Hinata sensei

Naruto didn't get a chance to indulge in his thoughts for long before Anko Shouted as loud as she could to get everyone's attention.

"Okay listen up kids, this part of the Chunin exams makes the experience you had with in the first exam look like child's Play. The first exam tested if you had the ability to steal information and do proper reconnaissance without being detected and it tested your resolve if you were willing to take chances and have guts. The whole purpose of the 10th question was to see if you would be prepared for this portion of the exam which makes what you went through look like heaven on Earth." Anko licked her lips like some sort of sadistic torturer that indulged in psychologically and physically torturing their victims.

"Now know this these forms I gave you absolves us of any responsibility should you die in this exam if you wish to continue you have to sign them and give them to me before starting." Dying Naruto thought it didn't make sense to him. Why would you send a potential Shinobi to certain death, wouldn't that be one less asset in the future? This perplexed Naruto this was a question he wanted to ask his Sensei when he had the chance but he suppressed that thought for now when the instructor continued.

" Since you're all Shinobi you are technically considered adults by our society so whatever choice you make is completely your own though if you were to drop out of this portion of the exam after coming so far I don't think I would let you ever take the exams again but that's just me this is your last chance to turn back"Naruto had no intention and he knew his teammates wouldn't either.

"Good luck, it looks like we have a bunch of brave candidates here. I wonder how many fools will rush to their deaths in this exam?" She looked at Naruto as if she was looking at him. He didn't like the way she was staring at him. As if she teleported to another dimension and went right behind him, she held a kunai to his cheek, and he felt a cut. "You have not flinched; I'm impressed, or is it that you don't want to look pathetic because of your sensei Hinata?" He refused to be baited.

"I think this Kanai belongs to you," said a woman who looked like she had the features of a snake. It was creepy the way she licked her lips and the way she looked at Naruto and Sasuke.

" "Thank you," Anko replied, not looking any more comfortable than Naruto didn't seem right with that woman with the hat.

"Don't stand behind me unless you're in a hurry to die," Anko threatened her and from the sounds of it she meant it. The woman replied back with the same bloodlust in her voice.

"I'll try to keep it under control but the sight of warm blood makes me crazy and I was already losing a strand of my hair." This was creepy and gross who the hell was this woman?

Karin couldn't help but feel something dark and sinister about the woman with the hat. Her long hair gave her the creeps; she was shivering in fear. It was like she was looking at a demon, not a human being.

"What the hell is that?"she asked out loud. This woman wasn't right; her teammates were uneasy about it as well. She possessed a unique ability called the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, which allowed her to sense any target's chakra signature. It was a trait passed on to her from her mother.

She's for all she knows to the best of her knowledge is the last Uzumaki alive; her signature red hair makes her stand out from her peers. So what makes it even rarer is the red eyes which she inherited from her mother, she never knew her father. The only thing she knew was that she had an aunt who went to Konoha at some point, though she never knew her and she is dead.

"You better not slow us down, Karin" said one of her teammates, who was an older boy around 16.

"Go fuck yourself! I've done more for this team than any of you have." she said with irritation Karin is the unofficial leader; her teammates are stupid without her; they would be lost.

"Layoff Tashima! Without her, we would be nothing!" He was the same age as Tashima, kinder than his brother, but they were twins.

"Conjo, I'm just saying that this girl is useless to us; she can barely fight—what good is her sensory ability if it doesn't help us in battle?" She wanted to slap that arrogant prick, but Conjo beat her to it.

"You idiot, she has saved our lives time and time again with her sensory ability. Do not discount her just because she is not a combatant like we are." He said defending Karin from his brother's ignorant comment.

Their argument couldn't be taken further because the examiner interrupted them.

"I would appreciate it if you listen to what I'm about to say, it could save your lives." she said with an implied threat.

"Now to continue, I'll tell you what this exam is about. It's actually simple; it's a survival test .It will test everything that you have been taught up until now. Let's start with the Topography of this training ground. Training ground 44 is barricaded by singular perimeter at regular intervals at 44 locked Gates. There are forests and a river in the center, about 10 km from those Gates." She was amazed how much stuff was in a 10 km radius; it didn't seem to be that big, but something didn't add up.

The examiner continued, "Within the confines of this carefully delineated area, you're going to undergo a survivor test. During the course of that test, you may use anything necessary to complete your task. If you played capture-the-flag, you'll be familiar with the premise; except the difference between that and this is instead of capturing the flag, it's capturing the scroll."

Karin decided to ask a question.

"You mean we're supposed to capture the scroll, okay? But it can't just be that?" She knew there had to be more if it was one scroll; it would be too easy. As if to anticipate her question, she took out two scrolls and showed them to everyone. The difference between them was that one had a kanji of Earth and the other had a kanji of heaven. So they were supposed to collect two. She didn't need to be told that after seeing the scrolls, but the examiner explained it to those who weren't able to see them because they weren't close enough.

"There's a scroll of heaven and there's a scroll of birth, and your objective is to acquire both scrolls. For those in the back who cannot read the kanji, that's what it is. There are 78 of you right now; that's 26 three-member teams. 13 teams will start off with the heaven scroll and the other will start off with the Earth scroll, but you need both to pass—you cannot do it with just one. Your objective is to hold on to your own scroll and get your hands on the one from the other team; you must bring them both to the tower at the center." This made sense this way: it can eliminate as much of the candidate as possible. Most of them would not make it, she thought this was an effective way to weed out as much of the incompetent Shinobi as possible, less than half of the teams would pass, that she knew for sure. She hopes her team was one of those teams that passed. Karin couldn't disgrace her village or her sensei.

"I'll make you proud, mother," Karin said to herself as she mentally prepared for the trials that awaited her.

Hanabi understood everything that she was being told, and she wasn't going to lose. She wouldn't let her team lose either. She looked at Naruto who was listening intently. If she encountered Naruto, she would eliminate him without hesitation. She couldn't afford to lose even against her sister and cousin.

"So you're saying that at least half of us will fail in this exam?" asked Kagome. The examiner answered her question.

"Yep, that's what's going to happen but don't be surprised if it's more than half. After all, this is the weed out as many of the teams as possible. You have 120 hours to complete this exam exactly 5 days." This wasn't a problem for Hanabi; she was trained to go without food for an extended period of time. This wouldn't be a problem.

