The Pact

-Of Centipedes, Boobytraps, and Genjutsu's-

"You think there are still other candidates out there?" Sasuke asks as they move quickly though the trees.
Kabuto huffs out a laugh. "Oh yeah, just think about it. What do you think is the most efficient way of finding the scrolls in an area as large as this? To go searching through the forest for them?"
Sakura sends them all an unsure look. "Uh... no?"
Kabuto nods. "No. You wait for them to come to you. The tower at the center of the forest is the goal, right? So, on the last day of the exam, that area will be crawling with teams converging on the tower with their scrolls."
Realization washes over them all in an instant. "Oh yeah! I get it, like an ambush! So, we just head to the tower, find a hiding place and when a team comes along with a heaven scroll, we jump em and take it!" Sakura said enthusiastically.
"That's just one-third of the problem." Kabuto informs, and at their confused faces, he continues. "You guys aren't going to be the only ones thinking of this. Every other team that is lacking a scroll with be lying in wait, just like you."
Naruto grins widely in excitement. "So what?! The more the merrier, I say! Whoever they are, we'll take care of 'em!" He says with a laugh. "Wouldn't want this to be too easy, that wouldn't be fun! Okay, so we grab someone's else's scroll and keep those losers from grabbing ours, and bingo! We passed the second exam!"
"That's two-thirds of the problem."
Amaya groans at the drawn-out conversation but doesn't say anything as Sakura speaks up once more. "Well at least we're getting closer. What else?"
"Well, there's bound to be some collectors lurking around the finish line." Kabuto states offhandedly.
Amaya raised a brow. "Collectors?"
Kabuto's face turns serious. "Even when you think you're home free, you can't relax your guard for an instant. This kind of exam always brings them out. Collectors. They gather extra sets of scrolls to use for various ends. For example, to bribe themselves out of unexpected situations, or to provide their village mates a scroll they're lacking. Some steal them to keep candidates from rival villages from passing, or to help out those from their village who couldn't find scrolls on their own. Others steal them for their own dark purposes, they'll hang on to them to use against stronger teams farther down the line. They'll be there alright, and they're bad news. The closer you get to the tower, the more likely you'll be to run into them."
Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that formed on his face as he looked at his own teammates. "I see. And I'm starting to understand why you brought us along with you."
Kabuto hummed and looked back at the Uchiha as he continued to speak. "It's because you're frightened, aren't you?"
"You bet I am!"

A few hours later after the sun had already set the tower was finally in sight, its tip standing high above the tree line. "There's the tower, and that means the end is in sight. Now comes the hard part."
Naruto turns away from Kabuto and looked toward the tower determinedly. "Well it's about time! Bring it on!"
Suddenly, the sounds of twigs snapping, and rustling bushes resonated from behind them. Sakura spun around and squinted out into the darkness. "There's someone back there..."
Naruto follows the pinkette's example and spins around, pulling out a kunai, he chucks it, only to hit a giant centipede in the head. "Hah, false alarm. It's just a centipede."
Sakura blanches at the blond's casual response. "Just a centipede?! That things as big as a bus!"
Amaya deadpanned at the sheer size of the bug before a memory came to mind, causing her to laugh lightly. The other four looked at her strangely, waiting for an explanation. Reaching up, she wiped a tear from her eye and sighed. "Saa~ It's nothing, I just remembered something funny that happened not too long ago..."
Sakura squinted at her. "What happened?"
Amaya snapped out of her reverie and gave them a smile. "I'd say it happened about a day or so after we returned from the Main Residence..."

-Flashback-

Amaya stared back blankly at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth. 'Saa~ I don't see why I have to get up so early... Sensei is gonna be late by two hours anyway...' She thought to herself as she spat out her toothpaste into the sink before reaching for her mouthwash.
Looking up to the ceiling as she gargled the liquid her eyes widened as something long and black fell from the top of the medicine cabinet and onto the floor. Quickly leaning forward, she spit the mouthwash out and wiped her mouth before scanning the floor with her eyes.
'Is that a...?' She thought, crouching down to the creature that made its sudden appearance. "It is!... Hey little fella, what are you doing in here?"
A sudden, loud bang on the door caused her to jump. Looking over her shoulder, she deadpanned as she heard Kou yelling on the other side. "Oi... Amaya! Hurry up! If Toshiaki gets up and in the bathroom before me, I'll be late!"
Amaya glanced down to the bug that remained in its curled position, a dark glint coming to her eyes as an idea came to her. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming out!" She called back as she reached down to gently pluck the centipede off the floor.
She swung the door swung open with a flourish, and once Kou saw what was in her hand, he blanched. "Amaya..."
"Yes, nii-san?"
"Where'd you get that...?"
"I just found it."
"Ah... I see."
By this point, Kurai came trudging up the stairs, and as soon as his eyes landed on the two, he stopped at their side. "Oi, Mama said it's your turn to wake up Aniki."
Amaya looked up at him and scowled. "No, it's not, I woke him up the day before yesterday."
"Just do it."
"Why should I?"
"Because as your older brother, it is my duty to impose my will upon you."
Amaya scowled as the two snickered. "Ass." She grumbled before turning around to head for Toshiaki's room. "Fine. We'll wake him up."
"We'll?" Kurai parrots, looking to his twin for elaboration.
Kou smirked. "Imouto found a centipede in the bathroom."
Kurai returned the smirk and watched Amaya walk further down the hall to the first door on the right. "You know, as the responsible brothers that we are, we should stop this before it escalates..."
Kou hummed before grinning darkly. "Yeah, but then it wouldn't be fun."
The two stared at each other before bolting down the hall after the youngest, coming to a stop in the doorway as she marched inside.
"Nii-san!" Amaya called out "gently" as she neared the bed. "Toshi-nii! Wake up!" Once she was close enough, she let her little companion loose and watched as it made a home in her brothers mess of white locks. Looking over her shoulder, she was met with two pairs of brown eyes gleaming mischievously. Both twins grinned and nodded, making her sigh and turn back to the eldest. Crawling up onto the bed by his feet, she began to shake his leg. "Nii-saaaaan..."
Toshiaki groaned and rolled onto his stomach. "Imouto...? What is it?" He mumbled out, not even bothering to open his eyes. By this point the centipede crawled out of the male's hair and onto his pillow, where it sat perfectly still.
"Toshi-nii, there's a bug on your pillow." Amaya informed casually.
"Hm? That's nice..." Toshiaki, still half asleep, mumbled. However, the sounds of the twins snickering in the background made him snap awake.
Amaya watched blankly as her brothers' eyes shot open, his mouth opening in a silent scream at the sight of the centipede on his pillow. He jerked up and made to move away from the insect but failed as his feet became tangled in his duvet, sending him to the floor.
Amaya leaned over on her knees and plucked the bug up holding it out for her squirming sibling to see. "Told you, see?"
Toshiaki's screams could be heard throughout the compound.

