Chapter Fifteen: Fear the Forest

"Now come up here to get a number for your seat, it's time to start the Chunin Exams." Ibiki shouted as the genin all did as he said. Naruto and Hikari shared a quick kiss before separating for their seats as Kurai took his own silently. Kurai found himself near Kabuto while Hikari was far in the back row. Naruto was grinning at his placement though as he found himself right next to Sakura who kept glancing at him from the corner of her eyes as she was shivering in her seat from her fear of him. The chunin took seats along the walls of the room as two more passed out papers and laid them face down in front of the genin. "Alright now listen up, I'm only going to explain the rules once!" Ibiki shouted to get all attention on him. "First off, this is a reverse point test! What that means is that you start with a perfect score and lose a point for every wrong or empty answer you give! Secondly, the test is timed! You only have one hour to answer all ten questions! Third; there will be no cheating in this test! If any of my chunin helpers catch you cheating then they will take away two points! So get caught five times and you fail!" Many eyes narrowed at that rule but Ibiki continued. "And finally, the tenth question is special and will only be given ten minutes before the hour is up."

'Cheating just costs you points and a special question? Something's not right here…' Naruto mused. Others all across the room were thinking along the same lines as Ibiki turned around to look at the clock before turning around.

"Begin!" He shouted so people flipped their tests over and began to work on their answers.

'Lets see here… Complex algorithms, decoding ciphers, hypothetical situations no normal genin would have any experience in… This test is rigged to be too tough for genin.' Naruto thought as he scowled. He glanced around the room with just his eyes to notice how many were cheating or confused before smirking. 'Of course, that's why cheating is just point loss and not an instant fail. They want us to cheat.' He thought before seeing that Sakura was answering all her questions on her own. 'Well well, apparently the weakling is pretty smart. But I think I've got a way to take advantage of this.' Naruto thought as he covered his paper with his arm and began drawing on his test paper.

Hikari sighed as she answered another question by using a simple clan jutsu to see he answers of the person in front of her. She glanced around the room and smirked as her eyes landed on Naruto. 'I wonder what you're going to do? Kurai has the experience to answer most of these on his own and I've got myself a clan jutsu to get mine. But what about you? How will you get your answers Naruto?' The girl wondered before seeing how he was next to Sakura. 'Oh please do something to her too, it would be so funny!'

Naruto finished his picture and then turned his test over before smirking as he had only wasted thirty minutes of his test. He glanced around again and grinned at seeing how Sakura had all but three answers filled in. 'That's good enough for me. Hey Kyuubi, wanna scare everyone here?' Naruto asked the biju as it grinned inside the seal.

"Yeah, I wanna say hi to Konoha again." Naruto suppressed the chuckle that almost escaped him as he instead started tapping out a message in Morse Code for his teammates.

Light, Dark; Red wants to say hi.

Hikari and Kurai instantly knew the message was for them as their names literally translated as Light and Dark respectively, just as they also knew Red meant Kyuubi. It was the code Kurotsuchi set up between the team early on for coded messages. Naruto was gold, Kyuubi was red, Hikari was light, Kurai was dark and Kurotsuchi herself was black. Unless someone knew there names beforehand, it would ensure confusion among any who tried to figure it out. Hikari smirked in her seat as she set her pencil down and waited while Kurai merely sighed and stopped his work. The other genin who understood Morse Code were wondering both who it was meant for and what it meant entirely as Naruto closed his eyes. He channeled a small amount of Kyuubi's chakra into his system before opening his now glowing red eyes and letting his killing intent wave over the room. Most of the genin instantly started shaking in their seats while the chunin froze for a second before trying to identify the source. Next to him Sakura passed out from being too close to him and the blond smirked. While still broadcasting his intent the blond pulled Sakura's paper out from her and replaced it with his own. It was only then he let up on the intent and allowed the room to calm down. Many genin instantly started cursing and shouting for who did that while the chunin shouted to regain order. Throughout the entire thing, Ibiki kept his eyes on Naruto, having been able to identify the source of the killing intent after only a second of it washing over the room. 'So, you distract everyone with a widespread blanket of your killing intent and then snatch the paper next to you. Not exactly subtle and ineffective in the big leagues but more than enough for a bunch of genin. And what's more is I can only dock you two points for that stunt. Well played boy.' The scarred man thought as Naruto erased Sakura's name from the test and filled in his own.