"5 days—what are we supposed to do about food?" Choji asked not happy with the prospect.

"That's your problem. All of you must know basic survival skills by now. There's plenty of animals or other potential edibles. If you don't know how to survive using what's available in nature, then you don't deserve to pass to the next level." The instructor said, annoyed by Choji's complaining.

So this was the way to get as many teams disqualified as possible. People who lack food and water will be weaker and make irrational moves and mistakes. Brilliant, Hanabi thought. Fortunately for her, she was prepared to have enough food for at least two or three days if she rations it properly, and her teammates do the same.

"As you all know, there won't be 13 teams passing this exam because after all, those who go without food for long periods of time are far more likely to become exhausted and make rash moves and mistakes. So in attention to those who attempt to defend or capture the scroll, some of you are bound to succumb to exhaustion, exposure, starvation, and dehydration." She stopped talking for a moment and put out three fingers as she was about to explain the rules.

"Now let's talk about the rules of what offenses you can be disqualified for. Obviously, the teams that failed to reach the tower in that time as a three-man squad will be disqualified. And any team that loses a member when it's due to death or severe injury are disqualified and under no circumstances are any of you to leave the forest before the time is up. No recesses, no timeouts. One last thing: You're forbidden to look at the contents of the scrolls until you're inside the tower."Naruto didn't need to ask the question but he asked anyway.

"What happens if you take a sneak peek?" Naruto Asked stupidly. "It should be obvious, idiot," Kyubi said, in annoyance.

Anko answered, "Well if you want to find out go ahead and look but I wouldn't advise it." It was a non-answer he did not expect.

"If any of you are to make it to Chunin level or above, there will be missions where you'll be trusted with top secret documents, and you will be trusted not to look. This is to test if you would be trustworthy with such important information. That's all I'm going to give you—just give me the forms that you've all signed, and I'll give you your scrolls. And when you get yours, choose the gate you want to start from. Everyone, meet at the same time. There is one last piece of advice I'm going to give you." Naruto was wondering what she was going to say.

"Stay alive and whatever you do, don't do something foolish." She smiled and then turned her back on everyone as she prepared for the second exam.

Orochimaru, in his disguise, was looking forward to seeing what the students of Hinata are capable of. Especially Sasuke, the red-haired woman named Red, was behind him.

"Oh, Red, what have I done to deserve the honor of your presence?" Orochimaru said.

"Makeini sure you don't have any funny ideas, Orochimaru." Red said with an implied threat.

"Your petty threats mean nothing," he replied, calmly. He didn't need to see her face to know that she was conflicted; what he had said a few days ago had taken root. She has doubts about who she is and whether she can be controlled if he just pushes a little bit more.

"I can help bring back your memories, Red. The future that has been stolen from you and your past I could give that back if you do something for me." Orochimaru said as he calmly put his right hand on her mask and slightly removed it exposing her mouth. She pushed his hand away.

"Keep your filthy hands off of me!" Red yelled, clenching her teeth.

"Aren't you not allowed to let your emotions control you?" Orochimaru said mockingly.

"I should kill you where you stand," the woman said, barely controlled fury in her voice.

"You are denying who you are. Go to the Uchiha Clan Memorial, and you will get your answers there. If you ever wondered why you're not allowed to go there or to go to the Hokage's office? It has to do with your past. You are not who you think you are. Red. I hold the key to your past. Should you seek answers, come to me in the forest of death. You will not regret it if you choose to join me." He knew he had won; he would let time do the rest. She will investigate her past, and when she does, she will go to him.

"Your words are nothing but lies if you didn't think about betraying Danzo Sama I will kill you myself."

Red dispersed as if she were not there at all Orochimaru had the appearance of a woman taking an exam. He had to contain his bloodlust, looking at Sasuke along with the blonde-haired boy and the girl who would have to separate them. Sasuke was the only one he had any interest in. He licked his lips in anticipation. The Forest of Death was perfect considering the rules: anything goes; a few dead Genin would hardly be a surprise.

"Remember the plan"he said in the women's voice his teammates not it along infiltrating this exam was too easy thanks to Danzo making it so. Orochimaru knew that Danzo had every intention of undermining him he would be foolish not to but Orochimaru fortunately was ahead of him Donzo's most powerful asset the time would came he would learn that he is not in control as much as he thought but until that day came Orochimaru would for appearances sake make it seem like he was an ally when in fact he's just another obstacle for him down for his bigger goal.

Team 7 was running as fast as possible. It was difficult to see where they were, despite the force of death being 10 km away. It looked a lot bigger than that. Kagome with her teammates couldn't help but feel like someone was watching them. It wasn't long ago that they started, yet someone was stalking them.

" I'm not imagining things; I feel like we're being watched."she said out loud Naruto and Sasuke turned around and were looking as if they could feel it too.

"The killing intent it's suffocating because what the hell kind of person are we dealing with here?" Kagome asked her teammates. She withdrew her sword from its sheath, feeling uneasy. She never felt this kind of fear in her life. She heard laughing, a sinister and evil laugh.

"Seriously, Kagome, what the hell is going on? You're freaking us out." Naruto said, not feeling comfortable with her having her sword out.

"Do you hear that?" she asked her teammates, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

"Well, I'm sorry. I'll be back." Naruto left her and Sasuke alone. She didn't think it was a good idea for Naruto to be alone. She had to voice her honest thoughts openly.

"We should keep an eye on Naruto; this is a bad idea. We shouldn't separate under any circumstances." she said with fear in her voice Sasuke looked irritable.

"You're freaking me out, Kagome. Put that sword away." Sasuke said, not feeling comfortable.

She continued to hear laughing almost as if they thought it was funny that she could hear but, others couldn't.

"Man, I feel better"Naruto said as he got out of the bushes. Something was off. His matter of speech didn't seem like Naruto at all Sasuke picked up on it immediately and punched Naruto in the face.

"What the fuck Sasuke?"

Naruto said in anger.

"For someone who tries to imitate my idiot teammate you certainly doing a terrible job. Naruto has three whiskers on both sides of his cheeks, not two second Naruto is right-handed yet his pouch is on the left." She was amazed remembered those details then again they've been teammates since the very beginning so it's not really surprising he would know those details.

