch at Akira, neglecting any Ninjutsu.
Akira had donned his smirk widely, as he grabbed the limb with ease with his other hand, holding it in place with his superior strength.
He uttered the final gleeful words, "Should have gotten those little legs moving~"
The goal was to pierce.
Akira's nails reached Gaara's throat, digging through the leftover Sand Armor.
Finally, he drew blood.
They dug deeper, deeper.
Until...
A blast of powerful and quick wind sent Akira flying toward one of the large trees surrounding them.
His body impacted the tree with a loud thump.
It took only a second for him to shake off the pain and impact, as he rose up with an even expression.
He turned to look at his opponents.
The prior nervous Temari and Kankuro now stood protectively beside the shocked Gaara.
The unease was still there, yet, they resolved to intervene.
A hint of annoyance radiated from Akira's tone, "You know, some part of me genuinely believed you two wouldn't get involved."
Temari flashed a confident smirk, masking her fear, "And what? Let you finish us off when you're done with Gaara?"
She quickly gave Kankuro a knowing look, as her muscles tensed at the sudden silence from Gaara.
Kankuro frowned, offering with raised arms, despite the puppet beside him being unveiled, "Look. Let's not let things get any uglier than they already are. We'll give you our scroll if you leave us alone. How about that?" He silently weaved hand signs, sending a wave of foreign chakra toward Akira.
A Genjutsu attempt that was thwarted immediately by Akira's summoned Shikigami - Whiskers.
"Peace offering with a sprinkle of Genjutsu? Tempting. Real tempt-" Akira's amusement came to an abrupt end as a wave of powerful chakra and killing intent washed over them all.
"BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! IT'S MY BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!" A screech reverberated from Gaara as the ground shook.
"FUCK!" Kankuro cursed as he and Temari backed away without a second thought.
Sand began to convulse and harden on his body in layers, slowly morphing into a carapace-like sand limb.
'He sure got triggered soon. Did he figure out that he was outclassed? Damn, never mind that. This needs to be over with. Now.' Akira registered in his mind in mere moments.
Akira's expression turned cold once more, "Not a chance."
His hands blurred as he formed a shadowgraphic hand sign of an Ox head, "Piercing Ox."
The expectant Kekkei Genkai was finally unleashed, but in turn, Gaara's Perfect Possession had just begun.
Kankuro and Temari dashed to a distant tree to observe, fearful for their lives and no longer capable of protecting Gaara.
After all... in that state.
He doesn't need any, they'll either die or get in the way.
Sighing, Kankuro accepted their fate shaking his head with clear annoyance, "This exam's over. The brat's dying and the forest's gonna get destroyed."
Temari turned to him worried, "What about the plan?"
He frowned, "I don't know. They'll now know Gaara is Shukaku's host-" Kankuro's words were stuck in his throat, as he turned his attention to the manifested Ox beside Akira.
The Ox huffed as its muscles bulged and... Burst forward with disturbing force, it's stampede shook the ground.
Growing stronger and louder with each step.
Akira's eyes narrowed at the still-transforming Gaara.
Halfway wrapped in layers of sand, Gaara roared as his monstrous sand limb shot towards his aggressor, the Ox.
Piercing Ox charged forward and was met with the powerful sand limb.
With his current stockpiled strength, the Ox was pushed back by the semi-transformed Gaara.
As every second passed, Gaara grew visibly stronger and more monstrous.
"Water Style - Wild Water Wave!" Torrents of water shot from Akira's mouth towards the limb.
Softening the layers of sand, and finally, giving Piercing Ox the opening it needed.
Charging forward, it broke through the sand, growing stronger and stronger, faster and faster.
Despite his monstrous appearance, Gaara seemed to have not yet lost his cognitive capabilities, and noticed the losing tug of war, as he moved with great speeds betraying his size to dodge the Ox that was an instant away from bursting through his body in a gory display.
The sand monster hopped into the air, cracking the ground beneath him.
The Ox was promptly dismissed by Akira, having failed its role, as Akira rushed in pursuit of Gaara, who was more than halfway turned into a Sand Monster.
A sand tail and arm flew towards Akira at scary speeds, only for Akira to bend his body midair and catch onto one of them to reposition himself before the sand caved his hand in.
Gaara's growl was met by Akira's lengthened nails, piercing his eyes.
The squelch of the torn eyes echoed through the clearing of their clash.
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH" Gaara cried out in agony, as the sand around him responded with fitting flailing.
Only stopped before his brain due to sand wrapping Akira's face.
"Damn so fucking close!" He cried out as he backed away, avoiding his brain being pulverized.
Landing on the ground with a thud, a frown was now plastered on Akira's face as he ignored the blood tainting his nails to focus on the monster that dropped to the ground with a powerful impact.
'Alright. Now to finish him off, I've got to be careful of the Demon within him. It might act as his eye-'
His internal thoughts were cut short, when he was met by the blind, albeit intact monster.
Blood coated the thick layers of sand, but Gaara's entire body has fully been layered with sand.
He now resembled the fully formed Shukaku - A Sand Tanuki Demon.
The only difference is that Gaara has yet to grow into the titanic proportions of the fully formed Shukaku.
Nevertheless, this did not bode well for anyone.
"Oh no..." Kankuro's utterance and gulp mirrored Akira's own thoughts on the situation.
"Damn it..." He gritted his teeth, as his mind raced to find a method to finish Gaara off before he turned big.
Coming across a possibility.
'...If that doesn't work, then it's Mahoraga.' Akira resolved himself.
His plans were already burnt to the ground by the advent of Gaara's swift transformation into Shukaku and his tenacity.
Thus, Akira finally made his decision on a lingering question.
One, he had planned to keep for emergencies.
Mayhaps keep it for Tiger Funeral, should he prove to be the worthier choice once tamed.
Nevertheless, circumstances dictated choices.
[Choose Who Shall Inherit Nue's Essence.]
Divine Dogs (Yin Twin) - Compatible.
Divine Dogs (Yang Twin) - Compatible.
Toad - Compatible.
Great Serpent - Compatible.
Nue - Deceased.
Rabbit Escape - Compatible.
Max Elephant - Compatible
Round Deer - Compatible.
Piercing Ox - Compatible.
Tiger Funeral - Compatible.
Eight Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga - Compatible.
????? - Incompatible.
The choice had finally been made.
-------------------------------
Within the cold metal walls of a certain place.
A room grotesquely ravaged:
Blood, shadows, and feathers decorated brutality all over the room which seemed to lose all color and life.
A chaotic, ghastly sight.
Within it, however, lay a liquid ball of shadow - From it, black veins spread outside the room in many directions.
And it lay there, naught a movement.
For many many days.
Then... It moved.
A sudden glow from one of the blue veins acted like a command to the liquid ball.
And it dove into one specific vein of the many black veins it spread.
From an outsider's perspective, one could see one of the black veins bulging, as something traveled disturbingly through it.
Eventually, it reached outside the room, following the path of one of the veins to a particular room.
Of a particular Shikigami.
Upon entering, the ball of liquid shadow popped out of the floor.
And with the prompting of another blue vein, the room's resident swallowed the ball whole.
-------------------------------
The inherited Shikigami's name was already ingrained in Akira's psyche upon completion of the inheritance.
Wasting not a moment, not a hint of hesitation, Akira mustered his chakra as he made the shadowgraphic hand sign...
Of a snake head with a single hand.
He announced the words necessary to summon the inherited Shikigami:
"Great Serpent Totality - Merged Beast Quetzalcoatl."
Akira wasn't done, and he did not care.
He was not risking playing around any longer.
He pumped as much chakra as he could, managing to overload the Totality.
It was a Level 2.
A gigantic chunk of Akira's chakra was taken and in exchange...