-Flashback End-

All four stared at Amaya in disbelief as she giggled at the memory.
"That's so cruel, Amaya!" Sakura scolded, albeit slightly amused at the the thought.
Amaya looked at them with a raised brow. "We do stuff like that all of the time. Honestly you'd think he'd be used to it by now." She comments before her face went grim. "What's cruel is the punishment I got for doing it in the first place."
"So that's why you had to spend your day off with Toshiaki!" Naruto exclaimed in realization, making the brunette nod.
"Yeah, apparently, I almost made Tou-san choke on his coffee..." Amaya replied, making the two sweatdrop.
Kabuto shook his head slightly and turned to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto." He called, prompting the blond to turn to him. "Do us a favor and keep it down to a dull roar, will ya? See, the whole idea is to not let anyone know we're here. If you go crashing through the forest like an elephant, you're gonna draw collectors like flies. We wanna find them before they find us."
Naruto's eyes widened, and he nodded in understanding. "Oh... yeah. I see your point."
Kabuto nods and turned to look at them all one by one. "Take it slow and quiet. Let's use all of the time we've got left." He advised, prompting them all to nod in response.

The next hour or so consisted of trying to remain unseen and hidden. Wading through tall grass, swimming underwater while using a bamboo shoot for air, or moving silently through the trees. Each time, however, ended with Naruto making some form of noise.
Eventually they made it to another small clearing, though before they could make any other move, Kabuto placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and motioned for them all to look up. There, they see a group of three sprawled across the branches of a nearby tree, dead.
"A trap, huh?" Sasuke comments as they all stare up at the three bodies, the multiple kunai used to kill them glinting maliciously in the moonlight.
Kabuto nodded. "Yeah. And it only gets worse from here on in."
"Watch your step, we don't know what exactly they triggered and there could be more traps laying around waiting to be set off." Amaya muttered, making the group tense and tread carefully.
However, luck wasn't on their side as Naruto sets off a tripwire, sending a barrage of kunai down upon them from the trees. Kabuto turns and gasps before jumping in front of the blond taking the hit instead.
"Kabuto!" Naruto yells out, watching as the male's body falls to the ground. There's a popping sound and once the dust clears, they find a log embedded with kunai in the place of a body.
"Well. That was close." Kabutos voice called down to them from above, making them look up to see him standing on a branch unharmed. "Like I told you. If only gets worse form here on in."

"For crying out loud!"
"Sakura!" Naruto yells out, running to the pinkette's side as she drops to her knees tiredly.
Panting, Sakura looks up to the three in front of her. "How far have we walked? That's towers not getting any closer."
Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought. "Now that you mention it, I was thinking that, too! It's weird."
Kabuto scowls and begins to look around. "It would seem... we've been spotted. Somebody is playing games with us. Look." He said before pointing in a random direction. "Ring a bell?"
They all turn around and Amaya let out a loud groan. "Are. You. Serious?!" She huffs, glaring furiously at the dead, giant centipede pinned to a tree.
"Huh?! Oh man, no way! It can't be! Hey, what's the big idea?!" Naruto asked angrily in disbelief.
Sakura looked around hesitantly. "What's going on?"
Sasuke scowled. "Genjutsu."
"That's what it looks like. And we fell for it completely. We were so concerned by not being seen by anyone, we didn't see we were walking around in circles." Kabuto states, turning to the Uchiha as he spoke.
"What's their game?"
"They're probably trying to wear us down, and then strike us when we're frustrated and physically exhausted." Kabuto replied earning a scoff from Amaya.
"You mean like we are right now?" Sasuke asks.
Kabuto adjusts his glasses once more. "Right. They'll be coming soon."
"Saa~ I'm not in the mood for this. Let 'em come, I wanna punch something." Amaya grumbles, cracking her knuckles as she looked around, her statement causing Naruto and Sakura to sweatdrop.
'Well someone's in an aggressive mood...' Sakura thought to herself, inching away from the Minamoto, who practically oozed annoyance at this point.
A tense silence blanketed the area as they all found themselves scouring the area for any movement. Luckily, they didn't have to look very long as clones began to walk out from the underbrush and crawl out of the ground.
"Well, Naruto, you wanted a fight." Sasuke grunts, making the blond give a wide determined smile.
"Hmph. Five against fifty? I like those odds!"