Shikaku's POV (Western Streets of Leaf - Hidden Leaf Village)

  It wasn't often Shikaku was in the field these days. It was an oddity for most clan heads. Clan politics usually required him and others to work long hours and be at the home front. Perhaps that was why the monstrosity of a man they were fighting was still alive.

  Shikaku started things off by firing an absurd amount of kunai towards Jugo. The insane man chuckled as various mounds grew on his shoulders and ankles. With a burst of chakra, he flew forward. The kunai thrown were blown back by the force of Jugo merely punching towards a smiling Shikaku. As his fist closed in, Jugo was grabbed by a large hand again. Choza chuckled merrily as he held the thrashing Jugo. He roared in anger before his cries were stopped by Inochi throwing a vicious series of head kicks at the helpless Jugo.

  "Rushing into the fight against the Ino-Shika-Cho formation? It's unwise, to say the least. At the very least, I hope you reach heaven or whatever people believe." Shikaku stated as he lit a cigarette. As he did so, Choza threw the man back. Jugo attempted to boost forward again but gasped as he was frozen again. "Shadow Sewing Jutsu," Shikaku said as pale black tendrils impaled Jugo. "It's a nasty technique, I know. It runs you through and won't even let you run. Even in its weaponized form, my shadows stop movement." Jugo started flailing as the black tendrils began cracking. Before he could get much further, Choza appeared above him with a smile.

  "They sent some rookie?! Partial Multi-Size Jutsu!" Choza roared as his legs grew like a giant before crushing Jugo.

  "He should be done n-" "!" Choza was suddenly thrown back as a Jugo emerged, covered in black markings.

  "Yes! Sweet release! The curse calls! Let's kill each other like animals!" Jugo roared as Choza landed back with the three. He finished his speech as he blitzed forward, punching Choza, who barely managed to raise his guard. The force still sent him flying through a building, though. This left him open to a spinning elbow by Inochi and a kidney stab from Shikaku. Jugo laughed even as he spat his blood, grabbing both men by the arms. But a large mailbox slammed into him before he could continue his attack. The force of which wrapped the box around his head as he slid against the ground. Before he could even get up, Inochi was weaving hand signs. As Jugo rose, he fired off his jutsu.

  "Mind Body Switch Jutsu!" Inochi called the jutsu, hit Jugo, and took effect. Jugo felt the presence of him control his body. But Inochi discovered the mind was simply too fragmented to hold. Allowing the man to remove him with accidental ease. It was only a moment, but the lapse was enough for shinobi of this caliber. Choza didn't bother with a jutsu, instead aiming for a powerful haymaker. Even a man as strong as Jugo was knocked for a loop by the natural power of Choza. Before Jugo could recover, let alone retaliate, Shikaku appeared behind him, channeling chakra into a kunai and slashing his Achilles tendons. Jugo collapses to his knees as a kunai Inochi carefully fires lodges into his forehead. Shikaku and Choza mercilessly unleash dual kicks to the kunai's back ring. Sending Jugo flying in a spray of blood. Inochi calmly approaches the two as they observe the now-prone and motionless Jugo. Forward. Jugo froze for a second as Inochi took over his body. Before using

  "Quite a powerful fighter. Unsurprising that the monster raised as much trouble as he did." Inochi stated as they continued to observe the corpse.

  "Why did he attack, though?" Choza asked with a frown. "He seemed mentally unwell, perhaps he was insane and merely rampaging?"

  "He certainly wasn't intelligent; if he was, we might have been in trouble," Shikaku complained. "Shouldn't have wasted the smoke on that."

  Jugo stared up at the sky as they chatted. Normally, they would have ensured his death, but he supposed they felt no need, considering the context. He was lucky to be alive. Right as the blade had been kicked, a growth had grown in his forehead, throwing off the aim and sparing him from having it driven through his brain. In truth, he would've preferred if he had died. He supposed this was a rare moment of mental clarity for him. His life from the start had been a tortured existence. He had gone to Orochimaru originally intending to have the man cure him of his unstable attributes. He had heard tales of the Sound accepting anyone and was determined to stop his urges. It had already cost him the lives of his family and friends. So, he felt the risk was minimal. At the very least, Kimimaro had shown himself to be able to deal with him. Able to keep him calm and withstand his rage. At first, it seemed progress was being made. His rampages became rare and, even when occurring, were dealt with quickly. It hadn't been a great life, but Jugo knew such things would never be better for him. Then Orochimaru turned, and he found no cure for him but supposed he deserved it. His family did believe in karma, after all.

  The sins he committed, the people killed by his hands just trying to struggle in a harsh world. He supposed he had outlived his luck, but now he was punished for his sins. He had outlived his usefulness. Orochimaru made him worse, undeniably powerful, but the murderous rages became the norm. His lucidity faded like the autumn leaves. He supposed most would've rebelled, but he knew there was little point. Orochimaru was too powerful and cunning for him to escape. And he deserved this fate. He was given the only freedom life could offer a man like him. A man bathed in misery such as he could offer the world one mercy.

