Ch12 ) Orochimaru's Arrival

Anko stood in front of the group of genin. "Well now that we're all here. We can get started." She points to the fence behind her. "Behind me is training ground 44. Otherwise known as, The Forest Of Death. It will be the setting of the 2nd test in these exams. Each team will receive one scroll. It will either be the Earth Scroll." Anko takes a dark grey colored scroll, with japanese lettering on it, out of her pocket. "Or... it will be a Heaven Scroll." She takes out a second scroll. This one being tan in color, with japanese lettering on it.

"Now the goal of the test will be to collect both scrolls and make it to the tower at the center of the forest. You will have exactly five days to accomplish this. In order to succeed, you need all of your teammates alive. If one of your teammates is either late, or is dead, you will all fail. So don't die, okay!" The female proctor gives them a sinister smile, terrifying all the genin. All of them wondering what can be in that forest that is so dangerous that they might die. "I don't really feel like doing the paperwork if you do die."

"There are thirty different entrances into this forest, and the tower is exactly 10 miles from each one. Each team will enter through one of them. Now over here." Anko gestures with her hand to a small booth in front of the cage. "One member from each team will receive a scroll and situation waivers that everyone must fill out. That way if you die. I wont be held responsible."

Choji's stomach grumbled loudly. "But if we are supposed to be in there for 5 days, what will we eat?"

"There are plenty of wild animals you can hunt for food," she replies. "It is a survival mission after all. Now like I said before. One person from each team can get your scroll, and the waivers. Once everybody is done filling them out, well start the test."

Naruto decides now is the perfect time to put on a mask of arrogance. "Man this test is going to be a piece of cake, am I right Sasuke." The blond wanted to see if he could bait someone into retaliating. It worked. Next thing he knew, a Kunai came flying at him from Anko's direction. He disappeared, surprising her by appearing behind her back, with a kunai held at her throat. Well that was easier than he thought it would be.

She turned back, looking at him, clearly shocked by what she just saw. "Well that was unexpected. Who are you exactly?" Anko had to say she was intrigued.

He replied with a small smile, and a simple shake of his head.

"Alrighty then." She looked around at the group who looked just as shocked as her. "What are you all waiting for? Come over here, and get one of the scrolls, along with waivers for your teams."

Naruto reappeared near his team. "I'll be the one who holds the scroll. Since I'm the strongest, it will be the safest with me. I'm going to create clones to act as decoys for the other teams."

Suddenly, fifty clones pop into existence, two per enemy team. Then he creates three-hundred more clones. One hundred to study the history of the ninja world. One hundred to practice Taijutsu, and another hundred to work on chakra control. No one, not even his team knew of this.

"Now when my clones encounter other teams we can learn their skills and talents when my clones disperse. They can either win the fight, get the scroll and hide it, till we can collect it. Or they'll be defeated and we will know where the team is and still have learned some of their skills.

He waits to see if Sasuke, or Sakura will object or confirm his plan. Sasuke does with a silent nod. Sakura on the other hand is not so compliant.

"I agree with the plan. I just want to make one change. Shouldn't Sasuke be the one with the scroll? Considering he is in fact the strongest one on this team," she says matter of factly, with emphasis on him.

"No," was Naruto's simple reply. "I'm going to go get the scroll and forms. Be right back."

1 hour later

Now that all the teams have filled out the waivers and collected their scrolls, Anko was ready to start the test. Naruto already sent his clones away to perform their tasks, and was ready as well.

"The 2nd exam starts... now!" Anko throws her hand down, signaling the guards to open the gates.

Like a rocket, all the teams shot off into the forest determined to be the one who finishes this test on top.

"Let's go on to the tower in the center. Well be able to lay traps for unsuspecting teams. Plus we'll be almost equidistant from any location that my clones might leave a scroll for us to find. Another bonus with my clones, is we will be able to eliminate any unnecessary competition."

With team Ino-Shika-Cho

The team has gathered in a small clearing about 7 miles from the tower.

"So who do you guys think is the weakest team in this exam," Ino inquires from her teammates.

"I don't know? If you had asked yesterday, I would have most definitely said team 7, due to Sakura and Naruto," Shikimaru replied, thoughtful of the situation. "But after, Naruto's display of skill with those sound genin, and the K.I. he seemed to be able to generate. I am not so sure anymore. It's probably us."

Choji was munching on potato chips. "Yeah, you're right."