"Damn you"the fake Naruto dropped his facade and changed his appearance to his true form. He was one of the ninjas from the Rain Village. He wore a light yellow jumpsuit with cross stitches in the middle around the upper body. He wore a rebreather and a mask on his face. He wore shinobi sandals, and had brown spiky hair and dark eyes. He also wore a full-sleeve purple kimono shirt and pants. She recalled the name of this ninja when she heard his name being called by the examiner for the second exam. Oboro is what she remembered him being called.

"Looks like I have to work on my Genjutsu," he said when he was finished. He tried to attack Sasuke, who blocked his attacks with ease.

"Next time you try to impersonate someone make sure you do the research first; it makes you look like an idiot and Naruto looks like a genius." Sasuke said mockingly. He didn't appreciate the insults and attacked Sasuke. An opponent riled up was an easier opponent to beat. Sasuke didn't care; he was willing to fight by any means necessary to get past the second exam.

No matter what he threw at him Sasuke countered, he was seething with anger. he tried to strike at Sasuke's left side in order to catch him by surprise but Sasuke was able to counter with ease. no matter what his opponent try to do he tried throwing shurikens at him Sasuke countered by deflecting with his Kanai. he tried changing tactics by attacking it Sasuke a close range.

This opponent, who was fighting against, was no Rock Lee. He may be fast, but comparatively he is slow. He was able to see everything coming; he didn't even need the Sharingan to know what his next move would was trying to attack Sasuke from behind, but Sasuke turned around and kicked him in the abdomen, knocking him. hard against the tree. Sasuke wasn't taking any chances; he was going to incapacitate his opponent. but before he could do anything, he threw a smoke bomb on the ground.

"Damn you!" Instead of continuing to attack Sasuke, he made a tactical retreat.

"We need to find our teammate," Kagome said with concern.

He looked around the nearby area he's so naruto who was guided did not look happy that he was tied up in fact he looked extremely pissed off and annoyed in any other circumstance Sasuke would find it funny. But, this was not that kind of situation in the forest of death anything could happen and he couldn't mess around. He along with Kagome untied Naruto removed the guy on his mouth and spoke .

"I can't believe I let that asshole get the drop on me, damn it!" Naruto said angrily about what had just happened.

They both nodded in agreement about coming up with a way to make sure they were not caught by surprise again. They would invent a password that all of them had to repeat if they ever got separated. If they got the password wrong, then they were the enemy. Sasuke has strong feelings that the enemy would try again and he suspected they were spying on his team. The password he was going to say would be complicated and long; he was fully aware Naruto wouldn't be able to remember it. Next time they tried to impersonate Naruto, if they tried to get the password right, he would know immediately that they were the enemy because Naruto would never be able to remember a long password or any password for that matter. It was a perfect plan.

"Listen to the password carefully because I'm only going to say it once." Sasuke said to his teammates.

"A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike." Sasuke knew this password would go over Naruto's head but that was the point: Naruto would never remember a password this long so if they encountered someone who impersonated him again he would know he was a fake.

Kagome would remember it.

" Can you repeat that again?" Naruto asked Sasuke. He ignored him for the moment, now they needed to guard the scroll and the person who would be the least likely to lose it." Give me the scroll, Naruto," Sasuke requested. Naruto reluctantly gave it to him. They didn't get a chance to do anything for long when another presence came. Sasuke jumped out of the way along with Naruto and Kagome.

Sasuke had no idea where his teammates were; they were separated. Even if it was for a few seconds, that would be enough for an enemy to impersonate them. He hopes his gambit paid off.

After a few minutes he saw Kagome appear before him he couldn't be too careful he had to know if this person appeared before him was the real her."the password now"Sasuke demanded."A ninja waits till the time is the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike." Kagome answered. Sasuke lowered a little bit knowing her answering it with no trouble was the sign it was the real Kagome.

Then Naruto appeared and said, "The password now."

Sasuke demanded, "A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike."

The way Naruto recited this was suspicious. Naruto would not do this so easily; he wouldn't remember long passwords like this. This was a fake.

He punched the fake Naruto in the face. Kagome was surprised and the fake Naruto smirked."So you saw right through my deception, how did you know?"the fake asked him."I purposely did a long password knowing Naruto wouldn't remember it Naruto would ask what is the password but since you answered it. I can confirm without a shadow of the doubt that you are a fake you're worse at impersonating other people than Naruto is"the fake smiled sinisterly."Is that so?"

The transformation was undone and what appeared it was a woman. The bloodlust he could feel in the air this was the same woman from earlier." I hope you can entertain me,"the woman said, licking her lips.

He had no idea why but he felt afraid. He looked and saw Kagome. She was terrified even more than he was."It seems like the girl is more prey than you are." the woman said with a sinister smile.

Sasuke did not know why, but he felt extremely terrified. He tried to move, but his body would not respond. He saw needles falling from the sky, piercing him and Kagome. Blood was dripping on the ground. He was in a pool of his own blood as the woman walked slowly towards them. He heard laughing, and she licked the right side of her face like a predator. She went on her knees, lifted Kagome up with her right hand, took out a sword that looked like a katana, and decapitated her. Her body tumbled to the ground as she held her head like a trophy. Then, she did the same to him. As soon as the scene started, it ended, and he found out it wasn't real: the injuries, their deaths, everything was an illusion, some advanced kind of genjutsu he had never known about.

He couldn't move even the day his brother murdered everyone he cared about; he had never felt such intense fear." It can't be over already. I was just getting started," The woman said sadistically. If he did not move, she would kill them. He did not know why, but this woman was far beyond their league; there is no way she is a Genin." What a disappointment! Is this what I can expect from Sasuke Uchiha?" She got closer to him. He had to get out, he had to get himself and Kagome out. If he did not, they would both be killed.

She threw kanai's at them if they hit them at the right spot they would both be dead instantly Sasuke had to move he had to get himself and Kagome away otherwise they would get killed. He couldn't move, he had to get out, he had to get out Sasuke took a drastic measure. It was reckless but it was the only way for him to escape this encounter alive . He he took a Kanai from his pouch and stabbed himself on the right knee. He grabbed Kagome and fled as fast as he could.