  To be exterminated as the monster he was.

  A final wish is that he could not choose how he lived his life, but he could dictate how he died.

  He allowed nature's energy to flow into him. Healing his gruesome wounds and refueling him. Perhaps Orochimaru had manipulated him, perhaps he never intended to cure him. It mattered little to him; the man, whether for his gain or not, had granted him peace. His murderous rampages for a while had been contained; he had even befriended Kimimaro. It was more than enough for him to die this way. To let his miserable life end may as well favor the man who had gotten him this far. He briefly considered fighting with his sanity intact but dismissed the option. He doubted he would be given a painless death. Instead, he grabbed a syringe loader with the compound that had gotten him to this point. It was almost comical how much he hated it. Yet even as it took his final moments from him as he injected it. He felt such a satisfying rush go through him. Alarming the three enemies that their foe wasn't done. Jugo had hated his life. He only hoped they killed him before he could kill anyone else.

  Shikaku, Choza, and Inochi flinched at Jugo's chakra burst. It had nearly doubled! His skin darkened and bulged as his form morphed. The trio was stunned by the horrific transformation. His teeth elongated and more pointed. His hair grew longer and haphazardly flowed more wildly in all directions. Six growths protruded from his back in a conical shape. The same is true on his ankles; several are marred on his face. He roared angrily as black marks spread onto his face. Veins protruding from the muscular freak, he towered over them nearly double their size.

  "I think a rematch is due!" He roared, charging forward. Choza and Inochi met this charge as Shikaku stayed back looking for an opening. Choza met Jugo with an enlarged kick. Jugo caught this with ease and chucked the large man back. He ignored Inochi slashing at his neck, the kunai breaking. Half the growths on his right side of the back fired off the chakra, allowing the man to spin quickly. Inochi managed to raise his guard but was rag-dolled by the vicious blow. The spinning overhand smashed into his double guard. Crashing into the ground with the shattering of concrete. Jugo smiled as he prepared to finish him off before freezing.

  "Shadow Pos-" Shikaku was interrupted as Jugo suddenly came before him, unleashing a body uppercut that raised him. Jugo grabbed Shikaku by the leg, slamming him bodily into the ground. He raised a fist to crush his skull but caught a ginormous foot directly in the face. The blow sent him careening through several houses. A giant Choza chased after the man but stopped when Jugo suddenly flew upwards, punching the giant in the face. Choza stumbled back but fired a giant-sized uppercut. The smaller Jugo flew upwards.

  "Payback time, pipsqueak!" He hollered as he let loose with his hands. Sending a giant-sized barrage of punches in such a way as to keep Jugo airborne. The crazed man held his guard as if intending to block the crushing blows. But the cries of pain from Jugo made it a clearly doomed effort. Inoichi and Shikaku shakingly got to their feet. They look at each other for a moment before laughing at each other's state.

  "You old deer-loving geezer. Maybe you should sit on the sideline while the real men fight." Inochi laughed, somehow ignoring his broken ribs.

  "You troublesome bastard. You look worse than me, maybe you should run the family flower shop." Shikaku sniped. Despite the significant cut above his brow, he looks surprisingly fresh, painting his face red. Both flinched and jumped back as a normal-sized Choza landed before them. Breaking the ground beneath him from the impact.

  "I hate these types, it's like fighting a baby jinchuuriki," Choza complained. "Any idea how to keep him down? He seems to tank punches that can break down mountains!"

  "Ya, I got something. It's not gonna be fun, though." Shikaku informed as he formed hand signals. Right then, a smiling and bloody Jugo flew towards the three. Inochi launched himself forward, landing a flying kick. But Jugo merely plowed through, sending the Yamanaka tumbling away. Choza shot off a large fist, and Juzo met it on his own. The blow sent Choza stumbling back, crying out in pain. Several shadows slammed into Jugo, attempting to spear him again, but they shattered upon contact. Jugo attempted to push his advantage but failed to see the explosive tags attached to the shadows. With a boom, they went off. Jugo stumbled through the blast, obviously somewhat harmed. Though the burns didn't bother him much. He growled as Choza suddenly ran him over in human boulder form. Jugo attempted to rise but was grabbed by various shadowy hands. "Shadow Hands of the Damned!" Jugo slowly was prying them off as Choza came back around at tremendous speed. The speeding ball of a man smashed into Jugo, sending him flying down the street. He growled as he rose.

  "LET ME KILL YOU ALREADY!" He roared as he prepared to engage the two again. But froze as a voice called out.

  "Emotional Supressal Jutsu!" Inochi called out as Jugo's furious face relaxed. His rage seemed to melt. His skin grew lighter. His chakra dimmed as a significant amount of his strength seemed to leave his body. He seemed shocked, looking at himself in disbelief.