Below the shadow of the transformed Gaara, emerged a gigantic serpent.
A school bus in width, it swallowed the transformed Gaara with ease before he could even react, as it extended itself toward the sky.
Longer and longer, it extended itself, reaching beyond the ginormous trees, and easily reaching a hundred meters in length.
The Serpent revealed its full glory.
A snake wrapped with layers of scales and another layer of dense bone, evident from Nue's inheritance.
Over a dozen pairs of large obsidian feathered wings on each part of its body contrasted with its white scale coloring.
'FINISH HIM OFF! SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO!' Akira roared in his mind, in command.
Chakra drained as if it was being poured out by a floodgate, and he could not waste a moment longer.
Heeding his command, Quetzalcoatl moved.
All of its pairs of wings glowed and shook as lightning gathered.
Its belly began to glow as well, lightning gathering in its stomach.
Letting loose a guttural roar that was accompanied by lightning sourcing from its stomach, Quetzalcoatl spat out Gaara high in the air, hitting him twice with the same current.
Dispersing most of the sand layers and scorching his skin and face.
Wordlessly, Akira let go of the summon, Quetzalcoatl's large body collectively and grotesquely melting into liquid shadows.
Gaara's seemingly unconscious body plummeted to the ground, impacting it with an explosion of debris and dust.
Akira cautiously approached, his eyes narrowed and his expression stoic yet internally livid.
The dust cleared, revealing a squirming Gaara, barely holding onto consciousness and dear life, his body barely recognizable.
He still had chakra in him, as sand once more, albeit much slower, began to stick itself to his skin.
Akira wasted not a moment, appearing before Gaara, "Die. You tenacious fucker."
Abusing the opening he made in Gaara's eyes, he pierced through his brain.
Putting an end to Gaara's life in a gory display.
Ceasing Gaara's pointless squirming, dropping to the ground with a light thud, blood pooling below him.
'Down to 15%... From just that.' Akira clicked his tongue internally.
'This... Was not worth it. I could've killed him much earlier before he turn-' Akira analyzed the altercation with a notable degree of frustration, only for him to pause as a voice in his mind called out to him.
'Sand Siblings. Running away. Panicked.' Whiskers reported with little delay.
Frowning, Akira looked down at the result of his efforts, looking blankly at the pooling blood from Gaara's corpse, 'How are the other participants reacting to Solid's flashy show?'
'Heading. Other direction.' Whiskers responded.
'Your teammates. On way here.' Another Whiskers mentioned.
"Thought so... How did he guess that was Solid though?" Akira mumbled.
'Intuition. Maybe.' Whiskers replied.
"Old reliable, is it?" Akira hummed, mechanically plastering a smirk on his face.
'What of Orochimaru?'
'He. Will catch teammates. Before they. Reach you. According to. Travel trajectory.' Whiskers stated the grave sentence with naught a chance in tone.
'I see...' Akira hummed once more.
'15%... It'll be risky, but I can still work with this... The plan can still go on, with only a slight setback in resources. That's all.' Akira confirmed to himself.
'Now then...' Akira's head turned towards the deeper forest, his eyes narrowed and smile broad and frightening.
-------------------------------
The two sand siblings ran with all the strength they could muster.
Expressions pale and sweaty, in spite of it, they were fully on guard.
Kankuro's puppet - Karasu was on standby and ready for any altercation.
Nevertheless, they were set on escaping this accursed forest.
They bore witness to a clash between Monsters, and their Monster lost and paid the price with his life.
He wasn't after their scroll.
He wasn't after anything but the delight in their suffering and the ecstasy of combat.
The rules dictated that the Genin MUST stay in the forest for five entire days.
"TO HELL WITH THE DAMN RULES!" Temari growled.
Whatever punishment awaited them from their Village, it certainly wasn't going to be as bad as dying.
Her expression was the epitome of distraught, as she barely held onto her composure, "Did you see that? Someone... Killing Gaara. Assassins failed. Hell! I thought only Dad could do it! What in the hell is he?" Her voice shook with a twinge of fear.
Kankuro, being the voice of reason shook his head, "It doesn't matter what he is. What matters is getting the hell out of here and relaying this information. We'll have to follow different orders, most likely-"
They froze, as the figure of their most recent nightmare appeared before them, giddily waving a hand at them, standing beside a rabbit, "Hello~"
Temari's expression grew even more pale, her body tensed up as she did her best to keep herself in somewhat of a composed state.
Yet the memory of what she bore witness to served as a brutal reminder to cease any attempts at bluffing composure.
"What do you want? You've killed Gaara already." Kankuro questioned, masking his unease as best he could, wasting no moment as he positioned Karasu in front of him.
Kankuro could already hazard a guess from Akira's prior wordings as to what he seeks from them.
Nevertheless, he wanted to buy time.
Akira lifted his arms in a placating gesture, yet his grin was anything but placating, "I think we've started on the wrong foot here."
Kankuro curbed the urge to insult or argue, as he was in no superior position to, so he gestured for Akira to continue.
"You know... I wasn't actually planning on killing him."
"Bullshit, I saved him from getting his throat slit by you," Temari growled her disagreement.
He shrugged lightly in response, "Well, he was getting on my nerves, and honestly... That whole turning into a monster business? Yeah, I had to put the rabid dog down."
Lifting a finger, his smirk turned chilling as his following words sent shivers down their spines:
"My only desire... Is to have as much harmless fun as I can in this clown exam~"
"HARMLESS FUN?!" Temari roared, swiping her fan towards Akira with a blast of wind, prompting the latter to dodge out of the way, disappearing into the forest's darkness.
"TEMARI SHUT UP! GET CLOSE TO ME! NOW!" Kankuro commanded with a panicky voice.
His voice echoed, unable to pinpoint where it came from:
"Don't worry... I won't kill you~ Maybe a broken bone or two. Maybe lifetime cripple. Be a good dance partner and I'll go easy on you~!"
To Be Continued!
-Omake Start-
Title - Breakfast In The Newly Engaged Akira Naomi Household (Canon)
-Akira POV-
The day was looking fine and bright.
Except for this whole headache-inducing concoction of awkward situation the two of us found ourselves in - Standing before the actually stacked kitchen area of our new abode.
By two of us, I meant myself and my betrothed...
Apparently, our current quandary, was who was going to do the cooking for both breakfast and dinner.
At least, it was a predicament in Naomi's eyes.
I am completely fine with ordering out or dropping by my actual home, Auntie wouldn't mind packing some stuff.
Folding her arms under her breasts steadfastly, Naomi took charge, "While I have been trained in matters regarding household affairs, I will not delegate myself to housewife, I am still too young and we have yet to wed. Akira-sama."
I shook my head, "And no one is asking you to be one, Naomi-san. I really don't mind cooking, there's just a tiny issue about it."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously at me, her gaze towering over me.
...I'm not short, I'm just young.
"Which is?" She questioned.
"I suck at cooking?" I offered.
I mean, my taste buds have tasted both heaven and hell.
Hell being that Mountain Lion back in the Land Of Mountains.
Kyokan was hyping it up for no reason whatsoever.
That shit tasted lean and nasty.
The point is, I'm used to eating whatever there is available, and or purchasing quality food.
Or free food from Auntie herself.
Naomi blinked for a moment, as she came upon a realization, "Right... Nara men."
"Oi, is that prejudice or am I just hearing things?" I deadpanned.
She ignored my comment, smiling lightly, "Alright, there isn't a better time to start than today. I'll take care of dinner. You take care of breakfast. We can change up the rotation whenever you please, Akira-sama."
...
"I'm kinda loaded right now, can't we just order foo-"
"No."
"Yeah, thought so." My shoulder slumped.
