Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Glimpses of Fire ❯ Memories and the Second Exam ( Chapter 12 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
Glimpses of Fire
Author: shattered-words
Author: shattered-words
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it'd be called `Gaara'. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?
Summary: There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri
Summary: There were many things that shaped the plans of a certain Nukenin, and one was a shinobi that was as destructive as fire. AU/Mentions of Shounen-ai/Yaoi/Yuri
AN: This next chapter has two new characters that were already mentioned in chapter seven. I knew I had to add Haku and as I was writing it I completely forgot to include him until chapter sixteen. So I had to rewrite chapter twelve after I realized that I'd forgotten to include him in chapter eleven, again! Poor Haku, he's so unloved, heh. I like the way it came out. Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter Twelve: Memories and the Second Exam~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Would you hurry up!” an annoyed voice yelled from the living room down stairs. She huffed as she passed a brush through her light brown hair as a beam of sunlight flittered through the curtain and lit up the natural blonde highlights.
“Shut up, shut up!” she replied in earnest. She'd gotten a late start and now they might be late for the first part of the exam. If they were late then she was sure they'd be disqualified on the spot. Her brother would kill her if she allowed that to happen.
“You take too damn long, woman!” the voice called out again. Her left amethyst eye twitched as she pulled her shoulder length strands into a ponytail and then smoothed out the rouge strands. “You know if we don't get moving we'll miss seeing the rookies up close! You won't get to see your little boyfriend!”
Sanako blinked and slipped on her sandals, wrapped her hitai-ate around her waist tightly and bolted out of the room. “I'm ready!” she practically screamed and made for the door as she hastily secured her pouch and kunai holsters. “Well come on! We're going to be late!”
Haku looked at the slightly shorter boy besides him with a raised eyebrow. “Works every time,” he said with a grin that lit up his cobalt eyes. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and sauntered after his twin sister as short, wild dark brown hair shifted with his movements.
The former mist ninja smirked after a moment and wondered what it would take to motivate Anzai the way he did to his sister. It might be interesting to know for future reference. Haku, the boy now known as Hideaki Takejiro, shook his head and hurried after his two amusing teammates.
“Hurry up, Anzai-kun!”
“Yeah, shut up already!” he grumbled. “I mention his name and you come running. Pathetic.” A moment later the sound of a fist connecting with a skull was heard as Haku winced.
“He should've kept his mouth shut,” he muttered with a sigh. It was going to be a long day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Holy-!”
“Shh,” she chastised the boy besides her as her eyes narrowed on the figure that had just sent the Oto-nin flying.
“You're disturbing the peace,” the shortest Suna-nin told the boy with the bandages coldly. His eyes were narrowed but the girl observing them was close enough to see them and was slightly taken back.
“He has blood-rimmed eyes,” she muttered to no one in particular. She was leaning against the table and her sight had been previously locked on a certain rookie but now she was concentrating on the warriors from Sand. Her two teammates were standing besides her.
“You think it's a Dojutsu, Take?” her brother asked the tallest member of their team.
Haku was watching the three with interest and shook his head. “I'm not sure, Anzai-san,” he muttered, trying to keep his voice down. “But I'm sure of one thing. His speed was frightening.”
Sanako frowned and nodded. She had to agree with him on that one. He'd moved so fast that he had seemed to disappear completely. “Hai. Frightening.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A figure was crouched over the Shodaime's head and staring over its edge at the lights that had started to appear all over the village like stardust in the night's sky. She straightened after a moment and passed a hand through her unruly bangs.
The first part of the exam had ended some time ago but she had decided to forgo training that night since it wouldn't have mattered with the second part occurring tomorrow. Her crimson edged eyes scanned the city as she thought back to the exam.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“The tenth question was the first real test in the exam.” Many were confused by this, butMorino continued on before anyone could ask him to explain. “The tenth question was a choice between two options that were both difficult and dangerous. Those who chose to reject it were failed, and their friends along with them. Those who chose to accept and couldn't answer the question lost any chance of even trying again.” He chuckled slightly. “It was a nasty, unfair, no-win set of options.”