  He looked up at Inochi in awe. "T-Thank you…" As he said this, several threads of darkness pierced his body, raising him into the air as the orange-haired man was peppered by sharp shadows. He coughed out a large amount of blood, almost surely unable to breathe. Shikaku approached him as he lit another cigarette.

  "I'm sure you have your own story. With how tortured you seem, I'm sure you suffered more than most. Unfortunately," Shikaku pulled a kunai and fired into the chest of the crying and smiling Jugo. "You can't be forgiven for your crimes simply because you had it rough." He lectured morosely as he looked Jugo in the eye. "How sad, it seems like he almost wanted this."

  Jugo, unable to speak or perhaps unwilling, simply nodded. The light left his eyes as he died with a smile. For the first and last time in his life, he experienced peace.

  "We're getting too old for this," Inochi complained. "We're lucky we found that his emotions were tied to his power, or we would've been in a worse state."

  "You mean Shika did!" Choza corrected.

  "We're lucky my hunch was right; the mark looked similar to a mark given to Anko from Orochimaru. From the study, we found out it's named the curse mark and tied to emotional state. So if we take the negative ones."

  "He'd become a shell of himself power-wise. A definite loose cannon, I suppose the snake chose well. Low cost and potential benefit of discrediting the leaf. We'd be laughing stalks of the ninja world if some nobody came in and did massive damage." Inochi figured.

  "He got some before we got here," Choza said regretfully.

  "All we can do is be more prepared. We can't rewind time due to grief. Send a messenger bird out to inform The Third Hokage. It's time to go on lockdown. I want a report on the man in the east, too. I sent some reliable men to help out the old habanero." As Shikaku gave orders, the other two raced off. He knew being the Jounin Commander would be a lot of work. He should've just been lazy in life. Damn Yoshiko, love always did make things troublesome.

  Gaara's POV (Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)

  Gaara knew he would participate in the coming exams. Even with the nationwide delay, he knew his time would come. In truth, he cared little for the gain of the Sand Village. It was his home only in name and memory. He had been ostracized, assaulted, and hated. It had warped his mind in ways he knew were unorthodox. But honestly, he felt it was unavoidable. Even as a child, he had been odd. The monster inside of him took over when he slept. As such, he didn't sleep often. Most nights, he merely sat alone. Trying desperately to ignore the lonely nature of his existence. His father accused him of being insane. He supposed that was fair enough; he didn't feel very sane.

  At first, he assumed that violence would free him. His existence was marked by the murder of those he deemed worthy. For years, it worked, but it was an empty passion. It cured not his pain nor his reputation. But he could not let go of his detest of humans; they simply were hateful and hypocritical. It took a textbook discovered in his mother's old room that had changed this thought process. Sure, killing was a temporary fix for his grief, but in truth, he wanted companionship. He had learned he was one of nine other sacrifices. They could understand his plight. They had access to the power he had. They had suffered as he had! But he couldn't befriend just anyone. Some did not have the strength to survive as he did. If so, he would spare them from the suffering of living. The Chunin Exams proved to be a great opportunity in that way. He cared little for glory or a promotion; he merely took the chance to meet the others.

  He eyed Naruto as he and Ino looked at the note, both seeming to not be able to understand it. Yet it seemed they were determined to. Kurotsuchi was examining the walls, looking for some kind of secret. He knew they wished for his assistance, but he would not offer it to the filthy humans. But the Uzumaki was different; he was one of them. He had intended to test him lightly, and the blonde had passed it.

  He was indeed powerful, and yet… he was…. different. He seemed close to the female blonde; she seemed to hover protectively around him most of the time. It was laughable; the girl wouldn't last very long against him, nor would her teammate. He had even seemed to befriend the other blonde woman, Samui. It made no sense to him; from what he read, all jinchuriki were detested. Yet he appeared accepted, at least by the two. He could see a familiar look in his eyes. The dark path of loneliness, the pain of missing someone you hardly knew. But, somehow, the blonde's eyes shined despite it. They seemed hopeful and determined. It perplexed him. It made him stop from enacting his plan to help the blonde and enlist him. The fool seemed fond of humans. Too forgiving, likely.

  He couldn't let humans close. They were untrustworthy creatures, unfitting of ones such as him and Naruto. For now, he would observe. Perhaps he would force the Uzumaki to see the world as he did. Jinchuriki only had each other, after all.

  "Guys, I noticed something cool," Samui said in a matter-of-fact tone. "This painting has some kind of riddle in it."

  "Riddle?" Naruto questioned as he and Ino walked over. "What's it say?"

  "There must be a clue, then, thank God! The second room was easy, but this has had us stuck!" Kurotsuchi complained.

  "It was easy because you guessed it before we could debate it," Ino remarked, annoyed.

  "Gotta trust your gut!" Kurotsuchi said happily.

  "Anyway," Samui interrupted. "It reads. "I always go to the right. But never to the left. What am I?"