"I'll go out for my morning run, I pray there will be a fine breakfast for my famished self upon my return!" She giggled as she made her way to the door.
"Okay missy, I can talk fancy as well, get a move on," I grumbled.
She nodded, flashing a friendly smile and waving goodbye.
"Oh, and make sure to not bring your stalker buddy here. I'm cooking for two and only two." I warn.
Her cheeks tinged red at the reminder of her prior embarrassment.
Huffing, she left without saying a word, closing the door with a creak.
'Just for the chance of her bringing that gal here... I hope she runs into Might Guy.' I wished for her with the best and purest of intentions.
-A few moments later-
"What. Is. Going. On?" Naomi's voice eerily reminded my aunt as she entered the house with quite the attitude.
She didn't seem to want to rush to the bath, considering she was drenched with sweat.
Deciding nagging would be the preferable activity.
I'll rectify the issue with my boundless gentlemanly compassion.
"Wouldn't you rather take a bath and question the ongoing of our fine abode under a less heated state?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight before her.
I shrugged in response, "What? I don't see the problem here."
I really didn't.
What's wrong with this hyper-efficient Whiskers Cooking Line?
Original Whiskers with a Chef's hat, reading the latest Konoha Housewife Cookbook.
Three Whiskers cutting vegetables.
Two Whiskers washing dishes.
Three Whiskers on the stove.
One Whiskers handling the plating.
Also, the Jeff Grocery Supply Chain has fallen ill, he's in a drunken slumber on the couch, so I guess that's an issue.
"Whatever they are cooking... I am not eating it." Her declaration was followed by the sudden cease of activity from all Whiskers and a loud gasp from myself.
A tense silence enveloped us.
"Naomi-san, I wouldn't say such things to a bunch of rabbits holding knives."
"Did I hurt his feelings?"
"No. He's just looking for excuses to taste blood."
-Omake End-
-Author Note Start-
Hello squad fam!
How do you do?
I hope this chapter was to your satisfaction and up to quality and stuff!
Now, as you may have noticed.
Akira is donning his Aizen and Madara cosplay.
Do note he isn't even remotely close to both of them, so the cosplay is a bit botched.
But anywho!
Things are going to be presented in a different matter in this arc, and Akira's plan is pretty long term so you'll be seeing his mostly roleplay (As well as the already noticeable cracks) for a while.
Also Gaara's dead.
Yup no 5th Kazekage Gaara for yall.
Following the Chunin Exams.
Expect HEAVY canon divergence in a lot of things as time stretches.
Of course, things that don't make sense for them to change, won't change.
But I try my best that the World is actually "Alive" so to speak.
I could miss details or knowledge, as I am not a Naruto Professor, so do notify me if you notice something missing.
And Finally...
EVERYONE LISTEN UP! I NEED A SHUKAKU RESPAWN TIMER RIGHT THE FUCK NOW! GET READY WITH YOUR POKEBALLS IN THE DESERT CAUSE THAT GUY'S A FREE CATCH!
On that note, love ya and cya soon!
-Down here is the copy paste stuff-
If ya'll feeling frisky and rich you can donate to my P A T R E 0 N to show some nice and kind support.
Here's the link:
patre0n.com/BurgerNoTomatoes
As always people! If you see any inconsistencies, wrong information, Illogical statements, etc... Notify me, please! I'll fix it ASAP! And or explain it later on in case I had planned to make it vague in the first place.
Also, all comments, reviews, constructive criticism and so on Are much appreciated! I especially love Constructive criticism because it allows me to improve the story in real time! I try my best to follow your advice!
I enjoy responding to you all! So do send them comments! Also, ideas are also welcome! I'm not that creative so assistance from you guys is always nice! Yup!
I hope you lovely people have a fantastic rest of the day/week. And I'll see you in a week's time or so :P
The first 1GB hard drive, released in 1980 by IBM, weighed over 500 pounds and cost $40,000. Here's this week's random fun fact.
(Just noticed this Story Reached 300,000 Words. And we ain't even in Shippuden. I shiver at the prospect of my self-proclaimed title as the Master Of Pacing acting up and (Probably) making this fic reach into the 1,000,000 word range by the time we're done here.)
-Author Note End-
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
(Hello, hello. Little Author Rant before we dive into the Chapter. Don't read this if ya don't want to, This is regarding Gaara's death and also subsequent CANON ALTERATIONS.)
(Do take note, that Gaara's death wasn't a spontaneous or of-the-moment thing. Gaara's shippuden significance is GONE from Akira's memories. And from many considerations, there were more demerits for Akira than merits to simply keep him alive in his plan. I, the Author, do know of the future and Gaara's significance and I DO know that the plot is irrevocably changed as a result of his death WHICH IS PERMANENT!)
(I don't know if I have to be crystal clear bout this, or if it's obvious - But I try to follow the logical consequences of Characters' actions according to their PERSONALITY. Mistakes, Genius ideas, and so on and so forth. As a result of divergence, some Characters stay alive: Haku and Zabuza are ALIVE for example, while Gaara is dead. This will continue in the future. Some will live, some will die.)
(Example of divergence in the exam! More participants = more lots = diversified arrangements in the gates = THE SAME ENCOUNTERS LIKELY WON'T HAPPEN.)
(That's it! XD)
I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
(Credit to Spilngosplongo for the Beta Reading Labor!)
To the websites where I can paste the picture.
Here's the current state of affairs as of the START of this Chapter! (Credit to Glorious4EyedKing for the PEAK work)
-Story Start-
-Third Person POV-
Barely ten minutes had passed since the start of the exam.
Whether it was thanks to the noisy ambiance of the flowing river, or the surrounding nature and flora - Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura failed to notice any ongoing scuffle in their surroundings.
Exhaling a breath of the moist air, Sakura's steps slowed down as she casually walked on the wet coarse stone by the shore of the river.
She did little to mask the sound of her feet impacting the coarse and wet stone beneath her, the sounds of nature doing all the necessary masking for her.
"Think it was a good idea to let Akira take the scroll with him? I get that no one could steal it from him when he's shoved it down his shadows, but..." She inquired lightly.
He grunted, "Whatever he's decided to do isn't a good idea." He replied with a hint of distaste and irritation.
Leveling a look at the frowning Sasuke, Sakura shook her head, offering their next course of action, "We should head along the river. It passes through the center and we should find a team... Though we're two people against three."
"Inconsequential. I'll take two, you take one." He answered quickly, his eyes narrowing at the other side of the shore, beyond the dense flora and trees where snakes slither and rabbits roam.
It appeared as if his words were prophetic, as not a moment later, wind bullets flew past the deep flora, heading straight for the two members of Team 7.
Sasuke easily weaved past the projectiles, throwing kunai in retaliation mid-dodge.
Sakura quickly rolled away with a thud, weaving hand signs as she stopped her roll, "Water Style - Water Bullets!"
Taking a deep breath, she spat out speeding bullets of water from her mouth, with pinpoint accuracy, they met with the other Wind Bullets and canceled them out.
Sasuke's kunai were met with a loud clang as they shot towards the flora, having been repelled by their opponents.
"Reveal yourselves!" He called out.
No response came.
He smirked, and with but a single hand he took in a big inhale of air, "Fire Style - Great Fireball Jutsu!"
At his proclamation, a giant fireball shot forward toward the dense flora.
Lacking means to block the scorching fireball, out of the flora, jumped three Shinobi donning Sunagakure headbands, as an explosion of fire ensued.
Three boys roughly 14-15 years of age.
They didn't seem keen on conversing as they shot toward Sasuke and Sakura with smirks of anticipation.
Their steps loudly reverberated on the river water as they dashed towards the Team 7 members on the other side, they ran in an organized formation the steel kunai gleaming with poison.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he smirked, ignoring the smell of burnt foliage drawing his own kunai. "Sakura, avoid getting cut."