He heard cackling, and it was echoing throughout the entire forest. It sounded as if she was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Just thinking about her made him want to run away; she wasn't human. She was a force of nature—what was she? If there's one thing he can describe about what he was running away from, it was a demon.

"You can run, Sasuke-kun. But you can't hide I smell your fear and the fear of your companion. Run away, my little prey. This whole forest is my domain. Run as fast as your legs will take you. I will find you, and when I do, I will make you wish you were dead. No one will save you. Keep running and keep entertaining me. Show me that you're worth my time." The woman continued to laugh at Sasuke's and Kagome's fear of her.

He quickly went into space despite the pain on his right knee. Blood was dripping, but it didn't matter how much pain he was in. He had to get himself as far away from that demon as possible. There was nowhere to go; the forest of death had trees as far as the eye could see. He had no idea where to go, as nowhere was safe. Nothing was important at this moment except for surviving. He did not care about his goal, but imagine his claim: he didn't care about anything other than getting away from that demon that was chasing them.

One thing on his mind is where was Naruto was he alive Was he dead? He couldn't think about that now The only thing that mattered at the moment was making sure he got out of this forest alive.

Earlier when Naruto was separated from his team.

Naruto was trying to find his way back to his team. Everything on this damn floor looks the same. He felt like such a fool, first getting jumped by some random rain Ninja, and now this. He jumped from tree to tree, searching for his team, to no avail.

"Why is everything in this damn forest, has to look the same?" Naruto said with annoyance.

"Calm down, use your senses. Have you forgotten that you can find them through their smell?" Kyubi asked him, annoyed that he forgot something so obvious.

"I feel like an idiot." Naruto chastised himself. He smelled blood, Sasuke's blood. Whatever happened, Sasuke was injured, and he had to get to his friend's aid. Before he could do anything, before he could even get started, he saw a snake appear before him. Naruto didn't have a chance to move before the snake wrapped its body around him; he felt like he was getting crushed.

Before he could do anything a snake devoured him whole Naruto felt like he was being crushed. It smelled awful he'd never been inside another living thing before and he never desire to. He was trying to get a weapon but instead he dropped food that he had on him and what he saw made him realize how close to death he was it dissolved if he didn't get out quickly he would be completely adjusted by the snake there was less and less room he was trying to fight with everything in his body.

"I can't die not like this,"Naruto said, fighting with everything he had. It was useless; it felt like he was fighting against a tidal wave. No matter how much he tried it was too much he was getting further and further into the belly of the beast he was going to be dissolved at this rate.

He thought about everything that had been going on for the past few months, the friends that he had made Sasuke and Kagome. His failure to be able to protect Sakura. He thought about the other people that had supported him, Iruka, then he thought about the woman that had changed his life ever since she got into it, Hinata. His heartbeat whenever he thought about her if he were to die he wouldn't be able to help her dream come true or protect her.

When he made her laugh and smile for the first time, it was the moment where he realized he wanted to do more than just make her smile and laugh. He wanted her respect; he wanted her to see him as a man and not as the boy that he currently is. If he died here, he would never be a man worthy of her. He couldn't die, not yet.

"I'm not going to be devoured by you, piece of shit." Naruto screamed as he created as many Shadow Clones as humanly possible. The snake expanded and exploded. Naruto got up from the ground, completely covered in its guts.

"Disgusting," Naruto said contemptuously. He wanted to wipe out the disgusting parts from his body, but he knew there was no time for that. He smelled Sasuke's blood and he also smelled fear. The person that was chasing him, Kyubi sensed it as well.

"There's a sinister chakra in our vicinity. Your friends are in danger, Naruto move your ass." Kyubi said to him with annoyance. Naruto moved as fast as he possibly could; his friends were in danger. He had to save them no matter what. He couldn't let anyone harm them.

He thought about everything that had been going on for the past few months, the friends that he had made Sasuke and Kagome. His failure to be able to protect Sakura. He thought about the other people that had supported him, Iruka, then he thought about the woman that had changed his life ever since she got into it, Hinata. His heartbeat whenever he thought about her if he were to die he wouldn't be able to help her dream come true or protect her.

when he made her laugh and smile for the first time it was the moment where he realized he wanted to do more than just make her smile and laugh he wanted her respect he wanted her to see him as a man and not as the boy that he currently he died here he would never be a man worthy of her he couldn't die not yet.

"I'm not going to be devoured you piece of shit."Naruto screamed as he created as many Shadow clones as humanly possible the snake expanded and exploded Naruto got up from the ground completely covered and it's guts.

"Disgusting," Naruto said contemptuously. "I wanted to wipe out the disgusting parts from my body, but I knew there was no time for that. My team needed me; I could worry about cleanliness later.

With team 8 at the same time

It was too easy. Hanabi thought it wasn't even that long before they got the second scroll. They could head to the tower right now and be done with the second exam. She didn't like this place; there were too many sinister chakra signatures. She wasn't the kind of person who could sense them, but with her Byakugan, she could easily tell.

"We should try to eliminate as many of our competitors as possible, so it's less people we have to deal with later," Kiba suggested.

"No, we already got our scrolls. We should head to our destination while we still have the advantage." Hanabi said, she was not interested in battling more than necessary, she thought it was foolishness, especially if the objective was already completed.

Kiba, being who he is, went ahead of the group, much to the annoyance of Hanabi and Shino. She really did want to smack him. Out of all the people on her team, why him? At least with Shino, he is logical and knows when to fight and run away, but Kiba is a hothead. When they finally catch up to them, they notice that Akumaru, his dog companion, was scared and hid deep in his coat.

Then she realized why she saw the three sand ninja from earlier. It wasn't the taller boy or the girl that was scaring Akamaru, it was the redhead.

"You better hand over your scrolls pipsqueak if you know it's good for you." said the middle boy. She couldn't help but think the guy was a fool. Gaara was clearly Superior. He could kill them all without breaking a sweat.

He was using a strange technique with needles falling into the air. Gaara blocked them with his sand shield. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't help but look at the battle, no matter how many times he tried to harm the redhead. It felt like he was invincible. There was no way he could be harmed. Was this person a human being or was he a monster? She was terrified and wanted to flee. It was foolishness to stay, but she couldn't move; her legs wouldn't let her.