  "I guess samurai like riddles." Ino pondered. "The answer is the clock, right? Because the hands move to the right only?"

  "It has to be." Naruto filled in.

  "So…" Kurotsuchi wondered out loud. She eyed the room and saw an analog clock stashed above the door frame. A bit difficult to spot unless one knew to look for it. The old analog clock had the incorrect time, all hands on one. "It must be right since the clock hands are pointing that way."

  "Plus, the poem had the word as well," Naruto added. "Twice is a sure sign shinobi don't believe in coincidences, after all, ya know?"

  "Cool, so we're decided," Samui asked. The four nodded yes and looked towards Gaara, who was already walking to the decided-upon door.

  "Bout as close as we're gonna get with emo," Kurotsuchi says with a smirk as the group continues the exam.

  Neji's POV (Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)

  With Naruto shocking him by defeating him and the harsh training Kakashi had prepared for them, Neji figured the exams would be more problematic. He supposed it was the luck of the draw, but his team was nearly perfect for such an exam. Even Kiba had found a clue in a painting by accident. Sakura was so observant that he thought she could even have a secret Byakugan. Temari had proven to be shrewd and intelligent.

  Meanwhile, Nara seemed to be a genius in his own right. It was helpful undeniably, but it was also humbling. He supposed that when they called him a genius, they meant a genius of combat, not one of intellect. They had proceeded quickly through the rooms, seemingly having no trouble finding clues. Even less so since they had a mental map guiding them. Thanks to the enigmatic Shikamaru. The last room was easy enough. The structure was one of nine rooms. Based on the cognitive map of Shikamaru, they were wrapped back around, and the door across was correct.

  "We could send someone as a risk to make sure of it." Temari had offered quickly, being glared down for the suggestion.

  "Treehuggers." She snorted as she walked through the doors. As they did, they were now outside. Several samurai standing in a crowd. Stables were erected as well, all before a medium-sized shack outfitted with comfortable furniture for both Kage.

  "Congratulations, I guess, I don't know, that intro seems dull." A voice added. The five Genin turn and see a dark-skinned man wrapped in a coat with blonde hair facing them. "My name is Darui, and I am the proctor of the second test. This is dubbed "The Trial of Nio." Rest for now; the test won't begin for a while. Even once the last team finishes, you all will be given an hour to rest." He explained as he walked away from the group following. Darui led them to a large tent containing padded resting places. A campfire inside with a hole at the top to let the smoke escape. "Rest here. You'll need it." He said simply. Walking away from the group to another tent holding Jounin inside of it.

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  Neji supposed he had beaten the others here… Naruto would not be allowed to forget this.

  Ashira's POV (Eastern Streets of Leaf - Hidden Leaf Village)

  When you lived as long as Ashira, you learned a thing or two about battles between groups. When sent on assassination like he had been, it was due to the risk of his life being superseded by the benefits of someone else's demise. When he read the target, he could hardly refuse. Kushina Uzumaki was hated by him. The ties to the Leaf had been planned to be their saving grace. An alliance with one of the great five would provide them protection. They had been wrong, luckily so. Considering the sinners they are. But seeing the woman brought his fury to the front. In many ways, she was the last loyal Uzumaki. Oh, her half-breed would be dealt with in due time. But she had been a gift from his accursed children. All traces of their clan must be destroyed. Ikam had sent him due to his mastery over Fuinjutsu. Such a skill was invaluable against jinchuriki.

  Yet he must admit the woman gave him little chance to initiate such a tactic. She yelled as she sheathed her blade and she flew towards him. Well, while she was open…..

  "Water Style: Pressure Cutter!" He screamed as a pressurized beam of water flew towards her.

  "Uzumaki Style: Scarlet Crescent Wave!" Kushina called as she drew it from her hip. A vertical line of red chakra flew into the water beam, slicing through it easily. The beam continued towards Ashira, who merely shifted back as he drew his blade.

  "Uzumaki Style: Deflecting Draw!" He said as he drew his blade, a red blur that quickly slashed through Kushina's attack. "Your speed and power are impressive but not much better than Jounin. You seem to have substantially weak control of the Kyuubi. Your Uzumaki Kenjutsu is impressive, and your mastery is worthy of our heritage. But considering our heritage is trash, and you are weaker than I." Ashira appeared from behind Kushina, drawing his blade and pointing towards Kushina. "It matters little. Die! Uzumaki Style: Eroding Thrust!" He suddenly flew towards Kushina, thrusting his blade absurdly quickly. Kushina replicated the stance of Ashira earlier.

  "Uzumaki Style: Deflecting Draw!" She called, smacking the sword away and ending the technique. She smirked as she spun. "I made the Uzumaki style my own! Uzumaki Style: Flowing Counter!" Ashira's eyes widened as he realized it was a technique he didn't recognize. She sliced Ashira horizontally, being left open. The blade slammed into his torso with a spark. Kushina flew back, shocked by the incredible force.