Naruto grinned as he looked over his answers and saw how most were complete. He then noticed how Sakura was still passed out next to him and lightly chuckled. 'So weak.' He thought as he kicked her leg to wake her back up. The girl jumped slightly in her seat as she went wide eyed and looked around. She then scowled and looked at Naruto just for him to grin and make her look away with a shiver. The girl sighed and decided to focus back on her paper before looking down and shouting. "WHAT THE HELL!?" She screamed at seeing a picture of her with her head chopped off and Sasuke and Sai in the background impaled on spikes. At the bottom of the picture was a caption that read 'Your future weakling'.

"78, quiet down!" Ibiki shouted at the girl and she looked up.

"But he-"

"Shut up or leave my room!" Ibiki interrupted getting the girl to stutter for a moment before hanging her head and slumping down in her seat. She noticed how Naruto was chuckling quietly in his seat and glanced at his paper to see how it was written in her hand-writing. The boy caught her gaze and quickly picked up his pencil before scribbling a note at the bottom of the paper. 'Try to take it back. I dare you.' The girl huffed and rubbed her eyes as tears were threatening to form before she started erasing the picture from her new paper so that she could rewrite her answers out.

From her seat in the back Hikari had her head down and both hands over her mouth to try and suppress her laughter at what happened to Sakura. She'd have to ask Naruto what he did afterwards. Up front Kurai sighed as he returned to his work, obviously knowing Naruto had done something. Again. Kabuto spared a slightly worried glance at the stoic boy next to him before getting back to his answers. A few rows away Sasuke glared at the blond somehow knowing it was all his fault. 'I will kill you!'

Kurai continued his work before pausing as a small scrap of paper was tossed onto his test. Without alerting the proctors he palmed it and then glanced to his right where Kabuto was tapping one corner of his paper while chewing on a finger nail as if stuck. Following the unsaid cue the Iwa teen looked at the corner he was tapping to see a message.

Oto spy. Read after test.

Kurai turned away but minutely nodded his head in response. Kabuto sighed before erasing the message, still playing up the part of a struggling genin. It was a short while later that Ibiki called for them to stop.

"Alright that's enough! Everyone put your pencils down or get out!" Needless to say the scarred jonin was obeyed. "It's time for the tenth question! But first, this question has a few extra rules. Rule one, you have to choose whether or not to take the question."

"Well that seems stupid. Why wouldn't we take it?" Temari called out.

"Because if you get this question wrong not only do you fail but you'll be barred from taking the exams ever again!" Ibiki shouted.

"No way! There's others who've taken this test before!" Kiba shouted as others yelled their agreements about how unfair Ibiki was being. The man silenced hem with a blast of his killing intent.

"Silence! I wasn't proctor to those Exams so they got lucky. But I rule here and what I say goes. And I say if you fuck this question up then you can't go to the Exams ever again! I also say the next person to interrupt me fails instantly so shut up!" He shouted making them all be quiet. "Now the second rule to this question is that if one member of your team fails or chooses not to take it, the entire team fails with them!" This brought some grumbles but nobody spoke up seeing as he was threatening instant failure for actually speaking. "Now, here's your choice; either take the question and risk it all or raise your hand and leave right now to try again next time." Everyone was silent before a genin raised his hand, apologizing to his teammates as he did. The three had their numbers called out before they left.

Their act seemed to open the floodgates to more withdrawals as genin after genin began to give up. Naruto grinned in his seat as he leaned back and even put his feet up on the table, crossing his hands behind his head as he did. Sakura fearfully glanced at the blond and shakily started to raise her hand before her eyes caught Sasuke and saw him glaring at her. He shook his head no so she motioned to Naruto but he just shook his head harder so she slumped in her chair and put her hand back down, the hooded blond chuckling in his seat next to her at how she gave in to Sasuke and was scared of him.

Noticing how Naruto seemed to be relaxing and was nonchalant about his chance at failure Ibiki decided to single him out for some questioning. "Iwa boy, with the hood! Why are you so calm?" The blond perked up before gesturing around the room.