"What are you guys saying. So what if Naruto was able to restrain a group of Genin. That doesn't make him strong." Ino was still not sure if she believes that he's strong instead of just lucky. Then again there was the time when he totally flipped sasuke on his back out of nowhere and walked away like it was nothing. This memory specifically is what confused her the most. Wasn't Naruto supposed to be the weakest graduate at the academy. Their musings were cut short when a team of rain ninjas showed up to take their earth scroll.

Oh great! What are they supposed to do now? What a drag. Shikimaru didn't even want to participate in these stupid exams.

Aw man! They're not ready to fight at all. Ino will just use the mind transfer to distract them, allowing them to get away. "Are you ready Shikamaru?"

He nodded his head, showing her he knew what she was thinking. "Shadow possession Jutsu." His Shadow reached out all the way across the clearing thanks to all the trees surrounding them and caught one of the unsuspecting genin.

"What the," said the only other female ninja present.

"Now, Ino!"

"Alright, here I go! Mind transfer Jutsu." Her consciousness suddenly jumped from her body into the body of the restricted female nin. Shikamaru released the paralysis, allowing Ino to attack the girls' teammates, so Shikamaru and Choji could get away while they were distracted. After Choji and Shikamaru were a far enough distance away, Ino released the jutsu and woke up in Shikamaru's arms.

Back with Team 7

Sasuke had just finished setting up some traps around the tower, when a thought crossed his mind. "I think we should come up with a way to tell each other apart from a potential imposter."

Naruto removes a small paint brush and vial of paint from his ninja pouch. "I was thinking the same thing, and I have the perfect way to do it."

Sakura's interest was piqued. "What's that, Naruto?"

"This right here, Sakura-" Naruto raises his hand with the brush, "-is a seal brush. "With it, I can create a mark that will only appear when one of us is nearby. But to do it, we need to mix all of our chakras in with the paint."

"Sounds good enough," Sasuke replied, walking toward Naruto.

"This will only take a second," Naruto explains, and suddenly there was a symbol painted on Sasuke's arm. "Now, Sakura, place your hand on top of the mark and focus your chakra through your palm and into the symbol on Sasuke's arm."

"Okay." She grabbed hold of Sasuke's arm until a light bluish pink haze covered her hand and disappeared into the mark.

Naruto proceeded to do the same thing. His chakra was a dark orangish red. Sort of like a light crimson flame with touches of orange. "You're up next, Sakura." Naruto got back her attention that was previously focused on the color of his chakra.

She was snapped out of her daze "Huh? Oh yeah right." Sakura put out her arm, and like Sasuke, a symbol showed up on her arm seemingly out of nowhere.

"Alright, Sasuke. Transfer your chakra into the mark on Sakura's arm like previously demonstrated."

"Yeah." Sasuke grabbed Sakura's arm where the mark was and transferred his Chakra into the symbol. This time the color was a dark blueish black.

They repeated the process with Naruto, before directing their thoughts to how they were going to acquire the scroll and pass the test in the least possible time.

"Like I said, we will just wait until one of my clones disperses after beating a team or losing to a team. Once we know where they are, we'll head there, and leave some clones to watch the tower." Naruto headed toward some bushes.

Sakura didn't know what was happening. "What are you doing, Naruto?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

A few minutes later

"Man, where is, Naruto?!" Sakura was pacing around, angrily. "How long does it take for one person to finish their business?"

The girl's actions were aggravating the Uchiha. "Like I would know? Just be patient, and SHUT UP already. Geez, you are so annoying."

With Naruto

"Wonder what's going on with Sakura, and Sasuke," Naruto inquired to the demon inside his head.

"Why didn't you just leave a clone back with them?"

"Because that would have been boring. They need some real life Ninja experience to make them stronger. They won't get any better if I'm always there to protect them." A giant snake suddenly lurched at him from the trees. He jumped into the air at the last second and landed on a branch, just out of reach from the monster's ginormous death trap it calls a mouth.

"Woah! What the hell?"

"Impressive, young one," a snake-like humanoid person said, revealing himself to the boy by jumping onto the snake's head.

Something about the man stood out to Naruto as he took in the stranger's appearance. "Hey I know you!"

That definitely got the man's attention. "Oh?"

"Yeah, you're one of the three Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin. You're also labeled as an extremely dangerous, S level rogue ninja."

Orochimaru was shocked that some mere genin knew of him. "Now how did you know that?"

"I read it in a book once," Naruto replied, getting ready for a fight.

"I see." The man starts walking away in the opposite direction. "I'd love to stay and test your skill, but unfortunately, I have bigger prey to hunt." There was a dark undertone to his voice.

Hearing him say this put Naruto on edge, trying to figure out who he was talking about, before it clicked. shit, he has to get to Sasuke! Just as he thought this the giant snake captured him in his slimy mouth. "Oh hell!"