She huffed as she weaved handsigns, "Yeah, I figured." Her expression was a degree more serious than Sasuke's, concentration decorating her features.
They stood side by side, "Do as I told you!" Sasuke's muscles bulged as he shot forward in a surprising burst of speed.
The Sand Shinobi did not anticipate such acceleration, as they wildly swung their kunai at Sasuke who reached melee range.
The smirking Uchiha had easily weaved between their swings, his kunai glistened red as he cut through the arm tendons of the Sand Genin in the center.
"GAAAAAH!" He roared in agony, as his hands helplessly limped to the side.
"Tonda! You bastard!" The Sand Shinobi to his left quickly kicked Sasuke, who blocked with his forearm.
Being pushed a little to the side of the river, Sasuke kept tight control of the chakra of his feet, so as not to drop into the river water.
The injured Sand Shinobi attempted a knee strike on Sasuke, only to be intercepted by...
A sudden punch from his teammate on the right.
It was a powerful haymaker, winded up with chakra, as the already injured Sand Shinobi shot past the river and landed on the shore with a loud thud, barely holding onto consciousness from the pain.
The bewildered left teammate gaped at the friendly fire, he turned to the perpetrator who called out with glee:
Sakura smirked, "Even out the odds. Now it's fairer, don't you think?"
Gritting his teeth, he barely dodged Sasuke's punch, as he was suddenly put thoroughly on the defensive in a Taijutsu exchange.
Punch, Kick, Kunai.
It was a rapid exchange that lasted but a few seconds.
An exchange he lost.
With a loud guffaw, a powerful kick in the abdomen sent the Sand Shinobi to the shore as well.
Only leaving the one under Genjutsu, who had noticed his disarray - "Release!"
Clicking her tongue, Sakura sent Kunai flying toward the now-standing Sand Shinobi.
He was also met by Sasuke's relentless Taijutsu, and as he blocked Sasuke's kick to the face, Sakura's kunai was mid-trajectory.
"Sasuke! Now!" She yelled.
Sasuke tilted his head to avoid the kunai, whilst the Sand Shinobi blocked it with his own, retaliating at Sasuke with a kick of his own, having no breathing room to weave any jutsu.
Nodding, Sasuke let go of the chakra allowing him to stand on the river, as he plummeted to its rather shallow depths, dodging the kick's trajectory.
The fluid and heavy feel of water hadn't hindered him one bit, as underwater combat was always a prospect and possibility, so training for that had never been squandered.
Using the bottom of the river as a jump pad, he launched himself forward, grabbing the kunai that sunk in the water.
Stabbing the Sand Shinobi in the knee.
Bending over in pain, he could not even scream before Sasuke's punch broke his jaw with a crack and sent him similarly to the shore, albeit separated from his teammates.
The two other teammates slowly rose despite the pain, adrenaline coursing through their veins.
Only to be met with a kunai on each of their necks.
Sakura, with a sinister smile gently stroked the dual-wielded kunai on their necks, drawing but a thin line of blood, "Scroll please~?"
-------------------------------
The Sand Genin were not fools, having their life threatened and having been thoroughly embarrassed and brutalized, offering their scroll was their only option.
Having been left to rot by the river's shore, Sasuke and Sakura pressed forward along the river.
"A Heaven Scroll... If we find Akira we can just head straight and finish the exam. The river cuts through the center, after all. There's an intersection just ahead, we follow it to the right. This is the best route, given the Tiger's territory is on the northern end of the river, past the Center Goal." Sakura frowned as she pointed.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted in affirmation.
Staring at the open sky, Sakura couldn't help but mumble, "A little anticlimactic, though. I'd expected more of a challenge. But then again... You pretty much took care of those three almost on your own, Sasuke-kun. And my Genjutsu really worked out, huh!" She mentioned with a hint of pride.
"Why are you surprised it worked? They're not bad, but still riffraff compared to what I've fought." He confirmed with a nod.
"I mean... Elite Genin are supposed to take this Exam, so I was just surprised my Genjutsu was that effective given it's the first time I used it in live combat..." She admitted with a smile.
"Most Shinobi are horrible with Genjutsu," Sasuke mentioned.
"Guess so. Hehe." Sakura rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
A moment of awkward silence ensued.
Sakura hummed in slight irritation, her internal voice raging, 'ARGH! WHERE IS THAT GUY ANYWAY!?'
Although Sasuke was similarly irritated, he hadn't brought up the topic, and it made her want to ignore the elephant in the room as well.
But she's lost her damn patience!
"Sasuke-kun, you got an idea where he is or what he's trying? Emphasis on Idea. I know you're mad as well." She voiced her frustrations.
He grunted in annoyance, leveling an even look at her, "It doesn't matter what he's planning or doing. We'll pass. Easily at that. It's his lack of faith that grates me. His act isn't fooling anybody but himself."
Sakura mumbled, raising her hand sheepishly, "Erm... He did seem a little scary earlier."
Sasuke gave her a seething glare of disappointment.
To which she started sweating lightly.
Sighing, he elaborated, "That's because you don't really know him. He's always scary, but he doesn't choose to be scary for fun like he's painted himself earlier."
"I see..." Sakura nodded in understanding.
'So he's putting on an act, for... Ah?'
She shook her head, "Well... He should finish up whatever he's planning soon. I'd rather get rid of the blood on me in the Center rather than this nasty forest."
While Sakura has been through much worse circumstances in this Forest Of Death.
It doesn't mean she likes being dirty.
Sasuke arched an eyebrow at her complaint, to which she replied with a huff, "I'm still a young maiden you know?"
She deadpanned at him, wagging her finger, "Matter of fact... Are you sure we shouldn't stop and let your clothes dry? Are you even comfortable walking like tha-"
Her words were cut short by a loud, booming roar followed by electricity and thunder.
Sasuke and Sakura's eyes shot towards the source.
It was very distant, yet, nevertheless, it was so large and looming that they could clearly make out its shape as it towered over the giant trees.
A large white snake, with layers of scales and bone-like armor, and many pairs of obsidian feathered wings charged with electricity.
It lasted for but a few moments, before promptly melting into Liquid Shadows.
Sakura's mouth gaped, muttering lowly, "T-That's not something native to this forest..." She emphasized her knowledge of this place.
Her insinuation was clear.
Whatever this was...
It was brought here by one of the Genin Contenders.
Sasuke's expression hardened, "That's Akira's..."
Sakura tried her best to keep her voice low, nevertheless, she shouted, "Wha?! THAT'S HIS?!" She pointed at the former spot where that snake was.
Sasuke nodded, not a hint of hesitation crossing his features, "It's the first time I've seen that thing, but that's definitely his going by the liquid shadows..."
He turned to meet Sakura's eyes resolutely, "We have to hurry over there. For him to use something like that... Means there's someone that strong."
Sakura hesitated for but a moment, but nodded with a resolved smile.
Her voice was nervous but she was keen on helping, "Alright. Let's go."
Their muscles bulged, as Sasuke shot forward, Sakura doing her best to keep up.
The Last Uchiha's mind raced, 'He's never used that back in the Land Of Woods...'
The implications of that statement allowed a pang of dread to run through his whole being.
A shiver went down his spine, but Sasuke's choice was firm:
He'd help his friend.
-------------------------------
From tree branch to tree branch.
Dashing through the tallgrass of the clearings.
Sasuke and Sakura ran through the Forest with gusto.
Their eyes scanned for any potential teams given the large number of Shinobi in this relatively small forest.
"No one yet... I think they smartly scattered..." Sakura mentioned as she ran beside Sasuke.