The boy looked terrified as he tried to run away, but it was useless; an invisible force stopped him. He couldn't move, and before anyone could realize what was happening, he was completely covered in sand. The only thing visible was his face, and he had a look of pure terror. His teammates were desperate to get out.

"Here, have the scroll. Just leave us alone, please," said a terrified man. It was completely useless; he lifted his victim higher into the air and closed his fist, crushing him. Blood and gore were everywhere. She couldn't believe her eyes; there was so much blood. There was nothing left of the man; it was as if his body was crushed completely to a pulp. There were no bones, nothing.

She knew everything goes but this! It went too far he was beaten yet he killed him like it was nothing. His other companions tried to run away but it was useless as Gaara used his sand to grab the woman by her legs. Like a predator savoring the fear, she tried to crawl her way out, but it was useless as the sand covered more and more of her body. Her companion wasn't in much better shape; he gave up, knowing it was useless.

The woman looked pleadingly at Gaara, begging him to spare her life and that of her still-living companion. But it was a useless effort; he had no remorse for what he was doing. What she saw in his eyes was not that of a human but that of a bloodthirsty demon. She was resisting throwing up at the scene in front of her; the fear that she had felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before, even when fighting for her life. Her teammates noticed this as well. Akamaru was the most terrified of anyone, and she couldn't blame him. They wanted to leave, but their legs wouldn't move. Even the normally stoic Shino had a look of terror on his face, which was something he never showed.

They both suffered the same fate as their companion from earlier. She felt their blood drip on her; her team also had it. Was this really what the chunin exams were about? She thought sending potential candidates to their deaths was such a waste, even the most psychopathic and bloodthirsty individuals could kill without repercussions. This is not what she became a Shinobi for; this was wrong, this wasn't even a battle, this was murder, plain and simple. She felt shame for even feeling the fear that she was feeling. Then she saw his eyes and she wanted to scream, she wanted to run but she couldn't do anything. He looked like something from one of those horror stories that she read.

He looked like an unhinged demon looking for his next target. His team would not get out of this alive; he accepted his fate until he heard the redhead's companion speak up:

"There's no need; we already got the second scroll. Let's get this exam over with.

" Kankuro said, his voice laced with fear. "Don't tell me what to do," Gaara said, threateningly.

"There's no need for you to fight," Temari got between them, trying to prevent squabbling among them. She looked terrified, too.

Unexpectedly he listened the sand went back into his sand gourd. The three walked away after a few minutes her team signed in collective relief. Hanabi after regaining her composure she looked at Kiba with anger at how close they were to all being killed because of his recklessness.

"We should get going," Hanabi said, she wasn't going to reprimand him, not here, not now. They still had a long way to go, a lot of ground to cover, and they could get to their destination by nightfall. Then they could sleep easier, knowing they didn't have to look over their shoulders every night. There was one thing that was on her mind, though: what was the other sinister chakra?

With Karin

Her teammates were dead, the exam had just started, and her teammates were already gone. It was pointless, she knew it was. She had to keep moving. She had to; she couldn't afford to stay. She had a scroll, yes, but what use was it? Her team was dead, and there were those who were bloodthirsty, looking to finish the job. She hid underneath a tree and looked above. She saw a raven-haired boy carrying a girl with black hair.

She felt a sinister chakra pursuing them; she saw a woman chasing after them like she was chasing after prey. She didn't want to have anything to do with their business, but on the other hand, her best chance of survival was to be with another group. Otherwise, those three sound ninja will kill her, just like they killed her teammates.

She had limited options: flee to some place where she wasn't certain she'd be protected, or with the raven-haired boy? With no other option, if she stayed in her spot, she would be killed by the sound ninja. If she moved, she risked getting killed by the woman. She was in a rock and a hard place, but what choice did she truly have? Reluctantly, she moved to where they were moving, carefully making sure not to draw attention.

Sasuke felt like his knees were burning in pain. Stabbing himself in the knee may not have been the greatest idea he'd ever had, but nothing seemed like a good idea when you were fleeing from a bloodthirsty psychopath. He put Kagome down; she was shaking. She had kept her hand on her sore the entire time.

"Did we lose her?" she said, her voice shaking. She was more terrified than he was of all the times they had been separated from Naruto. This was the worst; he removed the kanai from his knee. He breathed heavily. There was no way they could survive; giving the scroll was the only option. Then, as if his thoughts were interrupted, he saw the woman appear right before him. Part of her face was peeled off.

"Such a disappointment, the younger brother of Itachi Uchiha isn't really impressive. Your sensei must not have properly trained you, considering that your original member isn't present." Sasuke knew he was referring to Sakura.

"The girl is so terrified that she's paralyzed with fear. I'm amazed her lungs haven't collapsed." Sasuke had never felt such fear in his life; this woman was getting closer to him, fight or fright. Those were his only options: giving the scroll could save them. Before anything could be done, the woman was punched in the face. She wasn't backing down, and she looked up, and Sasuke knew who it was.

"I'm sorry, what's the password again?" Naruto asked. In any other situation, he would be relieved, but he wasn't, considering that Naruto had no idea what they were up against and would likely make things worse.

"I see my pet wasn't enough to eliminate you." The woman's sounding voice changed to something more masculine, which surprised Sasuke. He thought the creature in front of him was a woman, but he wasn't going to make any judgments, considering it was a revenant because of the life and death situation.

"The teacher's pet of Hinata Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, how is my pet doing? Does she still collapse in pain?" Sasuke had no idea what he was talking about.

"Don't talk about her like that, you son of a bitch." Naruto charged at him, but he dodged with ease. "Shadow clone jutsu," Naruto created an army and then signaled for Sasuke to take Kagome and run.

He ran as fast as his legs would take him. He feels like such a coward Naruto is risking his life while he's running away. The anger he was feeling at his weakness, why should he leave Naruto to his fate? Kagome looked at him; she was terrified of going back there and facing Orochimaru. She would be useless.

"Here, take the scroll," Sasuke gave the scroll to Kagome. He would assist Naruto in their battle. If he can't face someone like Orochimaru, then he can't face Itachi Uchiha, who's far more dangerous.

He activated his Sharingan. He was going to kill his fear. There was no other way. He wanted to avenge his clan. He cannot be afraid of anyone.