Many still seemed confused. “So, why did I present them?” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat once again. “Let's suppose you all go on to successfully attain the rank of Chunin. You're assigned to steal a vital enemy document, knowing nothing about the skills, deployment, or military preparedness of your foe. You may have to cross a territory that has been heavily mined and set with traps. Now, do you accept your mission? Or do you reject it rather than place your own life—or the lives of your companions—in jeopardy? Could any Chunin get away with only taking on the safe jobs? Of course not!”
Eizan had been leaning back in her seat a bit and had glanced at her teammates. She saw Iwane shakingslightlyand realized that she was trying not to laugh. At times, the girl was strange but also unpredictable and that's what gave her an edge. Turning toward Amane, she saw her hands stuffed into her pockets and knew the right one would be clutching that item she kept with her at all times.
“No matter how dangerous the risk, there will be missions that you cannot decline. A ninja must demonstrate valor that inspires those around him or her, helping all to overcome their fear. This is the talent that we most value in the commander of a Chunin cell.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her features twisted into a frown but then they smoothed out the next moment. Gaara had left the room quickly after the second chief examiner had been introduced—her methods a bit too loud for her tastes—and she had seen the glare he had sent her way. She'd been confused and wondered what she had done to upset him. Then the red haired shinobi had redirected his glare toward Uchiha Sasuke and left the room.
His actions would suggest jealousy, but he had stated himself that he only considered her property. She was nothing more than a tool to use to his desires. That's how she'd offered herself to him all those years ago, so she guessed that she shouldn't find it too shocking that he still only thought of her as that.
Eizan had turned to face the black haired boy and their gazes had met over the distance. He'd been about to speck but she glared at him and turned away. She'd met up with her teammates and noticed that both Iwane and Amane were the recipients of the Hyuuga boy's stares. They'd both been relieved when she'd slipped through the door without a backwards look at the room.
They separated outside of the building after informing them that there would be no training that night. She made them promise that they'd have a good night's sleep before she'd left.
The Ashikaga had taken to the streets of Konohagakure. In the end she'd wound up here after night fall. Now she stuffed her hands into her pockets as she shivered slightly. The night was slightly cooler than the day. She missed the heat of Suna.
Her eyes narrowed as her hand unconsciously flicked out a kunai and threw it into the gathering darkness. The sound of it being deflected reached her ears as she smirked but she made no other move to attack or to turn around for that matter. “You shouldn't sneak up on people,” she chastised quietly as her left hand came to rest at her side once more.
The offender slipped out from the shadows and stopped behind her. They offered the kunai she had thrown and Eizan chuckled. She took it and slipped it back into its holster all without taking her eyes from the city lights. Suna didn't look like this and so she was momentarily over come with the overflow of color and light.
“The ground here is too hard,” the taller figure replied. Leaning down, emerald eyes locked with her red soaked ones as a smirk lifted thin lips made for laughing. “Don't you agree, Eizan-sama?”
The fire user sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets and shook her head. “It's too cold,” she complained. As she said this her hands were pulling her shirt more tightly around her, but she paused as she glanced at her teammate. “Where's Amane?”
Iwane visibly flinched before scratching the back of her head. “Well, you see-” She stopped what she was going to say when she saw the glare that Eizan was fixing her with. “You know how stubborn she is, Eizan-sama!” she whined. The Erizawa crossed her arms over her chest. “She's like a goat.”
Eizan laughed despite herself. “She'll be tempted to knock you out if she learns about that comment, Iwa-kun,” she informed her. She saw the other panic and tried not to laugh again. “Now, where is she?”
Iwane folded her arms under her head as she yawned, and kicked a stone over the edge where she heard it hit the ground below after several long seconds. “She went off on her own, but told me to keep an eye out for you,” she said, giving a wink. So, she was being watched this whole time, and she'd most likely kept her distance until Eizan had come to stop on top of the mountain. “I think she went off to train.”
She frowned and then turned her glare on the taller girl. “She went off on her own?” she asked. Many might've seen her as a harmless child, but Iwane knew that she could be quite frightening when she was angered.
The Doton specialist held up both hands and seemed alarmed suddenly. "Like I told you!” she exclaimed. “She's a freaking goat! I can't talk her out of anything when she's made up her mind about something!”
Eizan seemed to think about this and nodded as she turned away from the other girl who had backed off a step. “She always was hard headed,” she commented and it was slightly surprising to her that she knew this. Thinking about it, she realized that she knew a lot more than she would have a year before. She stepped forward. “Look for her.” The fire wielder wasted no time and jumped off the edge, and she quickly disappeared and appeared on a rooftop several yards away.