He nodded with a slight smirk of amusement, cutting through his gaze of concentration, "I doubt anyone would want to take part in whatever that was." Mentioning the gigantic lightning-winged snake.
Then, suddenly, Sasuke's instincts flared, as he turned to his left, throwing a bundle of shuriken, to Sakura's surprise.
Her muscles tightened as she paused beside Sasuke, glaring at the approaching figure of...
"Akira..." Sasuke muttered.
The aforementioned Akira approached with a disarming smile, the shuriken firmly caught between his fingers.
"Hey guys! Been fine without me?" He called out as he approached.
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged looks.
'Is he done with his business then?' Sakura's gaze conveyed.
Sasuke shook his head, mumbling lowly, "Uncertain, but there is an easy way to check."
Sasuke and Sakura nodded collectively, as they yelled, ""Stop!""
Tilting his head, Akira paused, inquiring, "What's the matter?"
Sasuke had an easy solution to his suspicion.
He smirked, pointing at Akira, "Summon a single Whiskers for me. Pull out something from the Shadows. Dive into the Shadows. Do anything to prove you are actually Akira."
With a sudden, sickening change of atmosphere.
Akira's disarming smile twisted into an inhumanely large broad and gleeful grin, "Splendid..."
Sasuke and Sakura's muscles tightened, as they took on a stance, their eyes narrowed at the fake Akira.
As his transformation started being undone, they hadn't moved an inch.
Sakura voiced her concern, "I'm getting bad vibes off of this guy..." She frowned as she drew a kunai.
Sasuke frowned as well, "He's trouble." Drawing a kunai as well.
The transformation was undone, revealing a woman with a Grass headband.
"Creepy..." Sakura mumbled, tightening the grip on her kunai.
He was eyeing the two of them like pieces of meat, there was no concern in those eyes.
It was as if...
They were mere prey.
It was a subconscious message, conveyed with pure body language, that prompted Sasuke's activation of the Sharingan, as three and two tomoe respectively gleamed in his eyes.
It may be mere bravado.
But the feeling of... Unease was unmistakable.
It sent shivers down his and Sakura's spine.
The hairs on their body stood on end.
The creepy woman licked her lips with an obscenely long and large tongue.
"A defiant little kitten." She leveled a look of anticipation at Sasuke.
"A harmless little bird." She turned to Sakura with the same look.
She giggled in a disturbing way, "I wonder... Where's the tricky little Deer?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously at the creepy woman, his glare questioning.
She elaborated, "So many rabbits in this forest... Shadows have quite a bitter taste~ Their Master oh so elusive." Gesturing at the sky, where that large snake was prior, answering Sasuke's unasked question.
"What are you getting at?" Sasuke questioned pointedly, his eyes narrowed.
Feeling the glare of the sharingan sent a wave of ecstasy for the woman, as she ignored his inquiry, "Ah... Those beautiful, defiant eyes... The prized possession of the Uchiha. Their namesake."
The temperature dropped significantly, as the woman suddenly exclaimed with a change of tone, "It's a shame they are wielded by prey. The last of their great legacy." She shook her head in shame.
Adding, "Itachi's gaze... Was that of a lion." Her words prickled down Sasuke's pride and ego.
Hitting exactly where it hurt.
Nevertheless, he didn't let her get a rise from him, he echoed once more, in a silent fury, "What. Do. You. Want?"
Sakura wanted to look at Sasuke in worry, but, she couldn't let her gaze leave the dangerous woman's visage for even a second.
Her rapidly beating heart and paling expression were adequate warning signs.
A creepy grin etched onto the woman's face, as she pulled out a scroll from her pocket.
It was an Earth Scroll.
"You have a Heaven Scroll, correct? Then let us play... A little game~" She started.
Promptly, she opened her mouth and grotesquely swallowed her scroll whole, like a snake.
Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened in alarm at the sight, whilst a familiar sensation enveloped Sakura.
She couldn't place her finger on it, but this woman reminded her of Anko, albeit on a whole other level of maliciousness.
The disturbing woman gulped the scroll, turning to the two Genin.
The temperature dropped to subzero, as a heavy weight crashed down onto the shoulders of Sasuke and Sakura at her words:
"With our lives on the line... Let's begin the battle for each other's scrolls."
'Killing intent!' Rang out in Sasuke's mind.
More potent than Kakashi's.
More potent than Faceless's.
It was even more potent than Itachi's.
More potent than any Killing Intent he's ever experienced.
Images of his death flashed onto his mind as he broke into a cold sweat.
Shaking his head, he collected himself but a moment later, his eyes glaring at the woman.
At the ready to fight, despite the heavyweight and dreadful sensation.
The creepy woman's eyes widened for a moment, and a degree of respect washed over her features.
He turned a single eye to Sakura, who could barely hold herself together, her limbs shook as she was considerably worse off than Sasuke - She began to hyperventilate.
Without taking his eyes off his opponent, he pinched Sakura's side.
She yelped lightly, an awkward sound amid the tense situation.
But it served its purpose, as she blinked and exhaled a calming breath, "Thanks. Sasuke." Her eyes were glued to the enemy.
He replied quickly, "Thank me if we get out of this alive."
His statement left her in a stupor, as Sasuke's own thoughts confirmed her suspicion of the direness.
"We have to run. If the Killing Intent tells me anything... It's that this woman is stronger than Kakashi-sensei... She might even be on the level of the Hokage or an S-Rank." Sasuke's voice was low.
S-Rank or Hokage Level.
'The thought that we are prey... No wonder.' Sakura shivered, trying her best to fight against the urge to just give up, cry, or beg for their lives.
She mumbled the most vital question, one that even Sasuke was reluctant to answer:
"Can we even run away?"
Sasuke bit his lip, 'If Akira was here... No. Work with what you have.' He nodded to himself.
Sasuke's Sharingan narrowed at the Grass Shinobi, his next statement was a promise of what was to come:
"We won't go down without a fight." His voice echoed in the clearing.
The Grass Shinobi smirked wickedly, licking her lips once more, "Naturally... Without such struggle. How could I partake in the thrill of the hunt?"
Wordlessly, in a swift motion, shuriken went flying from the woman's sleeve towards Sasuke and Sakura.
With resounding clangs of steel meeting steel, they managed to block the shuriken.
Then, in an instant, the woman's figure appeared before Sasuke who smirked, "I can see your movements." Blocking her precise strike aiming at his chest with her right arm.
Sakura weaved hand signs, backing away to not be within their exchange range.
The Grass Shinobii smirked, easily slapping Sasuke's offensive away with but a single arm, his frustration rising as they were in a rapid exchange.
"But can you react~?" She smirked, as a snake appeared out of her sleeve.
Its bite was aimed at Sasuke's neck, who leaned his head back, stabbing the snake's head in a gory display to quickly kill it.
His hand was already on the move to barely block the woman's powerful kick with his elbow, sending him flying into a tree.
"GAH!" He roared in pain.
Gritting his teeth, he noted, 'Stronger than Akira's Shatter Fist.'
Sakura didn't cry out for Sasuke, her hand signs were complete, as she unleashed her most powerful Genjutsu, "Crushing Snake Constriction!"
The Grass Woman's eyes gleamed with amusement and realization as she paused for a moment, noting snakes under her, which were quickly crushed underfoot.
She turned to the frustrated and uneasy Sakura.
The look sent shivers down the pink-haired girl's spine, as she gritted her teeth, the Genjutsu having been broken in under a second.
Her tone was laced with glee, "How poetic... So you're the third contractor of the snakes? Anko's little runt? Maybe this little bird might not be so harmless after all~"
Sakura's eyes widened in realization, "Orochimar-"
"Correct~" A hand shot towards Sakura's throat, she could barely react, her kunai flying towards the arm a note slower than the arm itself.