"Because watching cowards is fun. And because I can always get a battlefield promotion from Tsuchikage-oji-sama later if I really cared about rank."

"So you don't care about the risk? What, do you think you're invincible or something?" Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not invincible, Kaa-chan and nii-san both kick my ass all over our training grounds enough for me to know that. But as for the risk? Who cares? There's always risk in missions, this is no different. And like I said, I can just get a battlefield promotion later if I really cared." Ibiki scoffed but noticed the rest of the genin had stopped leaving, many apparently realizing the blond was right about the possibility of a promotion outside the Exams.

"Anyone else want to leave?" He questioned but nobody else took the offer. "Hmph, fine then. I only have one thing to say." He glanced around to see how everyone was focused on him so he smirked. "Congratulations on passing the first Exam!" He shouted getting many to gape at the man, Naruto even took his feet off the table and stared at him.

"That's it?" Ibiki nodded with his smirk still in place at how the genin were all dumbfounded. "Well sweet." Naruto chirped with a grin. "You're a good actor scar-face." The blond complimented and Ibiki scoffed.

"I'm Konoha's top interrogation specialist, masterful acting and skill at mind games are requirements of the job brat." Ibiki commented before Temari spoke up.

"Wait a minute then what's the tenth question?"

"Taking it or not was the tenth question." Ibiki explained. "In the Shinobi world, there's always risk, like the Iwa brat said. But does that mean you can refuse the mission? No! Just because you're to scared to take the plunge doesn't mean you can refuse it! The mission is there and will be done, regardless of your thoughts or feelings on the matter. A chunin is someone who will charge on through their fears to complete the task at hand!" Ibiki finished with a grin.

"Then what about the first nine questions?" A genin asked and Ibiki nodded his head.

"Those were to test your information gathering skills. In our line of work, information is power. You'll sometimes be asked to locate secret materials or spy on a target and make plans based on that info. If your intel is faulty or lacking then your plans may be unraveled. If you're caught then the enemy can make counter plans or feed you false information. A good chunin, a good Shinobi, can find the required information and do it without getting caught! Now good luck on your second Exam!" Ibiki cheered just in time for a window near the front of the class to shatter and a cloth to fly in. The cloth unraveled to reveal a woman with purple hair in a ponytail wearing a short skirt and a trench coat over a mesh undershirt. The cloth itself had a message on it saying 'The Sexy and Single proctor of the Second Exam! Mitarashi Anko!'

Most of the genin gaped either at her entrance or her obvious sex appeal before Naruto and Hikari both flipped their papers over with grins and wrote scores before holding them up for her, the blond giving her a nine and Hikari giving Anko an eight. The woman pouted at how they didn't give her perfect tens when Ibiki came out from behind the cover.

"You're early Anko. Again." The woman just smirked and turned to her superior with a laugh.

"Oh come on Ibiki. You say that like it's a bad thing." She commented before counting the genin. "Twenty-eight teams Ibiki? What, are you losing your touch or something? Maybe you should stick with the hardened criminals, genin appear to be too much for ya." She teased as the man sighed.

"Just get going Anko."

"Spoilsport." She muttered before facing the genin again. "Alright maggots, I am Mitarashi Anko, your wonderfully sexy proctor for the second Exam!" She cheered while motioning to herself with a hand at the 'sexy' part. Most of the woman thought she was acting like a tramp while most of the men were finding themselves nodding along with her words in agreement. "Now follow me to the place for the second test. If you're late, you fail!" She shouted before heading back out the window and leaving them behind. Naruto got up to quickly with a grin and opened the window before jumping after her, Hikari and Kurai following as the other genin got up and did the same.

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"Welcome! To training ground forty-four! Or as the jonin and I call it, the Forest of Death!" Anko cheered from on top of a post while behind her was a very large and dark forest that was fenced off. The trees looked wild while those with advanced hearing could hear the growls and roars of creatures within the wooded area. The genin were gathered below her standing with their teams and looking up to her and the forest.