  "You may be decent in most customs of the Uzumaki. But you're lacking in the most notable one. A true Uzumaki would've known of that seal. Worry not; your death will interrupt the shame! Uzumaki Style-"

  "Eight Layered Explosion Seal!" Kushina called, interrupting the man. As soon as she finished her words, an explosion went off on Ashira, shrouding him in smoke. 'She must've put it on me during the sword slash. She is considerably stronger than we thought.' A second one booms, a third one, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and the eighth one goes off with a final horrendous boom. The aftermath of such an explosion had leveled several nearby buildings. Coating the whole block in dust. "May not be a master, but I'm no rookie, ya know?"

  "I don't." Ashira sat above Kushina on the wall. His arm was minorly burnt, and half his torso was as well, showing that he had not escaped unharmed. "Prepare yourself; I won't be holding back now."

  "Uzumaki Style: Red Flash!" Kushina shouted as she fired off a red slash towards Ashira. He sighed; the slash hit but dispersed against his skin with no damage.

  "In my day, they never had anything quite like this," Ashira commented. "Useful when disposing of trash. Shoddy craftsmanship on the seal. Two seconds before each explosion? Laughable. Now, a good seal, well, one example is my own creation. Uzumaki Reflect Array. Tattooed over my own body, and is incredibly painful to activate. But once it is on, no Uzumaki can harm me."

  Kushina activated her second-tailed form as her eyes turned red and her teeth elongated. "Let's see about that." She said, her voice now deeper. She seemed to teleport in front of Ashira. Who could merely widen his eyes as her fist smashed into his face? But to the shock of the mother, he didn't fly. Before she could ponder this much longer, she flew back, being sparked again. She growled as she continued this pattern. Her speed was immense; she attacked from all sides randomly, each one being blocked by an invisible force and her being shocked by the trouble after one last powerful kick. She flew back from the backlash as Ashira chuckled cruelly.

  "You lot truly bring the worst out of me. I can live in peace with anyone else. But the foolish clan I created deserves what comes! FOR THEY HAVE… AAAAAAH!" Ashira suddenly cried as he collapsed. Two spots on his body smoking as a small amount of Kyuubi chakra seemed to burn the man. It burnt into the skin and muscle with a hiss.

  "Jinchuriki have unique chakra. It has corrosive abilities for one reason or another as such. Anyone who is the victim of our attacks will suffer for it." Kushina lectured with a smirk.

  "It matters little, trash. You cannot maintain that level of offense while suffering damage." Ashira taunted with a smile.

  "Wanna bet?" Kushina said with a dark smile as a third tail emerged from her cloak. "Cause I'm a mom, ya know?"

  Sasuke's POV (Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)

  His team was relatively useless. The odd Sand shinobi Kankuro was sharp, helping him as they went with tips. And Hinata helped convince the others to listen to them. The other two were purely useless. They reminded him of various idiots he had met in his life. The redheaded, dark-skinned cloud kunoichi named Karui was particularly annoying. She was loud, brash, and impulsive. In the first room, she had attempted to tear down the room. Then, tear through a painting in the second. Her teammate Omoi was slightly better, But only to a more minor degree. He seemed to overanalyze everything he encountered. To the man, every single item in the room was a clue not to be overlooked. Luckily, Sasuke saw the pattern on the roof in the second room. At first, he dismissed it, but once activating his Sharingan, he realized it was a maze. Kankuro's use of a chakra string allowed him to easily traverse it. The group easily bypassed the rooms using the labyrinth. But it was to be expected; he needed to rise the ranks. How else would he redeem the Uchiha?

  In the seventh room, they ran into trouble again.

  "Alright, explain yourself!" Karui demanded angrily. Omoi stood beside her nervously as they blocked the door Sasuke and Kankuro had determined was the next safe room.

  Sasuke grunted in annoyance. "Explain what Karui-sama?" Hinata asked politely.

  "Why does dark hair over here think he can tell us what to do? A real Cloud shinobi would never follow around the Leaf!" She yelled at Sasuke as she got into his face.

  "No, a real Cloud shinobi would already be under my feet," Sasuke stated simply. Fed up with the grating woman.

  "N-now, guys!" Hinata interrupted as she stood between the two. Neji mostly had gotten rid of her stutter as she grew in training. But when she was very nervous, it returned with a vengeance. "W-W-We shouldn't fight like this."

  "Well, this little tree hugger doesn't know his place," Karui said darkly as she drew a blade.

  "Of course I do. Above the riff-raff like you." Sasuke countered as he drew his own.

  "Oh lord. They're gonna kill each other, then we'll fail. The Unruly A will run us out of our village for that failure. Then we'll live a life of poverty and misfortune!" Omoi complained as he seemed to panic.

  "Enough." Kankuro interrupted as both Sasuke and Karui were suddenly surrounded by various wires. "We're not allowed to fight, and I'm not failing due to an ego problem between you."