Iwane's face split into a grin as she nodded and saluted. “Hai, Eizan-sama!” She quickly headed in the opposite direction that her unofficial leader had gone in. It had gotten darker but luckily Iwane's sight would allow her to see fairly well.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amane sighed as she leaned against the trunk of the tree, sliding along it so that she was crouched on the ground, but still keeping her back pressed on the tree. The sun was starting to already dip into the horizon, and soon she wouldn't be able to see too well. Even then she continued to stay in place.
The first part of the exam had been easier than she'd anticipated, and wondered what the other would consist of. After seeing the chief examiner, Mitarashi Anko, she was certain that it would be a bit more interesting. A smirk spread over her features as she thought of what awaited her tomorrow.
Mitarashi-san had told them that the second part of the test would be held in an undisclosed location. Their Jonin instructors would be told in the morning and they'd relay the message to them so they'd meet there an hour before eight. Apparently this one was going to be harder then first one, if the look on the examiner's face was any indication. The wind user hoped it was, since she really didn't want to pass through this exam without a challenge.
Eizan had gone off by herself once again as she had been doing a lot lately. She was worried and had sent Iwane to tail her while she went off to think a few things over as well. That was, she got a much needed break from the earth user.
Amane cared deeply for the Erizawa and Kami knew she had a lot of patience when it came to her, but at times she even got on her nerves. She let her lips lift into a slight smile thinking about her teammate, since she knew that she meant well. After all, Eizan and she were the only ones that knew why she had changed so drastically over the last year.
She sighed and leaned her head back against the hard surface of the tree trunk. Her elbows were resting against her bent knees and her hands were hanging between her legs. She started to absently pull out the grass as she let her memories invade her mind.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was suppose to be an easy C-rank mission to escort their charge through Stone Territory unnoticed and it would be the end of it. Enoki-sensei had been away on his own mission and they'd been lead by a Chunin. She knew him, very well actually. They'd been unexpectedly attacked and she'd been separated from Iwane and Eizan in enemy territory. Their rendezvous point was on the edge of Stone lands.
A storm had been approaching and the ledge they had walked over had crumbled as they had passed, and he had shoved her toward safety. He fell as she got to her feet, turned around and gasped. She scrambling toward the edgeasher heart pounded in her chest andshe peered over expecting the worse.
However, he had managed to grab hold of a tree root. She didn't even have to look at the cliff face to know that he'd never be able to get a good enough grip, even if he used chakra. He'd just slide down and not make any progress. “Take my hand,” she yelled as she stretched out her arm as far as she dared, and she knew her voice sounded frightened and shrill.
He frowned as heglanced up at her, and the strain was evident on his face as sweat beaded across his forehead. The dark tresses of his hair had started to cling to the sides of his damp features as he lifted his free hand andgroped for hers. He missed several times but finally managed to grab hold. “Okay,” he gasped, feeling as she started to pull him up.
“Hold on,” she moaned, pulling up as hard as she could. She didn't know whereEizan and Iwanewere, but she knew they'd never reach them in time. More than likelythey were moving toward their rendezvous point with the client. So, she knew that it was up to her to pull him up. She had to pull him up!
Since they'd started this mission there had been a strange foreboding at the back of her mind that usually only Iwane ever experienced. Now she knew that she should have followed that instinct that told her to flee from this mission.
Amane pulledagain, but felt herself slip forward as she gasped. The more she pulled the more she slipped, and since she was lying flat against the ground she had nothing to hold onto but the grass beneath her. She slid forwardmore as her waist grazed close to the edge, and she glanced down at him.
His face was like stone and when he lifted his dark brown eyes to meet hers she shook her head. Her heart constricted when he nodded, the wind already starting to increase. The clouds that had been brewing on the horizon had blocked out the soft moon's light. She suddenly wished for theheat of summer. “Let me go, it's over.” His voice cut through the sound of the wind whipping around her and her heart as she shook her head vehemently.