Back with Sasuke and Sakura

Naruto finally showed up, after being gone for about ten minutes. Which made Sakura a little bit happier. "Finally! We've been waiting for you forever!" She ran up to the boy to give him a piece of her mind.

"Wait, Sakura!" Sasuke walked over to the two. "We don't know if that is actually Naruto." He stretched out his arm, and gestured for Sakura to do the same. When the seals didn't react to Naruto's presence, Sasuke grabbed Sakura, and jumped out of harm's way from a barrage of snakes.

When the pair focused once again on the imposter, they saw before them a strange looking man with snake like features. "You must tell me how you knew I wasn't your teammate." The man poked out his tongue like a snake, glaring at them, with a look of amusement.

"Simple." The boy smirked. "Your chakra didn't react to the seals that the real Naruto painted onto our arms." He demonstrated on sakura, transferring some of his chakra into the seal on her arm, making it appear more vivid.

"Quite interesting." The man was now even more intrigued by the young blond ninja.

"So who are you anyway?!" Sasuke asked the strange man. Only to receive a dark chuckle from the guy in response.

"Im, Orochimaru, a rogue hidden leaf ninja. I also happened to be one of the legendary sannin."

"So what do you want? Sasuke was starting to feel fearful of this man's presence.

The man's answer was simple. "You, Sasuke. I want you to show me the power of the only remaining Uchiha!"

It was then that Orochimaru launched at the boy slamming his fist in the Uchiha's face. Sasuke went flying back and slammed into a tree, before falling to the ground.

"Sasuke!" Sakura was terrified for the safety of her crush. She ran over to where the Uchiha lay in a bloody heap on the ground. "Are you okay!? Come on get up." The pinkette lifted him onto her shoulder so he could stand.

The boy tried to remain tough. "It's okay, Im f-fine."

"Are you now? The blood coming from your back says otherwise," Orochimaru commented matter-of-factly.

"Yes! Im alright. I can still fight." Sasuke stood up fully, without the help of Sakura. "This just means I'll have to be more serious in this fight." Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke charged forward to engage the frightening Sannin. He started with a punch to the face and a kick to the side. The Sannin blocked the two attacks with subconscious ease.

"Yes, now this is more like it." Orochimaru was getting more excited by the second. "Show me all your power, young Uchiha."

Damn it! Nothings working on this guy. He has gotta go faster if he was ever to fend off this guy. Sasuke continued his barrage on the older, more experienced Ninja.

After Orochimaru was sure that Sasuke was too tired to continue, he let down his guard. Not a lot but enough for Sasuke to land a fairly strong punch to the man's face. Orochimaru was sent flying backwards, into a tree. Sasuke vanished and reappeared behind the man. The uchiha quickly tied some ninja wire to a few shuriken. He threw them in a curve around the tree, and bound the sannin to the wood. The boy vanished once more. He reappeared twenty feet away. Sasuke formed the tiger seal with his hands. "Fire style: Fireball jutsu." The uchiha blew a massive ball of fire out of his mouth. The sannin seemed to be burned alive by the inferno.

Sasuke knew this guy had to be powerful, so that attack probably was not good enough to stop him. He took advantage of the moment of reprieve, grabbed Sakura and jumped away as fast as he could. The sannin disappeared from his bindings.

Sasuke was caught off guard when the man reappeared not too far in front of them. The boy set his female down on the ground, and got back into his taijutsu stance.

"You have greatly exceeded my expectations, young one." The man's neck shot out, twisting and curving as it approached Sasuke. The boy tried to stop it with some kunai that he attached bomb tags to. But the man's neck just kept twisting and curving, avoiding every attempt. Finally his head reached the boy, and Orochimaru bit down on the space between Sasuke's neck and shoulder. Orochimaru retracted his neck, as a three tomoe mark appeared where Sasuke was bitten. "Enjoy my gift, Sasuke Uchiha," the Sannin called over his shoulder as he began to leave.

"Ahh!" Sasuke screamed in pain, clutching the spot with the mark. It was too much, and the Uchiha's knees gave out under him.

"YOU BASTARD!" A figure came charging toward the sannin, revealing himself to be Naruto. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to Sasuke." The blond unlocked the Kyuubi's chakra, knowing he's gonna need it if he's gonna have any chance at beating this guy. His eyes took on a dark crimson color with black slits. His face stretched out into a more fox like shape. His nails proceeded to sharpen out into claws and his teeth into his fangs. Suddenly a dark blackish orange chakra exploded out of Naruto and pushed open his jacket as if by wind. His blond hair became more wild and unruly.

To be Continued