Only to be intercepted by Sasuke's kick, and a deep exhale of fire, "Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
At a speed feat, as if teleporting, the now-named Orochimaru's figure appeared on top of a tree branch, overlooking the wary and disgruntled duo.
Sasuke cracked his neck, "Orochimaru... Of the Sannin. Are you certain?" He asked Sakura, his gaze not leaving the gleeful snake's sight.
A scream of agony.
Two screams to be exact.
They reverberated from afar, reaching the clearing.
It prompted a look of curiosity from Orochimaru and a turned head from the two teammates.
Sakura shook her head, ignoring the concerning screams for a more pressing matter.
She elaborated to Sasuke, "Anko-sensei was a former apprentice of his. Can you think of anyone else this strong that uses snakes?"
Sasuke truly wanted to ask the question of what a S - Rank Rogue Shinobi Of The Leaf was doing here, playing with children in the Chunin Exams.
But... That doesn't matter.
What matters is... Surviving.
Sakura turned to Sasuke, "Do you have a Jutsu that could take care of him if it hits?" She offered.
A shadow of a plan formed in her mind, as her expression hardened in resolve.
Sasuke leveled a momentary look at her, nodding, "What have you got in mind?"
She whispered, "It's clear he's playing with us. Holding back. I'm betting the creep can end us whenever he wants to."
Sasuke wanted to protest, but he knew deep down it was true.
He'd probably last a minute before getting his throat slit.
And that, thanks to his Sharingan's perception.
She nodded, "Then let's punish the bastard. If this works, we can at least get an opening to run away. Best case scenario? It kills him."
Sasuke smirked, "That's the kind of news I like to hear."
Sakura giggled amid the tension and adrenaline, "Hehe, glad I can be of service."
Orochimaru tilted his head, smiling lightly, "You two finished? I was being awfully cordial, my dear prey... But do show me what you've thought up in your pointless struggle~"
-------------------------------
Team 8 was having a lovely time in the Forest Of Death.
The amount of Shinobi in this phase was mind-boggling and some of the gates were incredibly close to one another it seemed.
With tracking being their specialty it was quick work to find another team within a few minutes of the exam.
But due to the density... This Leaf Genin Team was already fighting with another Leaf Genin Team.
So what did the Talented Clan Genin do?
Obviously... They poached the rewards from the winning exhausted team.
To their glee, the two other teams were relatively evenly matched, so the exhausted team barely put up a fight.
Here they were:
Two Earth Scrolls.
One Heaven Scroll.
And a big grin.
...At least on Kiba's face.
Hinata was just happy they were safe and healthy.
Whilst Shino was silent in his contented state.
Until they didn't have that much of a good time:
Relatively close to their location, out of the blue - A snake of epic proportions with obsidian lightning wings appeared in the distance.
So they did what any smart Genin would have done at such a sight - They pivoted and bolted right in the other direction.
With the help of sneaking around, as well as their Clans's Prized Techniques:
Byakugan, Akamaru, and Shino's insects - They avoided all the other similarly-minded teams who decided to head the other way.
They didn't need to fight anyone else, so, they ran and zigzagged across the forest with the intent of heading straight to the center without any conflict:
Jumping across the foliage, a petty argument characteristic of them ensued:
"It's called being smart! Not cowardly!" Kiba asserted.
"Convince yourself as much as you want. Why? Because you're as hardheaded as Uzumaki." Shino retorted.
"G-Guys, I think we should calm dow-" She froze suddenly.
As did her teammates at the sudden, very close, screams of agony.
"Ignore it!" Kiba shook his head, as he pointed ahead.
"Keep moving!"
"ARF!"
His other teammates nodded at the prospect, not keen on arguing or otherwise.
They moved and moved, until Shino reported, "My bugs are detecting a large fire ahead as well as explosi-"
A loud explosion, formed out of a collection of many smaller ones, reverberated, as the wind blew.
"ARF!" Akamaru barked with a degree of worry.
Kiba's eyes furrowed, "What?!"
"ARF! ARF!" Akamaru whimpered, fear evident in his barking.
Kiba's shoulders slumped, as he bit his lips.
He turned to his teammates, "Sasuke and Sakura are in great danger. They're fighting someone insane. We're going to help."
Shino and Hinata's eyes widened and they exchanged weary looks.
Nevertheless, they nodded, pivoting straight towards the fight, their muscles clenched and strengthened with chakra.
-------------------------------
The metallic scent of blood, the odor of poison, and the stench of snakes.
A gruff and damaged clearing within the forest.
An arrow of flame gathered densely in Sasuke's hands, drawn and ready to be let loose.
Sweat trickled down his face, both from the emerging heat and pressure, as his Sharingan blazed in concentration.
Sakura was in a precarious situation, her left arm bitten and clutched tightly by a snake, whilst out of her right hand, a snake measuring a dozen feet managed to coil onto Orochimaru, keeping him stuck in place.
Orochimaru's grin never left his face, as he gazed in clear intrigue at the two Genin who had appeared to have caught him.
Her expression was pale and she was feeling nauseous, nevertheless, she managed to stammer out through the pain:
A loud, enraged, outcry, "END HIM! SHANAROOOOOOOOO!"
Sasuke smirked, with a sudden movement that had bewildered the injured Sakura, he pivoted his aim to a tree a distance away, "YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THESE EYES! OROCHIMARUUUUUUUUU!" He roared.
The Jutsu was unleashed as the arrow flew through the air, hitting the tree in a concentrated powerful burst of flame, engulfing it fully.
"S-Sasuke?" Sakura stammered out in perplexion, as she noticed the Orochimaru she had so desperately tried to catch, was but a...
Snake Clone.
Her hands were currently out of commission, so with brutal efficiency, she fought off the snakes with any tool she could muster.
She bit through the head of one small snake, spitting it out along with blood.
Kicked another.
Sasuke ran forward and decapitated the rest with a kunai, joining her by her side.
Dropping tiredly on the ground, she muttered, "He... Was hiding in that tree?"
Sasuke nodded, expressing his worry, "You all right?"
She shook her head, her tone bitter, turning to look at the bleeding, poisoned injury left by the snake bite. "Poisoned. I've got an antidote in my pack. But we should run while we can, my legs still wor-"
Her words were caught in her throat, at the sudden ensuing sounds of clapping.
It felt like a mockery of all their efforts thus far.
Their... Pointless struggle.
"Phenomenal! Positively outstanding!" A gory Orochimaru walked out of the fire, his skin and face melting grotesquely in front of them.
He applauded, and the applause felt even more of a mockery.
"Is... Is he immortal?" Sakura shook her head, not understanding how one could just... Be so unfazed as he was literally being melted alive.
It was a dreadful and mind-boggling sight, a familiar one.
"Just like Faceless... Do they use the same trick? We might need to hit him one more time, Sakura." Sasuke quickly acknowledged in distaste.
"Hmm~?" Orochimaru hummed unbothered as he ceased his applause.
Suddenly, out of the undamaged flora of the burnt landscape, a horde of 54 Rabbits with glowing tags jumped toward Orochimaru.
Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened in recognition.
Sasuke was quick on his feet, he lifted Sakura in a princess carry, "Heh?" She mumbled suddenly, the tension disappearing for a moment in her little world.
"We have to run, that's our chance." He stated with a straight and worried expression.
Before she could mumble out a response, many small explosions rang out from Orochimaru's position.
Fusing into a much larger explosion, sending shockwaves and destroying the grounds, scorching the landscape and setting trees aflame.
Maybe Sakura's feet did work, but Sasuke was still faster even when carrying her.
His feet were undamaged, he could run.
He ran and ran.
Ignoring the stench of burnt wood, rabbit and otherwise.