“No! I'm not going to let you go, Akuro,” she growled and pulled, and then immediately felt herself slip more toward the edge. “If you keep holding onto the root, I can use some rope and kunai to get you up.” Her voice was hurried, but she knew that shedidn't have any rope. Also, he couldn't use his own kunai to pull himself up since there was no room around therocks of the cliff face. Meeting his gaze, she knew that he was thinking the same thing.
Suddenly, the wind picked up and she gasped again as she slid more. She tried to use her knees to move her body back to no avail. If she didn't think of something quick, they would both fall over the edge. The wire she had was too thin and would snap under his weight, and the storm was starting to get worse as the wind became more violent. After a moment she felt raindrops starting to hit her back. “Let go,” he repeated.
The Itagaki refused to release him as the rain came in torrents and started to soak them completely through. The soil she was on became softer and started to give way under her. A few more inches and she'd lose her balance and topple over. He knew this and she knew this. She couldn't save him.
Amane felt his fingers loosen around her arm and he immediately started to slip since her skin had become slick with the rain. She gasped and grabbed his hand with both of hers. “No, please don't!” she cried out to him.
He smiled as their gazes intertwined over the distance. `I love you,'she saw him mouth before her grip slipped. He felland was quickly swallowed up by thegathering darkness.
The scream that followed was unlike anything she'd ever heard and it was several seconds before she realized that it was coming from her. She couldn't stop screaming his name, over and over as she peered over the edge as she tried to catch a glimpse of him.
“AKURO!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Itagaki Amane shuddered as she was shaken back to reality, and she could almost hear the thunder again if she closed her eyes. It had come after he had fallen and had drowned out her screams and cries. She might have been laying there for hours with her arms extended over the edge before her teammates found her.
By that time she was completely drenched and her eyes were red from all the tears she'd shed. They'd found his body several hours later and the shallow river below hadn't been deep enough to save him. If he'd had more experience in releasing his chakra then he might have been able to cushion his fall. The only comfort, however small, was that he had died instantly. His neck had broken upon impact so he hadn't had time to suffer.
Her hands wiped at her still dry eyes, and the action was second nature since she hadn't shed a tear since that horrible night. During the days that followed she had isolated herself inside her room, since her parents were never home she was alone most of the time. They had always been distant people and so she would have rejected any comfort they may have offered. It would never happen since they were shinobi.
A slight smirk lifted the corners of her lips when she remembered the day Eizan had gotten fed up with her. The young girl had kicked open her front door, and marched into her room with a frightening expression adorning her features. While she had half expected her to beat some sense into her, she had been surprised when she had reached out and pulled her into a fierce hug. After telling her that she could take all the time she needed and that she would be here for her, she had practically dragged her outside.
`I thought you said I could take all the time I needed!' she had yelled at her, pulling against the hold the shorter girl had on the back of her shirt. Even if Amane was several inches taller, Eizan was actually monstrously strong since her chakra control was the best among the three of them.
When they had reached their destination, which was one of the training grounds they regularly used, she had given an affirmative and released her.
`Hai, you can take all the time you want, but I'll be damned if I let you lock yourself inside to rot,' she had snarled and when she went to protest, she was cut off. `Also, sheisdriving me crazy!' Apparently, with Amane still grieving, Iwane had turned her full attention toward Eizan and had her at her wits' end.
Amane chuckled to herself and pictured the look on the Ashikaga's face that day, and she'd even gone so far as to wave her arms around. That's when she'd realized that the once callous and closed off girl had come to depend on both their company to sate the loneliness that gnawed at her insides. She'd always been with Gaara but he hardly spoke to the girl and his cold demeanor didn't allow her to get close to him. She loved him but she still felt an emptiness inside her heart. That day she'd also realized that they'd started to fill some of that void inside of her.
A sigh left her lips when a shadow settled over her slouched form, and she lifted her head as her gaze met with pale blue eyes. “May I help you?” she asked him. She remembered that Kabuto had named Rock Lee's teammates, and this one was called Hyuuga Neji. She had heard him approaching but had hoped he would retreat and leave her in peace. At times, her luck was as bad as Eizan's.
“I recognize you,” he said, his voice sounding cold. She ran a hand through her hair and glanced away in annoyance at his insistence. Her head tilted back and she met his eyes again and his expression indicated that this time he wouldn't back off as he had earlier that day.