Naruto had never faced anyone this powerful before. Whoever this being was, he was beyond anyone he had faced up to this point.

"Shadow clone wind explosion." Naruto shouted as he moved as far away as possible. The clones exploded, sending wind blades cutting through everything in their path. He was amazed at the power of this jutsu, amazed that he was able to use it. Yet, when all was said and done, it didn't leave a dent. Naruto wondered why this was his most powerful technique.

"Impressive jitsu, then again, it's not surprising from the Son of Kushina Uzumaki." Naruto wanted to know why he knew his mother's name.

"Your Sensei has taught you much Naruto Kun, but tell me, has she told you about me?" He had no idea what he was getting at.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded. He laughed, cackling as if Naruto's confusion was amusing.

"I was just wondering how is my precious curse mark working on your sensei?" Naruto did not know what he was talking about. He had no idea what he was talking about.

"I guess she hasn't told you what my greatest achievements are, a shame really. But I'm not here to play with you. I'm here to play with Sasuke. I will put you to sleep for a while." Orochimaru said dismissively as he was about to knock him out. Naruto was about to defend himself before the man punched Naruto hard in the stomach and everything went black

A blonde-haired boy was about to fall to his death. Karin didn't owe the stranger anything, but she couldn't bring herself to allow someone to die when she could do something to stop it. She caught him, which almost caused her to fall. Then she saw the man who punched him, and he looked at her with hunger.

"So you are the sole survivor. Interesting, though my eyes are on different prey." He said with an indifferent expression.

He turned his back on her, and she couldn't move. This man was scary; his chakra was the most sinister she had ever felt. This was what made her stomach turn when the exam started. How could something like this exist?

She was told by her mother once that there are different kinds of evil. There's a kind of evil of people that start off with good intentions, and then there are those who are evil because they enjoy it. There are others she was told about, but this kind of evil was sadism. They couldn't get out of this alive; she wanted to give up, but would that really honor the memory of her comrades that were killed? She thought about it; she had to at least avenge them before she died. She saw a raven-haired boy shout.

"Face me," Sasuke shouted. He turned around, and the red-haired girl was terrified. For the looks of it, she held Naruto in her arms. He would deal with her later; right now, the opponent in front of him was who he had to defeat.

"So you're ready to face me, Sasuke Kun. An interesting specimen you've turned out to be. Now, the final test." The man ripped off the face completely, revealing a white-skinned man with raven hair and yellow eyes, the eyes of a snake.

"What the hell are you?" Sasuke asked him.

"Call me Orochimaru if you survive my first lesson, I will give you a gift." Sasuke had no idea what he was talking about. The first lesson, what? Sasuke had to think about things carefully. If he rushed to his opponent, he would easily be killed. There was only one way he could defeat Orochimaru: fight smart and strike at the right moment.

Sasuke didn't think he would have to use this technique so soon, considering the circumstances and how dire they are, he had no choice. This was an advanced technique by the Uchiha clan that was taught to him at a young age; this was the first time he ever used it in a real-life battle. He threw three shurikens, did hand signs to activate the signature jutsu, and blew fire out of his mouth: "Fire Style Phoenix Flower Jutsu". Orochimaru looked impressed by the advanced technique.

He hit him. It should incinerate him, Sasuke thought, but what he saw, the damage was negligible at best.

He took more kanai, threw them, and did another technique. He attached them to strings and surrounded Orochimaru like a net to prevent his prey from escaping. This was not a technique he wanted to use so soon, but due to it being a life and death situation, he had to use it. He did the hand signs for the jutsu, a signature technique of his clan, which was one of the most deadly techniques used in the war States period. Barely anyone survived a technique like this one, which he was going to use. No one in his clan ever used this technique unless the situation was desperate in the modern era. He was done with the final signs and then used another fire style technique.

There was fire surrounding Orochimaru; he couldn't possibly survive this unscathed. Sasuke did morjitsu, saw through more shurikens and kanai, and did a dragon sign. He shouted, "Fire style dragon judgment." A flame that resembled a dragon went straight at Orochimaru. There was no way he could have survived that; Sasuke put everything in that technique. When the smoke cleared, Sasuke saw Orochimaru, not harmed in the slightest, looking as if he was amused by everything Sasuke did.

"What the hell are you?" Sasuke demanded, hearing a laugh as if his fear was amusing.

"Impressive, Sasuke-kun, most impressive. You passed now, your final test. If you can survive the gift I'm about to give you, it will give you untold power. In time, you will go to me."

Orochimaru's neck stretched and bit Sasuke's neck. Sasuke screamed, the pain was nothing like he imagined. When Orochimaru was done, there was a mark on his neck. He clenched his teeth, and Orochimaru looked at his teammates, along with the girl from earlier.

"If you survive, I hope you make it to the next phase of the exam. It would be a disappointment, my dear Sasuke kun, if you didn't." He disappeared as if he was never there at all. Sasuke couldn't get up; the pain was overwhelming. He collapsed, and then the world went black.

Kagome felt completely useless. She did nothing as Sasuke and Naruto fought for their lives. A person who wasn't even on their team saved Naruto. She looked at her father's sword. How much shame had she brought to her father by standing there while her teammates fought for their lives? She forced herself to move and put her sword back in its sheath.

First, she went for Sasuke, who was out cold. She checked his pulse to make sure he was alive, and then she checked his temperature. He was hot. Whatever Orochimaru did to Sasuke, he was having a violent reaction. She lifted him up and went towards the redhead girl with glasses who was holding Naruto.

"Where's your team? Why are you the only one here? Are you sure this isn't one of your traps?" Kagome asked with suspicion.

"If I were to kill you or trap you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Can we get the hell out of here? Nightfall is upon us. Can we have this discussion at a safer location?" the girl asked her. Considering what had been happening, Kagome couldn't argue her point; it was true she looked as frightened as she was.

"Fine, but you still owe me answers." The girl did not disagree with her. They moved in silence. He felt ashamed; she disgraced her father and his sword by doing nothing. Her fear controlled everything.

She wanted to scream in the heat of the moment, but she couldn't because she was with a stranger in unknown territory. Her teammates were incapacitated, and she was the only one who could protect them. What would her mother say if she found out she had acted the way she did? Her mother's disappointment would hurt more than anything else, along with her father's. She made a vow to herself that she would never freeze up again; she would protect her comrades by any means necessary.