"The Forest of Death?" Naruto parroted before scoffing, his right arm wrapped around Hikari's shoulders as both looked bored and Kurai was gazing at the training grounds with narrowed eyes. "How lame is that? Couldn't you come up with anything catchier?" Naruto mocked as Anko smirked. In a flash she had whipped a kunai at him that cut his cheek, drawing blood and poking a hole in his hood. Naruto could have dodged but hadn't felt like it and instead wanted to see where the woman would go from there. It wasn't like she could kill him without reason anyways. Anko vanished in a Shunshin (Body Flicker) and appeared behind him and licked the blood from his cheek.

"You know, it's loud mouths like you that spill all the best blood in these woods of mine." She taunted as he just glanced at her from over his shoulder, a somewhat amused expression on his face as he took his arm off Hikari.

"Would it be wrong to say that actually turned me on a little?" He asked getting Anko to grin before jumping back as Hikari took a swing at her, the younger girl giving Anko the dirtiest glare she could.

"Back off bitch, he's my man!" She shouted as Anko laughed and Naruto sighed and hugged Hikari from behind and nibbled slightly on her ear to calm her down.

"Don't worry Hikari-chan. I'm not gonna go for some tree hugger over you." He assured her as Hikari was still glaring at Anko, the woman sill grinning.

"Aw, gaki love! Isn't that sweet?" The older woman taunted before spinning around with a kunai in hand as a Kusa Shinobi appeared over her shoulder, holding the tossed kunai with her strangely large and flexible tongue.

"Your kunai proctor-san." The girl offered as Anko took the weapon with a grin.

"Thanks, but a bit of advice? Don't sneak up on me unless you want a kunai in your kidney."

"My apologies, it's just your kunai cut some of my precious hair and I got a bit excited." The girl apologized before stepping back while Anko pocketed both her kunai.

"Well, looks like we've got some blood-thirsty people here this time! I'm gonna love it." She cheered as Naruto scoffed.

"If you want blood-thirsty then cut Kurai here." He remarked while jabbing a thumb at his teammate that was ignoring them and focusing on the forest. "He'll really get you hot. Maybe you can fuck some personality into him while your at it." He joked as Hikari giggled. Anko smirked but didn't comment as she instead leapt back on top of her post.

"Anyways, this forest is going to be your home for the next five days." She started explaining. She reached into her jacket and pulled out two scrolls, one white with the kanji for Heaven on it and the other a dark blue with the kanji for Earth. "These babies are your Heaven and Earth scrolls. Each team will receive one at random before going inside. Your objective will be to guard your scroll and collect one of the opposite before heading to the tower at the center of the forest. However, it's not that simple. You won't know what scroll your enemies have! Not only that but your time limit of five days means you'll have to keep a tight schedule. The forest is also your enemy as its filled with carnivorous plant and animals, some of which are poisonous or will try to kill you too!" She chirped happily before tossing the scrolls to a group of chunin waiting at the side. "Now, because I don't want all these deaths to come back and bite me in the ass, you all must sign a waiver freeing me and Konoha from any and all responsibility on the chance you die. Trade three signed waivers for one scroll and then pick a gate."

"Any rules?" Naruto called out getting her to chuckle.

"Yep. Rule one; don't open the scrolls! Sometimes chunin are given sensitive documents to transport and you'll be trusted not to open them either so think of this as an extra test. The second rule is that all three team members need to make it to the tower under their own power. If one of you gets crippled or dies then the whole team fails! And finally, there is no quitting during the Exams. You're going in for five days and we won't let you out in between. If any of you try then I'll kick your asses myself and throw you back in. Now sign your waivers maggots! The second test starts in fifteen minutes!" She yelled as a chunin came up and began handing out the paperwork they needed to sign.

"So we go in, kill people until we get the right scroll and then head for the tower? Sounds fun and way too easy to be honest." Naruto commented as he quickly read over his waiver before signing it, Kurai and Hikari doing the same. "Oh well, at least the action's finally starting." He said with a shrug, Hikari nodding in agreement as Kurai turned their waivers in and received an Earth scroll.

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"I think we should quit Sasuke-kun." Sakura muttered as she glanced at the Iwa team as Sasuke glared at them.

"No! We're going in there and I'm going to kill them in the forest." He growled as he signed his waiver. Sai signed his own without a word but then glanced at the Iwa group.

"I believe it would be best to avoid them. They seem to be extremely powerful and could ruin our chances for promotion." He commented getting Sasuke to round on him. "I am merely stating a fact. Perhaps we can defeat them, perhaps not. But it would be best to focus on the Exams above all else as they are our current objective." The Uchiha growled as Sakura nervously looked at the Iwa team one last time before signing her name.