Her left leg was bent, foot resting against the ground, and now she pulled it against her chest and wrapped her arms around it. “So what?” She allowed herself the luxury of closing her eyes since she relied more on her hearing than her eyes. When she thought that she had failed to hear the ledge crumbling under her that day, she winced and flinched unpleasantly. “I'm sure it's not rare to see one of us humans,” she said sarcastically. She waved her hand absently, listening to any movements he might make.
He shook his head, and he was almost certain that she knew this but not sure how since her eyes were closed. “It was you,” he said as he dismissed her sarcasm. She heard him move and lean against the same tree as she was sitting against, but another section of it. “Besides, that hair of yours is a dead giveaway.” When she sighed, he smirked slightly and he wondered why he was speaking with her.
He knew she was a kunoichi and thinking how he had found out then, he almost blushed but managed to save face. The only thing that he allowed himself to think of what had happened was, `Damn Byakugan!' He was certain the female would pummel him if she found out, and he wouldn't necessarily blame her for wanting to do it. Judging by what he had seen and the amount of time he had been frozen in stupid wonderment at the fact that not only was she a girl, but one with a well developed body, he'd ask her to knock him senseless.
Amane shrugged and slouched against the tree trunk. “Your point being?” she asked him, and he was slightly annoyed by her bored tone. She hopped to her feet and then turned to look at him as she rested her hands at her hips. “If you've come to issue a challenge for overhearing your conversation, then do so. If not, then stop wasting my time.” Her voice had been like a knife and the tone touching on a chilling cruelty. Neji found himself pinned with her dark eyes, seeing their frozen surfaces and knew that like him, she held a pain deep inside.
Neji shook these thoughts off and shifted to look at her better. “I might, but not so close to the second part of the exam,” he commented before shrugging. Then he was grinning as he wondered just how strong she could be. She was certainly attractive but wondered if she had anymore than speed at her disposal. He wasn't the type of person that could only look at a person superficially though did consider that a person's fate was seal as soon as they were born. All he had to do was figure out if she was a drop out or like him. “I'll look forward to seeing how you fare.” He straightened and started to walk away.
She frowned and quickly jumped into the tree branches and was gone. “Don't disappoint me either,” he heard her parting words as the Hyuuga turned to look where she had been standing moments before. He wasn't able to see her anymore, even when he activated his Byakugan and he smirked. It seemed that things were getting rather interesting, in more ways than one. He turned once more to leave but something caught his eye, and he moved toward the base of the tree that she'd been sitting against.
He crouched down and reached out to lift the object into his hand. There were signs of wear on it and it appeared that she'd had it for a long time, and wondered what value it presented to her. After a moment, he let a smirk spread over his lips before standing and pocketing the item. He might just have some fun with this.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eizan groaned softly as she was awoken and yawned before rolling over in her futon to try and resume the dream she had been having. While she didn't remember what it had been about she knew that she had been enjoying it. However, it seemed that the noise that woke her up didn't want to let her fall back into that sweet oblivion. After several moments, which she spent cursing anything she could think of, she opened her eyes.
The room was still completely dark, and the ceiling stared back at her before she turned to her side so that she faced the sliding door that opened onto the small balcony the room was equipped with. There was a faint light coming from the restroom. She turned that way as quietly as she could and saw Amane exit it and move toward the balcony. The older girl pushed open the sliding down, hopped onto the ledge and jumped off.
The Ashikaga was instantly alert as she sat up and left her futon. She didn't understand why Amane had suddenly left and without telling her. She only spared a few moments to put on her sandals and then left the same way that the other had.
She was wearing a white shirt and a pair of shorts, and she hadn't even bothered to grab her hitai-ate so her bangs fell over and around her eyes. There hadn't even been enough time to grab her weapons, but she did at least have her wire mesh shirt. From what she'd seen, Amane's hair had been loose; she hadn't carried any weapons, and had only been wearing the sleeveless shirt.
There was no sign of her teammate but she continued to move because she was worried about her being out alone, unarmed and unprotected in a strange shinobi village. It was always the case that trouble seemed to find their little group, and she had thought Amane to be more responsible since she'd always been a clearheaded person. The only thing that'd be enough to make her loose her mind would be...
