Chunin Exams (6)

( Ten minutes later )

The three had set off heading towards the central tower, leaving behind the dead bodies of the rain genin that would no doubt soon become food in the belly of one of the forest of death many creatures.

Team ten moved forward in a tight formation keeping Ino in the middle to keep her safe as she was the sensor and medical-nin of the team, and Shikamaru and Choji were at her right and left with Choji falling a step behind to protect the rear.

" The beasts in this forest are very interesting don't you think?" Ino asked.

" Interesting? I don't think I'd use that word." Choji responded.

"They are all very strong and can kill a weak genin easily, do you think it has something to do with the forest of death itself, or it's just a coincidence all these beasts are here?" Ino asked.

" I don't know, you think Daiki sensei would know the answer Ino?" Choji asked.

" Maybe, but I guess this forest has been around way longer than Daiki sensei has been alive, so maybe he doesn't know the answer."

Listening to his teammates' random thoughts, Shikamaru also began to think of the answer, but he really couldn't find one.

' Maybe this place is just natural.' Shikamaru thinks.

Coming to this thought Shikamaru simply killed the thought and moved on as team ten continued moving forward.

( Sand team Gaara)

" Sand coffin" Gaara said as he closed his outstretched hand into a fist.

And in response three human shape lumps of yellow sand compressed as three suppressed screams were heard.

Gaara then lowered his hand and the sand slowly withdrew into the gourd on his back, at the side his two teammates watched this with unsurpassed fear.

" Gaara this is the second team you've killed we already have the scrolls we need your bloodlust should be satisfied by now so let's go." Temari said.

" Blood, I need more blood." Gaara responded as he jumped onto a tree moving away no doubt looking for his next target, with no other choice his teammates quickly followed him.

As they left, Kakashi appeared looking at the crushed bodies left behind.

" That boy is very bloodthirsty, to make matters worse he's still the holder of the one tails. No matter how I look at this bringing an unstable Jinchūriki into the leaf village is not an act of someone seeking to make or strengthen a current alliance. " Kakashi says closing the book he had in his hand as his eyebrows scrunched together.

" Things are getting troublesome, I hope for once that Daiki isn't right, having a war or any kind of conflict with the hidden sand right now could cause big problems." Kakashi says as he disappears.

( Team ten)

" Look, finally we can see the tower. It should only be about another five minutes before we arrive." Ino says.

" There should be teams with the same idea as us waiting around here so let's keep our guards up." Shikamaru reminded.

Seeing their goal close at hand the three increased their speed, but only two minutes later the group stopped.

" Somethings wrong." Shikamaru says as he looks up at the sun.

" What is it?" Ino asked.

" it seems to be a genjutsu that affects our sense of direction." Shikamaru says still looking at the sun.

" How did you notice Shikamaru?" Choji asked.

" The sun, it was behind us before, now we seem to be facing it, I guess if we continued we would only be going in circles."

" Choji destroy the ground."

"On it."

" Earth Release: crack earth jutsu." Choji made some hand seals and then slammed his hands on the ground.

RUMBLE!!!!!

The ground around them cracked and opened up as three figures jumped out and stood across from them.

" They figured it out."

" Hand over your scroll, and we will let you live."

" Shadow strangle jutsu."

Shikamaru used a jutsu in the middle of the three emerged genin talking and before they could react a hand burst out of each of their own shadow and grabbed their necks.

Ahhh!!!

They screamed but it was short-lived, as their eye soon glazed over and they fell unconscious.

" Shadow strangle jutsu neck snap."

CRACK!!!!

One after the other, the three genin necks were broken.

" Search them, hopeful they have an earth scroll." Shikamaru says.

" Another heaven scroll." Choji responds walking over to Shikamaru waving the scroll.

" We now have three heaven scrolls, what are we going to do Shikamaru?" Ino asked.

" Continue with the original plan, if one or two of the hidden leaf teams need a heaven scroll we'll give it to them." Says Shikamaru as the three head off again to the tower.

( Team seven)

" As I thought. I want you, those eyes hold power than Itachi's." Orochimaru says watching Sasuke.

" Who are you?" Sasuke asked.

" My name is Orochimaru, if you want to see me again survive the second stage and the defeat the sound team." He says his tongue waving freely out his mouth.

" Who wants to see you again?" Sakura asked filled with fear.

" Sasuke will seek me out, for power." Orochimaru says as his neck extends and he bites Sasuke on the neck.

Sasuke quickly drops to his knees holding his neck.

" What did you do to Sasuke?!" Sakura shouted.

" I..." Orochimaru began to speak but quickly stopped as he felt a kunai pressed against his neck.

" Kakashi sensei!!!" Sakura shouted seeing the silver haired man appearing behind Orochimaru.

" Sakura listen to me take Naruto and Sasuke and get out of here now!!" Kakashi ordered.

Hearing the seriousness in Kakashi's voice Sakura quickly picked up the fainted Sasuke and then went to the similarly unconscious Naruto and carried them away without saying a word.

Orochimaru throughout the entire process remained silent and completely still never moving an inch, but the smile on his fave never disappeared as he watched Sasuke dissappear.

" Orochimaru, what is your purpose coming back to the hidden leaf?" Kakashi asked driving the tip of the kunai into Orochimaru's neck drawing a line of blood.