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"So what're we doing Kabuto?" One of his teammates asked. The boy adjusted his glasses as he glanced at Sasuke and then Naruto.

"We're leaving the Uchiha's team alone as Orochimaru-sama has plans for him. But I believe we should meet up with the Iwa team at some point. I alerted one of them that I was an Oto spy so perhaps we can get info out of them on whether or not Iwa will be part of the coming battle." The boy mused as his teammates nodded their understanding. However Kabuto was thinking of other things. 'The hooded one… is he really his son? Orochimaru-sama would love to know if he doesn't already. But if he did then why wasn't I warned? And what else could he be hiding from me?' The white haired boy though as he watched Naruto and Hikari start making out with one another while waiting to be allowed in. 'Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto… you certainly are interesting.'

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"Alright, now to find another scroll and get this over with." Kankuro muttered as he pocketed the Heaven scroll they received. Temari nodded but glanced at her brother before seeing how he was staring at Naruto with narrowed eyes.

"Uh Gaara? Are you alright?" She nervously asked as the boy was silent.

"Why is he accepted by her?" The red head muttered under his breath. "Why is he not hated and feared like I am?" He asked and Temari and Kankuro shared nervous looks.

"Um… I don't know Gaara. Maybe you should ask him after the Exams are over." She suggested so he stared for a moment longer before turning to head off to their gate without a word. "I don't really know if meeting another jinchuriki is a good or bad thing for him." Temari mused as Kankuro shivered.

"I'm more worried about if the other one is as blood-thirsty as Gaara is." The girl nodded in agreement with her brother before the two followed Gaara to their gate.

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"The second test starts now!" Anko's voice rang out as all he gates opened and the genin rushed in. Naruto, Hikari and Kurai were running along the grounds before stopping in a clearing and facing one another.

"Alright so any plans for this?" Naruto remarked as Kurai spoke up.

"Before that, I have some info to share." The other two glanced at him so he pulled out the note Kabuto passed to him. "The person you took the card from before the first exam is an Oto spy and he slipped me this message during the test. 'I will find you in the trees on the third day. The great snake wants its answers.' So I feel that even if we receive our required scroll before hand, I believe we should wait until after this meeting to continue onwards to the tower." Hikari glanced at Naruto as the boy shrugged.

"Alright, I don't have a problem with that. Hikari-chan?" The girl shook her head so he turned back to Kurai. "Okay, three days it is. Now what about our scroll issue?" Kurai pulled out the Earth scroll and tossed it to the blond.

"We require one Heaven scroll to pass."

"Or, multiple copies of both to cut down on competition." Hikari commented as she pointed out another plan. Kurai nodded and Naruto sealed the scroll into his jacket for safe keeping. "I mean, we need to make it to the Finals for Tsuchikage-sama to have an excuse to come to Konoha so it'd be best if we cut down the competition now to reduce the chance of failing."

"True but with what we've seen I think my Suna brother is the only one with the ability to actually take us on. Maybe that Oto spy could too if he's actually hiding his real skill." Naruto mused before shrugging. "I don't know, as long as we get a Heaven scroll and move onto the Finals I could care less about the others. Hikari-chan has a point but that's also putting us at risk of being too injured or exhausted for the next Exam."

"Like you can even get exhausted mister endless stamina." The girl muttered so Naruto grinned.

"I didn't hear you complaining about that when I fucked you for three hours straight back home missy." The girl blushed and looked away as Naruto turned back to Kurai. "So what do you think? More scrolls or the bare minimum?" The boy was silent before nodding to himself.

"I think one extra set of scrolls would be in our best interest as a back-up incase our first set is damaged or lost." The younger two nodded at his words as he posed another question. "Now are we to split up and search or stay together?"

"Together." Naruto instantly said. "Going off on your own is nice but you know how horrible my sense of direction is. Plus this is unfamiliar terrain so even you'll have a bit of trouble. Hikari-chan may be able to track us all down and reunite us but I'd rather not make her have to." He commented so Kurai nodded and Hikari shook her head.

"Well then, what're we waiting for?"