She shuddered as she recalled the night they'd found the girl after Akuro had fallen and hearing the other weeping hysterically. It had chilled her to her very soul, and she had sworn that if ever did anything useful while she lived, then she'd make sure to never let anything else hurt her friend like that again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her hands had frantically searched through her pockets and then she had practically torn her bag apart, but there was no sign of it anywhere. She had been trying not to make any noise, especially as she left the Inn, yet nothing but her most priced possession had been of concern. Amane didn't know how it was possible for her to have lost it when she always made sure when she slipped her hands into her pockets. Many thought it was a habit or a gesture of trying to act cool, but only her teammates and she knew the real reason for that. It was always there, out of sight and secure, and yet she had forgotten to check last night.
Amane's legs ached since she'd been running at top speed to get across the city and to the forest, but she wasn't sure she would be able to find the exact place she had been at. She knew that she would try, and search all night if she had to. All thoughts of the exam had left her mind, and she didn't care of she completely missed the second part. The thought of actually risking her friends' anger and annoyance paled in comparison to finding it.
She landed within the darkness of the forest and started to search the base of every single tree that looked like the one she'd been sitting against, which meant that she checked every single one since they all looked the same. As she looked her mind wandered back to when she had first given it to Akuro. She'd been so nervous because she was afraid that he wouldn't accept it.
There had been many Academy students that were cruel toward her and Iwane simply because they were related to Eizan, but he had been different. He was Ogata Akuro, and he had befriended both girls easily enough, and would have done the same with the fire user, but Eizan wasn't the most friendly person during those times, and then there were the death glares the red head sent his way every time he tried to talk to her.
Amane knew that Akuro was the only one that had seen these glances that were directed at any male that even looked her way, and he understood it where no one else dared to try. He would have tried to confront the boy on his true feelings for the girl, but he valued his life. His reasons would have been his own but it was for Amane whom he had feelings for, but hadn't been able to confess to.
A sad smile curved her lips when she recalled the day he had finally gotten the courage to tell her, and by that time she had been trying to figure out if he felt the same way as she did. He was older than her, and Akuro had been her first crush. When they had met, he was in his last year at the Academy and the three of them and the red head had graduated two years later.
Akuro had left to take the Chunin Exam, which was held in Kusagakure that year, and he was able to attain the rank of Chunin. When Enoki was away on a mission he was the only Chunin that would volunteer to take command of their Genin team. The night he died, they had been on a routine C-rank escort mission that had gone terribly wrong.
Amane came out of her thoughts as she lifted her head when she sensed the residual signal of her chakra from one of the trees. She moved toward it and crouched down to search since she was certain that this was the tree she had been leaning against. After a few moments Amane realized that it wasn't there, but even then she couldn't stop looking. Something drove her hands to keep tearing at the grass in a desperate attempt to find it.
The Itagaki didn't even turn around when she felt a presence land behind her, since she already knew whom it was. She almost flung off the hand Eizan placed on her shoulder. “I...can't find it. W-what am I g-going to do?” she whimpered, her eyes already brimming with tears she had not shed in so long.
Ashikaga Eizan frowned and now realized why her teammate was out here and in such a state. She moved and kneeled besides her as she started to search with her. Amane glanced at her in confusion, and the tears gathered in the dark orbs spilled over her cheeks before she turned and wiped at her eyes with her arm.
After several minutes she stood and walked away from the tree and fell her hands and knees. She pounded the ground with a fist since she couldn't believe that she'd lost it. The one thing that meant more to her than anything else, besides her loyalty toward Eizan and Iwane, and it was gone.
A curtain of dark brown strands, that looked black in the darkness, covered her face as she felt more tears trail down her cheeks. The shorter girl came to bend over her and helped her stand as she draped Amane's arm over her shoulder, and wrapped her left arm around the taller ninja's waist. She was practically dead weight and yet the raven haired Suna-nin dragged her along as if she weighed nothing, managing to hop onto the rooftops to increase their speed.
They had arrived at the ryokan in no time and then the balcony as they entered the dark room. Iwane was awake and wordlessly helped Eizan get Amane across the room and into her futon where she thoroughly passed out from exhaustion.
Iwane sat back and when her friend's breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep she turned to look at Eizan. “I woke up and you were both gone,” she spoke quietly, returning her gaze to the other. She was sitting with her legs crossed before her, hands resting on her knees. “What happened?” It had been a long time since she had seen her like this.