Red did not know why she even allowed Orochimaru to get to her head; there was so much that was confusing to her: the memories of a blonde-haired man, a baby boy, and a girl who looked up to her none of it added up what were these memories? The first thing that she remembers is waking up. The root compound when she was on a hospital bed when Donzo checked on her health. She was told that she had lost her memories on a mission where she had gotten injured and that her head injury took its toll on her and is the reason why she is unable to remember her past. Was that a lie?

Ever since she looked into that girl's eyes, so much didn't add up. She was told to never visit the Hokage's office because it was unnecessary. However, for the first time since she joined the Root, she decided to go to the office. The Hokage wasn't there at the moment she walked in. She couldn't help but feel something familiar about this place. There were stacks of papers, probably the Hokage's, as he had a lot more paperwork than he was equipped to handle and could easily have a secretary do it.

She looked at the pictures of the Hokages who have governed Konoha since its founding. The first one of them was Hashirama Senju, who was considered the god of Shinobi. He fought Madara Uchiha at what is considered the Final Valley. It was a battle between two titans, and the entire landscape of that region was changed in the span of a single night.

She looked at the second, is younger brother Tobirama Senju. He doesn't have nearly the amount of impressive feats as his brother, but nevertheless, he was one of the most powerful Shinobi that had ever existed. Even someone as powerful as he was, was killed during the Second Great Ninja War. He sacrificed his life in order to protect his village and was succeeded by the current Hokage.

She looked at the photo of the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Though he was pushing 70, the photo, taken when he was in his mid to late 30s, showed that despite no longer being in his prime, he was still a powerful Shinobi in his own right. It would be foolish for anyone to cross him. By all accounts, he shouldn't be the Hokage now due to the person that briefly succeeded him before his premature death.

She looked at the latest Hokage. She clenched her head in pain and saw a memory of a different life.

"For the foreseeable future, I'm going to be your sensei. Since we're short on Jonin and Jiraiya is not available at the moment, you'll be trained under me." She said it with confidence. The 12-year-old boy was blushing just by looking at her. She had no idea why he was doing that.

"Introduce yourselves," said the woman. Her students introduced themselves one by one until the last among them, the blonde-haired boy with blue eyes. He took a deep breath due to how nervous he was being around her and looking at her.

"There are many goals that I have that I would like to accomplish in this life. There are things that I value more than anything, like friends and my village, but there's one thing I'd like to do, my dream, it's to be the Hokage." Said the blonde-haired boy.

"What a coincidence! That's my dream as well, but you haven't introduced yourself fully yet. Your name?" The woman said.

The blonde-haired boy, blushing and embarrassed, forgot himself.

"my name is"

She looked and saw the name Minato Namikaze. Why did she have that memory? Why did it get triggered by looking at the image of that man? She had a difficult time breathing. Then another memory popped up.

"I can't believe you did that, Sensei, I mean," Minato was laughing very hard. She had worked really hard to make her student smile and laugh due to how depressed he always came off. Everything was fake, and she wanted to see a real smile on his face. He was 14, and he had been her student for 2 years. Some would call him a teacher's pet, but they had a bond that a master and a student don't normally have. She couldn't explain it, but she cared for him.

"I hope to see a real smile from you too, sensei. I'd like for you to acknowledge me as a man and your equal." He said with a genuine smile.

"You don't have to do that, Minato," a voice that didn't sound like her own said.

"But I want to be worthy of you, sensei, until you see me as a man, we'll never be equals, you'll never see me as an equal," she heard him say with longing. What was this feeling she was seeing in his eyes?

She felt more memories flash as she saw the boy who was now a man. He was around 19, and she had not seen him in 5 years. He was taller than her, and she was blushing like a tomato. But why was a woman in her late twenties blushing?

"I almost didn't recognize you, Minato," she heard herself say.

"And you have gotten more beautiful," Minato said without hesitation, despite how cringy it would come across to everyone else. She felt her heart beating. What was this feeling she had?

She saw more memories in this one. There was a memory that was special.

They looked at the Kage monument. There were only three Kage. He was around 20. It had been a year since he had returned. Things had changed since then.

"I can't help but feel, when I look at the Kage monument, that this is where it all began, where we first met." Their faces were inches apart.

"I know that feeling only too well, Minato," she said, leaning closer to him. She knew a teacher should not be doing this with her student, but she didn't care. He kissed her, and it felt right. Nothing anyone said would convince her otherwise. She felt happy, the happiest she had ever felt. She didn't feel like a prisoner, and she didn't feel like she didn't matter. As long as she had him, she didn't need anybody else.

"I love you, Minato." She said to him after she pulled away.

"I love you too, K-"

Her mask fell to the ground, tears fell down. No, this couldn't be. It, this couldn't be. She wiped the tears from her eyes. No, this was weakness. She was supposed to be the perfect killing machine, Emotions. Have no place for a Shinobi. She put her mask back on. She would kill Hinata Hyuga and make the memories go away. They're not real, they couldn't be. She jumped out of the office where the Hokage resides and went to Hinata's destination. She would kill her, maybe then she would find the answers about where these memories come from?

Momo was following the team. It was child's play; it was easy. She knew there were others pursuing them. If she couldn't easily cover her tracks, they were Jonin, obviously Root infiltrators. One of the skills she was taught when she was first part of Kanna's order was trained with the ability to blend in with the environment. It was slower than traversing the forest by foot or by jumping from tree to tree, but it was safer. It was easier to do it without getting caught, though precise chakra control was required.

She pursued Kagome and the red-haired girl until they went underneath a tree branch where they placed Naruto and Sasuke down to the ground. Her orders were to keep an eye on Sasuke and Hinata, a choice would have to be made quickly. Sasuke was in danger, but he had two people watching over him, and the people behind her weren't assigned to do anything but reconnaissance. She decided to stay where she was, though. She got out of the tree that she was in and stayed in the bushes in case they made a move; she could intervene and protect them, otherwise, she would not intervene unless it was absolutely necessary.

Momo did not draw attention unnecessarily. She would wait patiently and see where the developments with Sasuke and his curse mark would lead, and she would intervene if the worst came to pass. She hoped not, as Sasuke was the last Uchiha who wasn't a traitor, and she wanted to preserve him. By any means, Hinata didn't need her help nearly as much, and little did Momo know that she would be wrong.