  "Yes! Thank you Kankuro-san!" Hinata called. Kankuro merely shook his head in shock.

  "Hn," Sasuke answered simply as he approached the door.

  Karui growled in response but followed suit. "Just know if I'm ever allowed to kick your ass, your dead meat."

  "You would need your entire team," Sasuke replied simply.

  "Well, we better hope they refresh the teams or something. Ours seems to be broken." Kankuro complained to himself as he and Omoi followed.

  Hinata sat behind them as they did. She had spent the day playing peacekeeper between the two, which had been exhausting thus far. She sighed as she followed. She wished she had more agreeable teammates.

  As they filed out, they saw they exited the building with a man approaching clipboard in hand.

  "Woohoo… You pas-"

  "Of course, I'm a Uchiha," Sasuke said as he stomped to one of the large tents.

  "Don't worry, Darui, I'll kick his ass when I get the chance!" Karui roared as she stomped by as well. Omoi scurried after her.

  Kankuro merely laughed earnestly at the man. While Hinata bowed and muttered apologies as she walked by.

  "Well, at least that isn't dull. That's two full teams. Perhaps this year will be interesting." He pondered out loud. "I would be interested to hear if one of them had made contact with a Uchiha."

  Tenten's POV (Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)

  Tenten knew she had a life many would consider full of adversity. Orphaned at a young age, she had sought the Leaf, desperate for aid of any kind. She had received it, of course; Hiruzen had even sheltered her for the first few days. Soon, she was given a home until a more permanent solution could be found. Soon, Danzo appeared, offering her everything an orphan could want. Of course, she accepted. Hiruzen, to his credit, had caught a mere year off a hunch. He had come to her to see the damage had already been partially done. Hiruzen had worked with Jiraiya and Kushina to free her of the seal, forcing her silence. With time and patience, they had achieved so. Tenten, holding no loyalty to Danzo, had told them everything. Initially, they planned to free her, but Tenten had a different plan.

  She wanted to see if she could help her fellow Root ninja. As such, the decision was made. She had become a spy of the Hokage. A mere seven-year-old girl living a double life. It was hard, undeniably, but she felt it had worked out for the best. Perhaps it was the paranoia all spies developed in the field, but her team was a little concerned. She supposed that" team" was an unfair word for the situation, more of a certain member. The feeling of concern started in the fourth room. The group was an odd one but not the worst. Sen and Yome were sand ninjas, a bit younger but known for their skills. Sen was a tall, beautiful woman. She had blonde hair pulled back into a large ponytail. As well as braided bangs on her face. She was intelligent and sensible, deciphering the clues once discovered. Her teammate was a shorter lady. She had large orange eyes, and her cheeks were consistently blushed. Her brown hair was done in twin tails.

  Yome was interesting because her unique, sensitive eyes allowed her to observe deep detail. She had proven valuable in discovering clues. Muno was less helpful but agreeable and endearing. But the last one, Kabuto, made her skin crawl. He felt too perfect… he was competent but never felt like a threat. Agreeable but oddly willing to play devil's advocate. He just simply didn't seem to have a flaw. Everyone had one, Shikamaru was lazy, Hiruzen was idealistic, Sen seemed hung up on some teammate, and even Tenten could admit she was a little weapon crazy. Yet Kabuto's only flaw seemed to be his level of agreeableness.

  She could admit, to some degree, that she had trouble trusting others. Even Hiruzen, the man who saved her, seemed to use her in one way or another. Truthfully, she figured it was why she enjoyed Shikamaru and Sai. Shikamaru was blunt and honest; he cared little for lies or complex games. Easy for her to get along with and low pressure. Sai simply was too naive to bother with lying, at least in social situations. Yet her suspicion seemed validated upon the fourth room. They seemed unable to decipher the clues, yet Tenten could've sworn she had sensed an extra chakra source throughout the room. The others assured her it wasn't the case, simply being the barrier in the room. So Tenten had dropped it, knowing team chemistry was delicate yet vital for Shinobi. Yet when Yome suddenly "just discovered" the clue, she knew something was off. The group had deciphered it together and chosen the right door. Ironically, it is the wrong one. Once Muno opened the door, a samurai walked through it, immediately escorting the complaining river ninja with him. The fifth usually went and found the clue, but Kabuto didn't seem to be doing anything odd. In the sixth room, things acted up again. Once again, a chakra flare and Yome found the clue. Yet the door they selected turned out to be the incorrect one. This time, they lost Yome. The remaining three moved silently, all confused and Sen upset at her friend's failing. It started in the final room, but Tenten acted on her suspicion this time.

  "Sen. Let's not open the door he chose," Tenten said simply.

  "Whatever does that mean?" Kabuto asked innocently.

  "Ya, let's just hurry up and pass this damned test," Sen complained as she walked towards the door Kabuto had selected.

  "What if Kabuto selected that one to make you fail?" Tenten proposed with a frown as she glared at Kabuto.