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'Good, they made it to the second stage. Once they're in the Finals, all hell will break loose for Konoha.' Kurotsuchi thought as she was sitting in a lounge area that the other jonin were in. It was relaxing as there were large couches and multiple tables as well as an open bar. The woman was currently sitting by herself at a table near the window and looking out over Konoha. 'Such a weak village. How have they kept their place at the top all these years?' She wondered.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She turned to see Kakashi coming up and taking a seat across from her. With a slight scowl at the orange book in his hands she turned back to the village.

"I prefer Iwa." The man nodded at her words while he turned the page of his book.

"I think everyone would prefer their own home over other places." Kurotsuchi shrugged as she didn't have an answer to that. "But I didn't come over to ask about your opinion on the view. I wanted to ask you a couple questions."

"I'm taken Hatake. He'd kill you for trying and I wouldn't go for one of you Konoha bastards anyways." She growled lightly as Kakashi shook his head and closed his book.

"I'll admit your beautiful but that's not my intention." She raised and eyebrow so he continued. "On a recent mission, I encountered three young Shinobi from your village. I was wondering who they were and was hoping you'd be willing to share."

'Oh you want me to sell out my team. Well I may play along…' Kurotsuchi thought before shrugging. "Describe them, I might know 'em." Kakashi nodded before doing as he was told.

"One had spiky black hair and wore a gray and black outfit but carried no visible weapons pouches. Another was a Kunoichi with purple hair and was from the Hanamaru clan, which I only learned from seeing the clan mark on a pair of red gauntlets she wore. I'd place those two as chunin level but to be honest it was the third I'm most interested in. He wore a hooded black jacket so I didn't see his face and had red gauntlets styled after fox heads on his wrists. His chakra was also off the charts and I'd put him at a low jonin level from the way he carried himself. Do they sound familiar to you?" Kakashi asked as a large grin broke out on Kurotsuchi's face.

"Very familiar actually. I know all three personally." Kakashi gave a sight eye smile at how he was going to hopefully get his answers and inclined his head to her.

"They called themselves one of Iwa's top teams so I figured as the Tsuchikage's granddaughter you'd likely know them." The woman nodded before facing the man with her grin still in place.

"How did you say you'd rank them? Two chunin and a jonin?" Kakashi nodded so she shook her head and laughed. "Well sorry but you're wrong Hatake. They're genin." The man's eye widened as he got a bad feeling in his gut which only got worse as she confirmed his worst fear. "In fact, they're my genin." The three powerful threats he was worried about after encountering them at Nami's border were not only genin but were currently in the same Exams as his students? And Sasuke had a major grudge against them while Sakura was terrified of them. If they met in the Exams…

Well shit.

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"Good job with those leeches Shino." Kiba praised as his team leapt from tree branch to tree branch. Shino nodded while Hinata was looking around with her Byakugan to ensure they weren't snuck up on. "Oh hey, Hinata." Kiba called out as he noticed what she was doing. "You can turn off your eyes. I can smell out anybody before they get close." The girl flinched but nodded as she stopped pushing chakra to her special eyes.

"S-sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not like you were doing anything wrong. I just didn't think you should waste your chakra when you don't have to." He commented as she nodded her head while looking down. The girl had no confidence and when someone pointed something out to her or made an offer she'd usually flinch and apologize, even when nothing happened or it wasn't her fault. It honestly pissed Kiba off at how her clan had made her like this. Even their sensei was enraged at the Hyuuga clan and normally the only thing that pissed her off were perverts. He was drawn out of his thoughts as Akamaru whined on his head. "Huh? What is it boy?" He asked as he stopped, Shino and Hinata stopping next to him. The dog whined some more before he sniffed the air and looked around. "Hinata, turn your eyes back on. I think we have company." The girl nodded before reactivating her bloodline and looking around as Shino discreetly sent out a few beetles to scout the area. "Akamaru's really spooked by whatever chakra he's sniffin' out. Says something about it being dark and reeking of foxes." He commented as he sniffed the air again before spinning around as he got the smell the strongest from that direction. "We know you're there! Come on out!"

"See Naruto-kun? Trying to hide from an Inuzuka, Hyuuga, and Aburame was a stupid move. And you suck at stealth to begin with." A girl's voice called out from the trees in amusement.