Tanuki and his teammates closely kept tabs on Team 7. Their mission was to do nothing but reconnaissance. Everything else was secondary.

"Should we continue to watch them or should we move on?" Sai asked.

"We are keeping true to Danzo's orders. We are not to do any more than we absolutely have to," Hakobe answered. He was getting anxious. Tanuki wanted to get rid of Sasuke. He was the last Uchiha. It'd be so easy. He's a reminder, the ghost of the Uchiha clan. They must be eliminated. He did not understand why Sasuke was still alive.

"I'm going to do some art to pass the time," said Sai. He couldn't wait to get this tedious assignment over with. Soon, he wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. Konoha would be free from the weakness of the will of fire. It was only a matter of time. His team would take action as Danzo ordered if things go haywire. Until then, they would stay put, doing what they were assigned to do, keeping an eye on Team 7 and their ally Orochimaru.

Hinata did not know why she had a bad feeling. Something felt ominous in the air. She almost collapsed on her knees, the pain on her neck. "Damn it, not now," Hinata said, clutching her neck with her right hand. It hurt even after all these years. She felt vulnerable; he was nearby. It always happened when he was nearby. It didn't make any sense; he wasn't in Konoha, yet the pain just wouldn't go away. She had never told anyone except people she could trust about the curse mark Orochimaru gave her five years ago; it would just be another strike against her. She took a deep breath and did everything she was instructed to deal with the pain. When it happened, it was random; it didn't always occur, but when it did, it was unbearable.

She recalls every lesson she had been taught when she was in her Genin days. If an enemy is stalking you, make them think you're doing what they would expect you to do, and when the time came to expose their position, do it in an area where you would have the advantage. That's what she was taught. She had tried to do that for days, but her stalker would not come out. She tried using her Byakugan, but it wouldn't work. She had no idea what kind of techniques her pursuer was using, but there was no way it could counter the Byakugan.

She got to a nearby graveyard, and what she saw was horrifying. Three people were dead; it was hard to tell their gender from how mutilated their corpses were, especially their faces. She got closer to all three of them. Their faces were ripped off. It was disturbing; she had seen lots of blood and gore before, but nothing compared to this brutality. Ripping off someone's face was barbaric. She knew only one person who could do this.

She got up; she had to warn Anko to stop the exam, but before she could do so, the masked woman appeared before her—the same woman who had used that genjutsu on her, making her relive her worst nightmares.

"So we meet again. You are that woman who used that jutsu on me, which almost made me kill one of my students." The woman said nothing.

"An unfortunate consequence. What's unfortunate is that you will have to die here and now." She didn't even give Hinata a chance to get into her fighting stance.

She barely managed to defend herself before Hinata was punched in the face, knocking her back. To reduce the damage, she dug her hands into the ground. It was difficult to tell by her expression what she was thinking. Hinata's fingers were bleeding due to the scraping.

"Impressive, the lioness lives up to her reputation." The voice sounded distorted. She did not know why, but something about the woman seemed familiar.

She wasted no more words as she charged at Hinata again. Cut off guard by her speed, Hinata barely was able to defend herself. It was like looking at a thousand versions of her opponent, which, in actuality, was one. She was so fast that Hinata was not able to keep up. She activated her Byakugan. Even then, her speed was overwhelming, and she aimed at Hinata's blind spot.

She did a rotation to prevent her from striking her neck; the claw technique that would have pierced her neck was blocked. It damaged the user's right hand. She backed away; her right hand was covered in blood.

"I'm going to find out who you truly are." Hinata went on the offensive, but the woman dodged. She had no idea how old this woman she was fighting was. She could be anywhere from her mid-30s to early 40s. Either way, she had a lot of experience, far more than Hinata.

She charged at her again. Hinata barely dodged; she felt slow and sluggish compared to the woman she was facing. They were both running at fast speeds. She was obviously trying to lure her somewhere. She tackled the woman to the ground, but before she could do anything to pin her down, she felt a punch at the back.

Hinata tried to fight back, but it was no use. She punched again and again, and blood came out of her mouth. Naruto was in danger, and this woman was in her way. In a fit of rage, she screamed and used a technique she doesn't normally use:

"Lightning Style Lightning Rotation." She knocked the woman back, knocking her against a tree. Rather than pursue her, Hinata went to the Forest of Death. Orochimaru was the bigger priority.

She jumped over the fence and got into the forest. She ran with this much speed as her legs would carry her, but she didn't get far. The masked woman tried to strike her at her neck, Hinata blocked. This woman was clearly stronger than her. It was overwhelming. She punched Hinata in the face, then punched her in the stomach again and again. She continued beating her until she slammed her against the tree. Hinata looked at her bloodied.

"It's all because of you  I will kill you and make the memories go away," red said as she continued beating Hinata.

She thought about Naruto and her promise to Kushina. In a fit of rage, she felt a surge of power engulf her markings, covering the right side of her face. She hadn't felt such power since the day she got the mark on her neck. The lion fist formed on her; instead of being their usual blue, they were black as death. She charged at lightning speed, faster than she had ever felt, and struck at the woman. The woman screamed as she struck her again in the chest, then in the back, then in the side.

The woman was surprised by Hinata's sudden surge of power. She didn't care about the source of it. She couldn't be killed by this woman who would protect Naruto if she died by this woman's hands? No, she had to protect him even if she had to use the abominable power that Orochimaru cursed her with.

The woman was continuing to be knocked back. She was barely able to keep up. No matter what she tried to do to defend herself, red simply couldn't keep up with Hinata's enhanced powers given to her by the curse mark. She ignored the pain that she was feeling when she was using the curse mark. She didn't care; Naruto's life was at stake. She couldn't face Kushina if she was unable to protect Naruto. She couldn't fail him like she failed Sakura.

"I will find out who you are," Hinata said with a deadly calm. She struck at her mask, causing her to be pushed back before she could do anything. Before she could see her face, she fell into intense pain and went to her knees. She looked to see where the woman was, but she was gone. Before she could do anything, she heard a voice that she had not wanted to hear and had not heard in 5 years. "Oh Hinata, how is my power treating you?