  "Wanted to make us fail?" Sen asked, annoyance filling her tone.

  "Think carefully; the building was a cube designed to be a mini maze. That's why this note has coordinates." Tenten explained. Holding up the note from the first room.

  "I gain nothing from losing teammates. Not to mention, you're just assuming in that case. The clues have allowed us to traverse this "trial" thus far." Kabuto countered kindly.

  "You mean the genjutsu you've been using to deceive us?" Tenten said sweetly as she walked towards Kabuto. "I find it odd that Yome, with her unique eyes, would make a mistake. Yet alone two, isn't that odd, Sen?"

  "It is… You bastard!" Sen said as she drew her fan. She looked murderous before she stopped herself. She growled silently as she walked back to the other door.

  "I can understand your suspicion, but if you open that door, you will fail," Kabuto said apologetically.

  "Then you open it!" Sen said with fire in her eyes. She and Tenten stared the man down. The two united by their fury.

  Kabuto met their stares before he started laughing to himself. "Fair play was just cutting down on the competition." He said with a smirk as he opened the door opposite the one he had initially chosen. He flinched as Tenten was suddenly in front of him.

  "Shinobi must achieve their goals regardless of the cost. But to act against one's comrades for purely selfish reasons. You're scum." Tenten growled. "Even my old comrades treated each other fairly. If I encounter you as a foe, I will tear you apart."

  Kabuto merely laughed as he bumped past her. "Don't take it so personally; it's merely a game."

  Ashira's POV (Eastern Streets of Leaf - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Perhaps he was growing old.

  He ate a slash to his neck from Kushina. His seal held solid, but his skin broke as he bathed in more tailed beast chakra. He threw a roundhouse to knock her out, but a tail merely caught it and threw him through a building. He coughed up blood at this.

  He would've cut her down in his prime before she could've even powered up. Now, she outlasted him and found the weaknesses of his Uzumaki killing technique. Apparently, the Kyuubi chakra allowed her to bypass this. Also, his seal merely defended against her and her techniques. So, if she were to slam him into a light pole at high speed?

  Well, his body, enhanced by chakra at the last second, managed to bend the pole in half. It nearly crushed all his ribs as it did so. He slid across the ground in a painful skid. Kushina appeared in front of him as he did so, slamming her cloak tails into him repeatedly. The tails did not allow his seal to harm her, coating him in the corrosive chakra.

  It seemed Ikam had underestimated her. Dying to ensure her death was a worthy cause, but if he could not kill her. Then, it would be a worthless demise.

  "Transport Seal: Placement Switch!" He called as he formed a seal out of his own blood. Kushina flew in her katana bathed in red chakra and smiled cruelly at him. Right as she aimed to behead him, he suddenly seemed to fade out of existence. Kushina maintained her guard as she eyed the nearby street and destroyed buildings. Waiting to see if it was some kind of bluff. But once it was clear he had left, she allowed the cloak to fade. Her skin is covered in chakra burns from using the three-tailed cloak.

  Ashira spawned in an alleyway he had left a marker in earlier. His teleport technique required the activation of a ludicrous chakra. The destination seal requires a while to set it up. But when used wisely, he saved him several times. He tore off the cloak Ikam had worn and transformed into a bear Leaf Anbu. He flew out of the alley, hoping his disguise would alleviate the suspicion of anyone who saw him, but he was stopped as his back was suddenly hit. Both of his lungs were crying out in pain. He flew into the street breathlessly.

  "That was my air palm," Hiashi stated plainly. "It seems it struck your lungs, choking is quite the awful way to die."

  Arashi offered no answer. Instead, he pulled an all too familiar syringe from his pocket and injected it. As beaten as he was, it couldn't fully heal him. But it did heal his lungs. He pulled two scrolls and unleashed a tidal wave of kunai towards the head of the Hyuga. Hiashi merely shook his head as he spun. "Kaiten." He stated, simply reflecting the storm of metal. He frowned as his Byakugan saw the man was attempting to flee him. "No one escapes the Hyuga! Air Palms!" Several more chakra blasts flew through the air. Several Ashira threw another scroll that unleashed a large amount of water, blocking the shots.

  "Hahaha! You children mettle with a man who's your-" Arashi started manically as he sought to flee from the Leaf. But his path was impeded as a man with shades and a high-collar jacket flew in, landing a powerful flying kick that sent Arashi careening through a billboard and into a park. The old man attempted to stand but was again blindsided by a gray human-sized blur. It smashed him hard, sending him back bruised and cut, smashing through a wooden bench and being embedded into the soft grass.

  "It seems he almost got away," Shibi Aburame said, landing in front of the grounded Ashira. The famous head of the Aburame clan is known for his intelligence and shrewdness.

  Another landed to his left. This was a brash, smiling woman as well as one wolf. "Imagine that the Hyuga do a half-assed job!" Tsume Inzuka roared happily. The female clan head of the Inuzuka had arrived as well. "Oh well, my boy here was looking for a good hunt!"