"Bite me Hikari-chan."

"That's later." She commented as the three Iwa genin popped out around the Konoha team, Naruto in front where Kiba had been focused while Hikari was across from Shino and Kurai stood a small distance from Hinata. "Hiya tree lovers!" Hikari chirped with a grin as Naruto stood ready to charge should he need to as Kurai held a hand out to the side. "If you three want to live, then hand over any and all scrolls you've collected so far."

"You really expect us to do that?" Kiba fired back as Akamaru whined one his head and Hinata was staring at Naruto in fear.

"K-Kiba-kun… His ch-chakra is immense!" The dog boy growled as Shino spoke up.

"My insects are also refusing to go near him, meaning he is already immune to my abilities. And that is not counting his teammates." The boy scoffed before Akamaru whined on his head again.

"Hooded fox boy will kill us all! And empty hands boy smells of blood!"

"Tch… you guys aren't even willing to try." Kiba muttered as Naruto grinned.

"Come on, I've been wanting to kill something for a while. Just give me an excuse." He taunted as he spread his arms and motioned towards his chest for Kiba to make the first move.

"What says you three won't kill us once you have our scrolls?" Kiba asked as Kurai answered.

"Nothing. However you will certainly die if you do not take the offer so what have you to lose?"

"K-Kiba-kun…" Hinata stuttered as she switched her Byakugan to Hikari and Kurai.

"I believe it would be best to simply hand them over Kiba. We still have five days to gather another set." Shino offered so Kiba growled but reached into his pack and tossed the scrolls to Naruto.

"Sweet a complete set!" The boy cheered as he caught them and sealed them into his jacket like their earlier Earth scroll. Hikari grinned at how they gave up while Kurai lowered his hand back to his side.

"You have them now leave us be!" Kiba demanded as Naruto scowled.

"Don't think you can order us around kid or I'll kill you off principle alone." He threatened as Akamaru whined and Kiba growled. The Iwa genin were about to leave when Shino stopped them.

"Wait! A question before you leave."

"Shino, what're you doin' man?" Kiba asked as he and Hinata stared at him in confusion and slight shock. First he wants to let them get their scrolls and leave but then he stops them to ask a question?

"What?" Hikari asked as the boy adjusted his glasses and recalled his insects.

"Sakura-san said something about you killing a man and dooming a country. What did she mean by that?" The Iwa Kunoichi smirked at the question as Naruto let out a bark of laughter.

"They had a mission to protect a bridge builder in Nami as he finished his bridge. The country had been oppressed by a greedy business man named Gato." Kurai explained as he saw no harm in telling them. "The bridge was completed and the country's people believed that with it, they could escaped Gato's rule. Once the Konoha team left we came in and killed the bridge builder before destroying the bridge, thus eliminating the country's only hope for salvation."

"I slit the old man's throat myself." Naruto commented as the Konoha team gaped at them. "And after the explosions from blowing the bridge up went off, they rushed back to see what happened and we mocked and taunted them about the whole thing to their faces. And the best part, they couldn't do jack shit about it." The blond laughed as the Konoha heirs looked horrified at how he seemed happy to have condemned an entire country to the whims of a mad man.

"What kind of monsters are you guys?" Kiba gasped out as Naruto and Hikari grinned.

"The kind that love their job. Later wimps!" The hooded boy responded as the Iwa team left the three. Hinata watched them go with her eyes before turning them off and shivering. Kiba growled as Shino sighed.

"I understand why Sakura-san was frightened of them now. It would be best to avoid them and advise our Konoha comrades to do the same should we come across any."

"I still think we should've at least tried." The boy muttered but Hinata surprisingly spoke up.

"Kiba-kun, their ch-chakra was much larger th-than ours. N-not only that b-but the one in the h-hood, h-his chakra had th-these strange red flares in i-it. I kept ge-getting a bad f-feeling from looking at th-them." Shino nodded in agreement.

"And as I pointed out, my insects refused to go near him, rendering him immune to my abilities. If just that one genin was such a dangerous threat to us alone then logically the entire team would be too great for us to face. According to my insects there was something off about the girls' chakra as well though they would still attack her had I commanded them to. The older boy seemed like the only viable chance we had to fight."