Ignoring the heat from behind him.
With his quickening breath, his Sharingan analyzed all landing positions and scanned the surroundings.
He ran as best he could, each of his steps rumbled the ground and branches he landed on, if not destroying them outright.
No discretion was used.
Orochimaru played with his food.
This is the consequence.
He ran for a good minute...
Until his eyes caught onto something.
A long neck was approaching him at a speed he could barely react to, yet his eyes managed to see the movement nonetheless.
However...
He couldn't dodge with Sakura in his arms.
Sakura noted this, as she bent her body to kick the head to intercept the impact.
Only... For the neck to bend unnaturally and for her to miss.
Her desperate movement separated her from Sasuke's grip and she dropped to the ground from the air, landing with a painful thud, gasping in pain, "GAH!"
With his hands now available, he gripped onto the neck as it attempted to bite him.
It was a struggle of strength, and he was holding his own.
His eyes caught onto the actual body, it was flying to meet with the neck.
'At this rate...' Sasuke gritted his teeth.
He let go, allowing the neck to bite him, as he attempted a desperate move:
His hands shot towards Orochimaru's eyes, planning to blind him and pierce them.
Only for him to pause an inch from them.
The reason?
Agony.
Pure.
Unadulterated.
Agony.
He screamed, like he never had before, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Unattaching himself from Sasuke's neck, his elongated neck met with his body, and he exclaimed with a hint of sweat, "Almost had me there, Sasuke-kun... This was the first time someone almost managed to take advantage of this particular Jutsu."
Sasuke dropped to the ground with a thud, the pain from the fall was minuscule compared to the agony going through his veins.
'Poison?!' He managed to bring to the forefront of his mind, yet not managing to notice the Curse Mark forming on his neck.
Orochimaru noted, impressed, "You really are brothers. The power in those eyes of yours may even surpass Itachi's someday."
Sasuke couldn't even stammer out a response, the agony was too great.
He couldn't move.
Yet he could hear every word coming out of Orochimaru's mouth.
He was...
'TOO WEAK!' He roared in frustration in his mind.
Again.
In an exam that was supposed to be all but so easy.
He was proven again, that he was but a frog in a tiny, tiny well.
That illusion was broken when he faced the Land Of Woods situation with his team.
And that truth was brutally and helplessly shoved into his face now.
He was too weak to stop Itachi.
Too weak to deal with the situation in the Land Of Woods.
So weak that he could only flail helplessly alongside Sakura against this... Monster.
How could he ever avenge his clan with such... Weakness?
How... Repulsive.
It made his stomach churn as he puked, not from the pain, but from the shame and weakness of his being.
Orochimaru didn't miss the detail, emphasizing, "Seek me out after this exam, if you want more power. Only if you pass, that is." He chuckled sinisterly.
Sakura, barely holding onto her consciousness screamed, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"
Orochimaru turned to Sakura, "A gift. I would have given you one too, however..." He chuckled, "I wouldn't want dear Anko-chan to hate me even more. My heart wouldn't be able to take it!"
Sasuke, stuck in an emotional storm of self-loathing, hatred, fury, and power lust all neatly packaged in a wave of indescribable agony, promptly lost consciousness.
Tears pooled beneath Sakura's eyes, "E-Even with all that..." She hiccuped, her nails digging into the dirt and grime, blood on her lips.
All her training, and her desperate attempts.
It had done zero damage.
But then, as if Sakura's unheard prayers were answered, an interloper appeared:
"FANG OVER FANG!" A sudden shout reverberated, as in the spot where Orochimaru stood a rotating object struck, crushing the ground.
Orochimaru easily backed away, as Team 8 revealed themselves standing beside Sasuke and Sakura.
Their gazes fixated on Orochimaru's visage.
Fear, concern, and apprehension stitched on their expressions.
Leveling on them a disinterested look, Orochimaru turned away, and promptly... Disappeared.
Silence.
An eerie silence, barring the sounds of flames a decent stretch behind them.
The sweating figures of Team 8 hadn't let their guard down.
"Is he gone?" A sweating Kiba echoed, turning his head left and right.
"I don't see him." Hinata nodded, her eyes narrowed in concentration and Byakugan clearly active.
"ARF!"
"Yeah, let's keep watch. Shino, you can tend them, right?" Kiba inquired, his tone deadly serious.
Shino nodded and acted without delay. Turning to the barely conscious Sakura, he rushed to her aid.
His shaded gaze gleamed, "What's your situation? Why? Because I must know how to tend your injuries." His tone had no humor in it.
Sakura's hopeless tears were exchanged with tears of joy, as she barely plastered a smile, grunting in pain, "I-I've been poisoned on my arm, the antidote's in my pack."
"What about Uchiha?" He added as he took out a bottle from her pack.
"I-It's the green one, with the red label... Sasuke-kun's... I don't know. But bring him here."
Shino nodded as he administered the anti-venom to Sakura, his teammates keeping watch.
Once more, from the distance, an eerie collection of screams reverberated.
This time, it was much more muffled, signifying that whoever was responsible...
Was thankfully far away.
"Where's Akira?" Shino inquired further, bugs converging beside him.
Sakura's teeth grit, her eyes narrowing in spite of the pain, "I-I'd like to know that... Myself." She grunted in a mixture of indignation and hurt.
-------------------------------
The sounds of combat:
The clattering of steel.
The cries of fury.
The explosion of Jutsu and tags.
The smell of burnt flesh.
The screams of torment.
These are sounds that would usually warrant concern or turning of the head.
The wise uninvolved party would avoid unnecessary combat.
But to the wisest party?
These sounds are but melodies of opportunity.
Such was the thought process of a Team from Takigakure.
Two girls and a boy roughly, each respectively appeared around the age of 13-14.
Such young Genin prospects were a matter of fact for a Village renowned for producing skilled Jonin.
Their Genin to Jonin ratio surpasses that of all Hidden Villages.
Regardless, these Genin were cunning, as they dashed towards the source of the outcries of agony.
Hoping to find easy pickings.
They approached and approached, sounds of... Whimpering? Grew ever louder.
Pausing a distance away, the girl leading the Genin Squad stretched her arm to cease the charge of her teammates.
The sight before them sent shivers down their spine, and an uncanny sense of dread overwhelmed them:
It was but a pair of boy and girl.
According to their bands, these were Shinobi from Sunagakure.
Clothes, bloodied and grimy.
Their legs were viciously bent out of shape.
They crawled, laid on their bellies - Barely holding onto their consciousness as they crawled through mud, dirt, spikey shrubs, and more in an act of gritty determination.
The boy seemed to have the most trouble, as he was carrying a scrambled Sunagakure Puppet on his back, making his crawl that much more unbearable.
The bizarre aspect of the sight was that they seemed to be following something.
The three Waterfall Genin turned to narrow their gaze on a lone Green-Furred Rabbit.
It was leading them somewhere, of that, there was no doubt.
Their mind raced.
Who could have done this?
Why even do this?
Why even go through such needless cruelty?
...They were smart enough to know, that whatever Team was strong enough to brutalize another for their amusement, they needed to get away.
Now.
The other, meeker girl gasped, but the boy put his hand in her mouth, shaking his head to not let out a sound.
The boy whispered, alert, "We turn around... And quietly walk away." He urged.
The two girls nodded, "Good plan." The leader hushedly stated.
Slowly turning around collectively, caring not to make a sound.
They gasped, loudly, throwing kunai and shuriken in a panic.
A barrage of projectiles that was easily dodged by their not-so-pleasant surprise.
He cheered, a broad smirk on his face, "Great! You spared me the trouble of catching you guys!" He clapped happily.
He may have looked cheery, but his injured visage was apparent:
Small stabs from small sharp objects, likely needles, on his arm.