Eizan was leaning against the sliding door, which was still opened so that the moon's light cut across the darkened room and settled over Amane's still form. “She lost it,” she answered with a sigh and ran a hand through her already wild locks. Her hands were still filthy from having been searching the ground for the valued trinket. “It must have slipped out of her pocket sometime last night.”
Realization dawned on the Erizawa's features at hearing this, and her body was now turned so that she could keep both girls in her line of sight. “Oh,” she only commented as she lowered her head. It was common knowledge between them that it was the only thing of value she now owned, and losing it would be enough to send her into a hysterical state. She sighed and flicked her bangs out of her face, and wondered why it had to happen now of all days. “What are we going to do about tomorrow?”
Eizan shrugged her shoulders and closed the sliding door as she shivered, since the night was chilly despite it being July, and slid into her own futon. “What Amane wants to do,” she merely responded and pulled the covers over her shoulders and turned on her side. “Get some rest.”
After a few moments, Eizan heard the Doton user get into her futon and turn her body toward the wind user. She heard when she fell asleep, but even then she lay awake. For more than an hour sleep would not come as she remembered her teammates' panicked stated as she looked for her lost possession. She rubbed her weary eyes and sighed and moments later settled into a restless sleep.
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Many were startled into silence as they gazed up into the fenced jungle that stood before them, and some even had the dignity to gulp nervously. “This is the arena for the second exam. Training ground 44,” Mitarashi Anko spoke, grinning maliciously as she observed some of the faces of the Genin gathered there. “Also known as the Forest of Death!”
Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of her long khaki coat that ended at the backs of her knees, and was worn over a body suit made out of thin wire mesh which hugged her curves. She also wore a short skirt that hung loose on her hips and shin guards that went to her ninja sandals. Her black hair was in a stylish up-do so as to stay out of her face and around her neck she wore a strangely shaped pendant on a cord.
Eizan glanced up at the trees that towered over her four feet, eight inch frame and sighed before glancing at Amane who was a good three inches taller than her. The girl was staring blankly at this so called forest of death, but her eyes were expressionless dark pools. Eizan was worried, since she hadn't seen her like this since the days following Akuro's death.
She was trying to keep Iwane from bothering the other girl when she felt a shudder of terror pass through her. Turning, she saw Mitarashi licking Naruto's cheek clean of blood that ran from a cut, and then a Kusa ninja appear behind her as she extracted a kunai to point at him. A long tongue was seen slipping past his lips and wrapped around another kunai knife. “Your kunai, I believe you dropped it.”
The voice might have been familiar but she shook it off and instead turned toward the Anko woman as she thanked him for returning the kunai. Their gazes met as her dark brown eyes narrowed on him, Naruto being freaked out at the man's grotesquely long tongue. “Don't just stand behind me radiating blood lust. Unless you're in a hurry to die,” she warned as she took the kunai from him as his tongue slurped back into his mouth.
He smirked. “I'll try to keep it under control, but the sight of fresh, warm blood really makes me crazy,” he hissed softly as the fire user frowned. “And I was already revved up from losing a strand of my precious hair.” It seemed that when she had flung the kunai and cut Naruto's cheek, she had also cut a strand of the shinobi's long black locks.
As the Kusa ninja turned to walk back toward his two teammates, Eizan saw as his gaze flicked in her direction. Their gazes met and the look in his eyes as he smirked cruelly made her pale before she turned away. It had to be her imagination. “Before we begin the second exam, there's something I have to hand out,” Anko spoke up.
The papers in her hand were consent forms which they had to sign since it was likely that some would die during this part of the exam. She started to hand them out as Eizan saw that Iwane was now staring at Amane in worry, being strangely complacent. By now, the earth user would have started to make a crack about how the forest was probably filled with fuzzy bunnies and daises. At the moment, Eizan was hoping that was true since the Itagaki was as good as useless for now. While she might be able to defeat anyone that was taking this exam, with the exception of Gaara, she knew that she'd have to cover Amane's ass if the other failed to come around.
It seemed that their objective for this exam was survival, as well as seek and capture. The two scrolls, one marked with the kanji `Ten' and the other marked with `Chi', were their target. In order to pass the exam, they had to show up at the tower, within the five day time frame, with both scrolls and with all three members of their team alive. It would have been easier a day ago, but now the stakes were a bit higher for Eizan's team with Amane out of commission.