  "Watch your tone," Hiashi commanded as he landed. "He merely scurried away."

  "You're not trash…" Arashi started as he rose. "Yet I cannot fall here!" He stumbled for a second before he drew his katana suddenly. "Draw Technique: Sudden Bisection!" He roared but flinched as Hiashi and Tsume merely blocked the sneak attack. Hiashi with his gentle fist and Tsume with her claws. Before he could do much else, he was suddenly swarmed by insects. He activated a flame seal on his person, killing most, but was rocked by Shibi, who had used the opening to sneak up. The quiet man unleashed a jab to his face and a leg kick. Arisha fell to his knees at this. Mercilessly receiving a flying knee from Tsume. He flew back into a waiting Hiashi, who merely spun with a cry of-"Kaiten!" This time, the dome was more enormous. Arashi slammed into it headfirst with a terrifying cry of pain. The three clan heads surrounded the downed Arashi. Glad to have defeated him without killing him.

  This sudden attack on the Leaf had been repelled; they now had a prisoner.

  Ikam's POV (?)

  It was interesting, to say the least. He had been sure that Arashi's death was likely but felt he likely would succeed in his goal of killing Kushina. While he couldn't know if the man was succeeding, he could be sure he was defeated. Each of his trusted men was outfitted with a seal to keep track of them and their health. It would show a named location close to them and a color representing health. The greener it was, the healthier. The redder, well… best to avoid such tacky words. He had intended to allow the man to die, but it would be a waste. The Leafs were a sizable threat if they managed to defeat the old man so quickly, even without some of their heaviest hitters. Besides, there was no one alive who could match the man in Fuinjutsu. After all, he had gifted him his unique eyes. Ikam stood up, Mishio shifting in bed to allow him to do so. He cracked his arms with a sigh as he formed a single-hand sign.

  "Devil's Possession: Property Return!" Ikam chanted with a laugh.

  Suddenly, Ashira landed in the room. Covered in burns, cuts, bruises, and exhaustion, the man was a pitiful sight. Ikam chuckled at the downed man. Ashira looked around, barely able to move.

  "Welcome, my dearest subordinate. Luckily for you, I had prepared a way out!" Unfortunately, it's a one-off deal. Next time, there's no saving you, old man." Ikam said as he collapsed back into bed.

  "Ikam…, the only thing I hate more than my accursed bloodline…. are you," Ashira said between heavy breaths.

  "Fair," Ikam noted with a pause of consideration.

  Naruto's POV (Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)

  Naruto and his group progressed slowly. The paintings became more difficult as they went on. They were now in their seventh room. Samui and Ino were able to decipher the painting with relative ease. Samui upon hearing of Naruto's clone ability had his clones and Kurotsuchi examining the room as they did so searching for additional clues. Naruto even had two of his clones examining the painting upside down to ensure they did so well. Gaara had yet to help in any meaningful way merely staring at the ceiling with his normal blank look.

  "Naruto! Kurotsuchi! We discovered the final clue in the painting." Ino called.

  "Another riddle, so uncool." Samui stated with a frown. "Without it, I'm dead. If I'm not, I'm behind. What am I?"

  "A loser for writing a riddle?" Kurotsuchi replied bored. Naruto high-fived her for this. Samui merely rolled her eyes at the two with a smile.

  "No, ahead." Samui countered.

  "So straight?" Naruto asked as he walked forward. The rest simply followed him. The group, confident and looking forward to moving on, walked through the door fearlessly.

  As they did they were greeted by the harsh winter air. Walking into a clearing covered in snow, large tents, fires, and samurai. Darui walked forward, clipboard in hand.

  "Another full pass group aye. Now that is certainly not dull." He stated as he jotted down the result. "You did arrive last though. Luckily it's not a race." As he finished he gestured for them to follow him. The group did so entering a large tent filled with other passing Genin. Naruto noticed the Leaf seemed to get through but the group had been severely cut down.

  "You guys can rest here. You have about one hour before the next part begins." He walked away leaving them on their own.

  Mifune's POV (VIP Room of Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)

  The three men watched on screens as the final team completed the exercise.

  "So many passing teams this year." A commented with a slight frown. "This damn test wasn't hard enough."

  "I disagree with Raikage-san." Hiruzen politely countered. "The test was a good exercise for the Chunin hopefuls. It merely seems this crop is a considerable one."

  "Thirty-Two Genin of Forty-Five," Mifune added. "Better than we expected, but not oddly so. I believe the Hokage speaks well. Besides, the next exam will cut them down a fair bit."

  "Now we're speaking!" A roared happily. "Adversity has always bred the best type of shinobi."

  "True, I suppose, though how will the teams work now?" Hiruzen replied.

  "New teams simply. Things will get rather interesting from here." Mifune said with a smile.

  AN

  Remastered: Tired and ready for bed, hope you enjoy the extra chapter!