His shirt was roughly torn, and a visible few cuts were on his face from Wind Style Ninjutsu.
Tightening their guard, the girl pressed forward, "You're after us?" She bought time, her eyes scanning the surroundings for the confident boy's teammates.
Tilting his head, he corrected, "Not exactly. I'm just making sure those who I don't want to play, don't get to play. You get me~?"
"What kind of bullshit are you saying?" The boy bluntly inquired, as he waved hand signs, hiding his hands in his sleeves.
He hummed, trying to piece together a proper analogy, "Hmm... I got it! To those whom I think would be fun to mess around with. To those with faces that annoy me... Consider me..."
The temperature dropped greatly, as their breath quickened and their hearts began to pound.
"Judge, Jury, and Executioner for this Clown Exam." He smiled sinisterly.
-------------------------------
The evening sun dimmed over the horizon, bleeding the sky with its light.
A fitting atmosphere for the ensuing chaos in the Forest Of Death.
The screams of agony only grew more common as time trickled by.
An eerie, disturbing atmosphere enveloped the forest.
None felt it as well as Uzumaki Karin.
Someone... Something was running around the entire Forest, selectively picking out and demolishing Teams.
She warned, nay, pleaded for her teammates to hide.
After much, ungrateful verbal abuse spouted at her for her plea, they relented.
...Noticeably, their hiding was poor, much poorer than anticipated.
A large bear broke into their hiding spot, her teammates fought in her stead.
She was never Shinobi material.
Neither were they, as they seemed to struggle with the large bear, yet Karin's senses noticed a disturbing fact:
She stammered out a panicked, "I-It's coming! We need to run! Get away from the bear! We've got a couple of minutes before it's too late!"
Shigeri clicked his tongue, "Whatever it is! We'll deal with it and you heal u-GAH!" His words were cut short by the bear's paw cutting his chest, a large claw mark that would definitely scar.
In a rage, Shigeri charged back, his kunai barely piercing through the thick hide of the bear, whilst Nori's katana made a decent slice across the bear's face.
"LIKE THAT! PRESS FORWARD!"
It was after five grueling minutes, that the mighty bear was felled.
Falling onto the ground with a loud rumbling thud, blood pooling beneath him.
But it was not without damage for the two boys, as they approached the blank-faced Karin.
Her expression was hopeless.
She knew...
Yet, from the fact none of the chakra signatures that thing encountered had disappeared, so it hadn't killed anything.
That was Karin's only placating hope.
"Now! Heal us!" Shigeri commanded, gesturing to Karin the usual.
Pulling off her sleeve, they bit down on her skin, as rejuvenating chakra enveloped them.
Her gaze lifted upwards, to a tree branch.
A wide-eyed and curious gaze met with her hopeless one, "You're a sensor." A statement, not a question.
But that didn't seem to be his point of interest.
Her two teammates quickly turned to the intruder, one of them already shot out a fireball at the tree branch.
Only for the boy to appear beside them, his hands shot forward, grabbing their heads.
They resisted, as kunai flew to his head.
Using their heads, he lifted himself in the air, and in the same breath promptly bashed their heads together.
They guffawed loudly, and two chops to the neck dropped them unconscious, leaving a stupefied and fearful Karin.
She mumbled, "A-Are you going to torture me?"
He huffed, waving his hand dismissively, "None of that. But I don't have time right now. You can heal?" He asked.
Karin frowned, her eyes scanning the injuries of the boy in front of her.
The speeding bullet that bulldozed through her fellow Genin Competitors was just a boy her age.
'I didn't expect a boy my age to be the one behind those screams...' She couldn't wrap her head around it.
Nevertheless, this reaction and question were familiar to her.
Her ability was... After all... Extraordinarily rare.
She nodded meekly, meeting his dark green eyes with her own.
He pointedly added, "Can you restore Chakra?" His words came out with a rumble as if it was of the most vital importance.
With a note of hesitance, she nodded, "Yes. But not more than once a day."
The boy's eyes danced with joy, as he offered, "I'll give you the Earth Scroll that you need, as well as leave you a rabbit to safely lead you and your teammates when they wake up to the Tower... In exchange, restore my Chakra." His tone left no room for argument.
Karin knew this wasn't an offer, but an order.
A demand that she could not refuse.
And refuse she did not, after all, what else could she do given the situation?
The only thing she wondered was...
'How'd he know I need an Earth Scroll?'
Pulling out her sleeve, his eyes glanced evenly at the scars on her arm, Karin nodded, "Bite my arm."
Nodding, he did as he told, not lowering his guard or gaze from Karin, which gave her a modicum of cruel amusement deep down.
'Does he think I'll try to attack him when he's vulnerable? After I've seen what he can do?'
With a lowered head and opened jaw, he lightly bit on her skin, prompting a grunt from Karin.
It was a familiar feeling, so this wasn't anything new.
Except for the boy.
His shallow wounds slowly stitched together as the rejuvenating chakra enveloped him and entered his system.
But more than that...
He rose up, clenching his fist and lowering his gaze, he mumbled and was truly exasperated...
"I'm... Full?" His voice was radiating disbelief.
Karin sighed in exhaustion, lowering back her sleeve, her internal voice begging for this boy to leave.
Smirking, he... Took out a scroll from his shadows, "As promised." He gave it to Karin.
And to further her bewilderment, a Rabbit appeared out of his shadow decisively sitting behind her.
"Hide here, once your teammates are awake, he'll lead you to the Tower." The boy commanded.
Karin blinked for a moment but nodded despite her perplexity.
Looking over his shoulder, he muttered a genuine, almost relieved, "Thank you." Before he disappeared.
...For a good hour, Karin couldn't make heads or tails of that boy's intentions.
She really thought he'd just torture her after he got healed.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
No Omake today. Too tired my guysssssssss
I'll compensate with an Omake special or something next chapter, cause that has INSANE Omake potential.
Anyway, hope the chapter's been to your enjoyment.
Akira's been a naughty naughty boy, but he's got a plan in motion.
He also got a Full Restore from Karin, which is nice.
...Wouldn't have been very nice if he didn't, I'll tell ya.
Ahem!
We'll be seeing the rather silent Team 10 soon.
Orochimaru's talking like a philosophical discord moderator. But I think that's just like him.
As you can see, Sakura's a Snake Genjutsu Maiden (Work In Progress).
Akira's friends aren't very happy with him (Understandable) Yay!
I haven't done this in a while, but allow me to say...
WUJI MY GOAT! MY GLORIOUS GOAT! DESTROY THAT GOJO SLAYING (HE'LL COME BACK) FUCKER!
ALSO CURSE YOU GEGE!
I have the distinct feeling we are NOT going to know what Yuji's domain does.
-Down here is the copy paste stuff-
If ya'll feeling frisky and rich you can donate to my P A T R E 0 N to show some nice and kind support.
Here's the link:
patre0n.com/BurgerNoTomatoes
As always people! If you see any inconsistencies, wrong information, Illogical statements, etc... Notify me, please! I'll fix it ASAP! And or explain it later on in case I had planned to make it vague in the first place.
Also, all comments, reviews, constructive criticism and so on Are much appreciated! I especially love Constructive criticism because it allows me to improve the story in real time! I try my best to follow your advice!
I enjoy responding to you all! So do send them comments! Also, ideas are also welcome! I'm not that creative so assistance from you guys is always nice! Yup!
I hope you lovely people have a fantastic rest of the day/week. And I'll see you in a week's time or so :P
I made a whole ass Excel Spreadsheet to keep track of scrolls and active teams in this Exam since it's necessary for Akira. Damn, I am a tryhard. Here's this week's random fun fact.
-Author's Note End-
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