During the five days they had to find food, shelter and fend off any wild animals as well as other teams seeking their scroll. Eizan sighed and waved Iwane to her side as Amane was busy signing her form. “Cover her as much as you can,” she ordered, a frown settling over her features once again.
Iwane lifted an eyebrow at her words and folded her arms over her chest, an uncharacteristic action for her. “What about you?” she asked her, glancing at the Uchiha's team and the glances Sasuke was sending Eizan's way. He also saw Lee's team not too far off and saw that the Hyuuga boy was looking at Amane. She would have felt left out but then noticed that the bug boy's gaze was locked on her, and while she shouldn't have been able to tell due to his sunglasses, she could. `Why do we always draw such attention to ourselves?' she wondered as she tried not to sigh since it couldn't be helped.
“Don't worry about me,” she hissed before taking in a deep breath and sighing. “I can handle anything in that forest or the other teams.” She returned her gaze to their other teammate. “I'm more worried about Amane-kun.” She frowned slightly. Gaara hadn't told her much of what the Kazekage was planning for the third part of the exam, but knew that it was very important that they all made it till the end. “Listen, we have to make it to the third part,” she muttered quietly, the other giving her a confused look. “Don't ask any questions now, just cover Amane, got it?” When Iwane nodded, she sighed and plopped down on the ground.
“One final piece of advice, stay alive!” the chief examiner said as Iwane and Eizan turned to look at the woman. It was clear that a lot of the Genin had been hanging off her every word as if their lives depended on it, and they did. One of the Konoha Chunin that were helping with the exam, informed them that they were ready to distribute the scrolls, which would be exchanged for three consent forms.
Iwane's hair was in a different style that day. She had pinned it to the back of her head securely so that it wouldn't bother her. While the first part of the exam had been a written one, the second part was sure to be harder. This one could prove to be fatal for several Genin that entered. The earth user noticed that Amane had only bothered to put her hair in the same braid, and Eizan's was too short to tie back with the exception of her bangs being just a bit longer.
She glanced at the curtained building where they were to receive their scrolls and smirked since not only were they not able to see what kind of scroll each team received, but also who was carrying it. They would also choose which gate they would start from out of the forty-four available as soon as they received the scroll. As the teams started to head toward the building, Iwane glanced at Eizan but the girl stayed where she was for the moment.
When Gaara's team moved toward the covered building, Eizan jumped to her feet and stretched her arms over her head and Iwane saw the wince pass her face where others would have missed it. It seemed that she was still suffering from her ribs and knew that it was another thing that would slow them down. The only thing that Iwane was grateful for was that they had five days, and she knew that Eizan's first objective would be to find Gaara. Knowing Eizan, she'd probably give up the scroll if the red head had the opposite one.
When Gaara's team left the building, she moved toward it as Amane and Iwane followed her. When they entered they handed in their consent forms and the ninja sitting at the table handed them a scroll with the kanji symbol `Ten' on it. “Gate 42,” Eizan responded as she stuffed the scroll under her shirt where it would rest securely between her vest and chain mail shirt. The man nodded and directed them to a proctor that would lead them to the gate.
“All right, everyone follow your proctors to your respective gates,” Anko announced as she glanced at her watch. “When the signal sounds in half an hour, the exam will begin!”
Eizan merely shrugged and followed the proctor that led them to their gate and he also glanced at his watch. It was still fairly early and Eizan looked at her own watch and saw that it was seven thirty, so that meant that the exam would start at eight o'clock*. Asking the proctor if she could see his watch, he gave her a confused look before he nodded and allowed her to see it. She quickly synchronized hers with his since that meant that it was in time with Anko's watch.
As the seconds would down, the proctor unlocked the gate and then glanced at his watch again. When the second hand marked eight, a shrill signal was heard and he pushed open the gate. “Go!” he told them and Eizan sprinted into the forest, followed closely by Amane and Iwane.-
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1. I know the third part of the exam starts in the afternoon, but I wanted the test to take place in the morning, that way it'll be right after the night Amane had. Trust me, I planned it this way. Also, in case anyone didn't know, Ten means heaven and Chi means earth. That is all.
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End Chapter Twelve