"And Akamaru said he smells like blood and he's right. That guy smelled like he bathed in the stuff." Kiba muttered as Hinata pointed something out.

"Didn't the h-hooded one t-tell the proctor to c-cut him if sh-she wanted someone b-blood-thirsty?" Hinata asked and Kiba blinked before remembering that.

"Oh yeah he did."

"Then it is even more prudent we avoid them as you are our main attacker and your techniques will certainly cut into flesh." Shino nodded so the Inuzuka grunted but nodded. "I fear that team is beyond our strength Kiba."

"Fine. Now let's get going. We've gotta work for more scrolls now."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"This genin is not holding his teams' scroll." Sai remarked as he and Sasuke had just killed an Ame ninja in white that tried to separate and impersonate Sakura to attack them. Sasuke nodded as he untied Sakura and walked over while she stood up and followed.

"We'll need a code of some sort to make sure we know each other from a spy." Sasuke suggested and Sakura and Sasuke nodded.

"How about this? What was Tazuna's grandson named?" Sakura suggested Sai nodded and Sasuke smirked.

"Alright, Inari it is." He agreed as it was simple yet only something they would know in these woods. None of them however noticed the bamboo shoot sticking out of the ground a few feet away, allowing the person underneath them to hear every word said. "Now let's get moving. We need a scroll and I'm going to kill those Iwa bastards if we come across them." He growled as Sai sighed but nodded while Sakura just nodded along nervously and followed.

'So little Sasuke-kun has a problem with Naruto-kun and his team? I wonder what could've caused that little meeting.' Orochimaru thought as he followed them underground and readied his plan to test and mark the Uchiha for himself. 'I'll just have to make sure young Naruto-kun doesn't kill the boy.'

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"So do you want to keep searching for any scrolls or stop for the night?" Naruto asked as he and his teammates were resting near a river that ran through the forest. Hikari kneeling down and getting a drink as Kurai was staring towards the tower roof in the distance with narrowed eyes.

"I'd rather take a break for the day." Hikari commented as the sun began to set. "We can set up a camp in that clearing we passed nearby and lay out some traps around the place to stay safe and then just relax and find another scroll tomorrow."

"Remember we are going to meet with the Oto spy on the third day." Kurai reminded as he contemplated the pros and cons to setting up camp now or later.

"Yeah about that, where are we supposed to meet this guy?" Naruto asked before repeating the message. "'I will find you in the trees on the third day. The great snake wants its answers.' Obviously he means Orochimaru and thinks we know if oji-sama is going to include Iwa in that invasion plan he has and wants to know if we're in or not. While I'd love to take a shot at the place, and I'm sure you would too, we don't know if oji-sama will or not. Plus, 'find us in the trees'? This whole damn place is trees! How the hell is he supposed to find us or us him?" Naruto remarked as Kurai shrugged. Hikari sighed as she stood from where she was crouched by the river.

"Why don't we spend tomorrow searching for him instead? Meet him on our terms incase he doesn't like how we don't have the info he wants? I mean, we don't know if he was faking his weakness before the first exams and Orochimaru has been known for his temper. This guy might have the same thing from his master. It'd be best to have every advantage we can get."

"That sounds reasonable." Kurai nodded to Hikari's words as he faced them. "For all we know Orochimaru could have decided to go back on his deal with Tsuchikage-sama. Not only that but he apparently had an interest in Naruto. This could very well be a trap to take him from Iwa and bring him before the Sannin in Oto."

"Aren't you over thinking things there Kurai?" Naruto asked before scoffing. "Like he'd be stupid enough to get oji-sama to declare war on his ass. Orochimaru may be tough but he said himself to the old man that he doesn't have the manpower to take on one of the five. He wouldn't do something that stupid."

"I was merely stating a possibility."

"More like impossibility." The blond shot back. "Anyways, I'm with Hikari-chan here. Let's just spend tomorrow looking for this little rat and then head to the tower afterwards. Waiting for three days isn't really appealing to me." Kurai nodded so Hikari grinned.

"Then let's go set up camp." She suggested before walking to Naruto and whispering. "And set a few silencing seals around your tent so we can let off a bit of steam tonight." The blond grinned as they headed back into the woods for the night.