Forest of Death, Day 5
Less than a kilometer from the central tower, six genin crouched among the upper branches of an ancient tree, silently awaiting their quarry. The temporary alliance between Team 7 and Team 8 had proven effective thus far, but time was running short—this was the final day of the survival trial.
A faint rustling sound suddenly pierced the silence, instantly putting all six shinobi on alert. None moved immediately, wary of potential traps.
"A diversion?" Shin wondered aloud after several tense moments.
He exchanged glances with Sai as a small ink-crafted bird landed at their feet, chirping softly as though delivering a message. Such caution had become necessary—any team that had survived this deep into the Forest of Death was likely to be both skilled and cunning.
"Someone's hiding," Shin murmured, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the information from his reconnaissance creature. He gestured toward a position at their five o'clock. "There!"
Before he could elaborate further, Sasuke and Naruto sprang into action. The Uchiha's eyes shifted, black irises bleeding into red as his Sharingan activated.
"Wait!" Shin called out, but too late—both boys had already launched themselves from the branch, disappearing into the foliage with alarming speed.
"Senior Shin, what's wrong?" Chiharu asked, recognizing the concern in his voice.
"The targets at five o'clock are Shikamaru and his team," Shin explained grimly. The vital intelligence had arrived seconds too late to prevent the impending confrontation.
Naruto and Sasuke moved with single-minded purpose, their rivalry temporarily set aside as they focused on the mission. Within moments, they had visual confirmation of three figures positioned in a triangular formation ahead. With a silent exchange of glances, they each selected a target and moved into position.
"Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto's hands formed the familiar cross-shaped seal as he approached his chosen opponent. Dozens of identical clones materialized around him, surging forward in a coordinated assault.
Simultaneously, Sasuke closed in on his own target. Just before striking, however, his Sharingan detected something amiss in the chakra patterns ahead.
"It's a trap! Fall back!" he shouted, immediately reversing his momentum and leaping backward.
Naruto had already committed to his attack, his clones crossing the invisible tripwire that triggered the carefully laid trap.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Multiple explosions ripped through the area, sending columns of flame skyward. Naruto himself managed to evade the worst of the blast, but his shadow clones were instantly dispelled in clouds of smoke.
As Sasuke landed in a defensive position, his Sharingan scanned the surroundings for follow-up attacks. Beside him, Naruto emerged from the smoke, singed but largely unharmed.
Beneath them, a dark shape began extending across the forest floor—a shadow moving with unnatural purpose, stretching toward their feet. Sasuke noticed it immediately and leapt away, but Naruto, still disoriented from the explosion, reacted a fraction too slowly.
The shadow connected with his own, and instantly Naruto found himself immobilized, muscles frozen in place against his will.
"Human Boulder!" a voice called out from the left.
A massive, spherical object came hurtling through the underbrush toward Sasuke—a human body transformed into a destructive, spinning projectile. Even with his enhanced perception, Sasuke had barely enough time to brace himself for impact.
In that critical moment of divided attention, he failed to notice a blonde girl emerging from concealment on his other flank, her hands forming an unfamiliar seal sequence.
"Mind Transfer Jutsu—" she began, before abruptly faltering. "Sasuke-kun?" Her voice reflected evident surprise.
The momentary distraction was enough to disrupt Sasuke's concentration. His head turned toward the familiar voice, eyes widening in recognition.
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino completed the technique, but not aimed at Sasuke. Instead, she redirected it toward her teammate Choji, whose massive spinning form immediately halted its trajectory mere inches from Sasuke.
Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, a shadow raced across the forest floor once more, this time successfully ensnaring Sasuke before he could evade. Despite his struggles, the shadow bind technique held firm.
Troublesome, he thought, quickly analyzing the situation. The coordinated attack pattern was now clear—reconnaissance, lure, explosive distraction, immobilization. The sequence had been executed with such precision that even he and Naruto had been caught off guard.
Against a less prepared team, this strategy would have resulted in immediate defeat.
"Ino, what are you doing?" Choji demanded, having reverted to his normal form after the abrupt interruption of his technique.
"I'm sorry, Choji," Ino replied, clearly flustered. "It's Sasuke-kun, and... Naruto?!"
Her confusion was understandable—seeing these normally antagonistic classmates working in tandem was unexpected, to say the least.
As if on cue, Chiharu and the others arrived on the scene, quickly assessing the situation.
"Everyone, please stop!" Chiharu called out urgently, noticing both Naruto and Sasuke immobilized by the shadow technique.
"Shikamaru," she continued, tracing the shadow to its source—a lanky boy crouched in the shadows of a nearby tree, hands locked in a concentration seal.
Shikamaru observed the newcomers with narrowed eyes, weighing his options. In the survival trial, all teams were technically opponents, yet these particular rivals appeared to be working together. The tactical implications were... troublesome.
"Don't worry, we won't attack you," Chiharu assured him, her tone sincere.
The shadow-user's mind raced through calculations. He'd successfully captured Naruto and Sasuke, but maintaining the jutsu consumed significant chakra. With four additional opponents now present—including Chiharu and Shin, whose abilities he knew to be formidable—the odds had shifted dramatically against his team.
Even with his tactical advantages, victory seemed increasingly improbable. After a moment's deliberation, he released the jutsu, allowing the shadows to retract and freeing both captives.
"What kind of technique was that?" Naruto asked, flexing his limbs experimentally. "It felt like someone was strangling every muscle in my body at once."
Chiharu smiled at her brother's bewilderment. "It's the Shadow Possession Jutsu—the Nara clan's signature technique. It allows the user to connect their shadow with an opponent's and control their movements."
"That's incredible," Naruto admitted, his initial anger at being captured giving way to genuine admiration.
Now that the immediate tension had dissipated, he found himself relieved their opponents had turned out to be Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino rather than hostile foreign ninja.
"The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans have maintained an alliance for generations," Chiharu explained. "Their hereditary techniques complement each other perfectly in combination."
"They're known collectively as the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino's fathers form one of Konoha's most effective tactical units."
"Ino-Shika-Cho?" Naruto repeated, looking at Choji with sudden amusement. "Then Choji must be the 'Cho' part—like a butterfly!" He grinned, clearly pleased with his deduction.
Chiharu shook her head fondly at her brother's misinterpretation. The kanji for "Cho" in this context was indeed "butterfly," though most unfamiliar with the formation might have associated it with the similar-sounding word for "pig."
To Naruto's surprise, Choji didn't take offense at the potential slight. Instead, the good-natured boy simply smiled. He'd heard far worse misunderstandings of his clan's designation in the formation.
"Sasuke-kun!" Ino called out, moving eagerly toward the Uchiha, only to find her path blocked by a pink-haired obstacle.
"Back off, Ino-pig! What do you think you're doing?" Sakura demanded, eyes narrowed in territorial warning.
"Mind your own business, Billboard Brow! Since when is Sasuke-kun your exclusive property?" Ino retorted, falling immediately into their familiar pattern of rivalry.
The tension between the two kunoichi provided a stark contrast to the otherwise easing atmosphere. As the initial confrontation settled into wary dialogue, Sasuke glanced meaningfully at Naruto and Chiharu.
"I believe it's time we ended this pointless small talk," he stated coolly. His gaze shifted to Shikamaru, his intent clear. "Hand over your scrolls."
"Didn't we agree not to target our fellow Konoha shinobi?" Chiharu protested, her expression shifting to concern.
"Those were your words, not mine," Sasuke replied impassively. "Today is the final day of the trial. Their presence this close to the tower suggests they've already collected both scrolls."
His voice took on a harder edge. "I won't violate our previous agreement about cooperation, but surely you understand the fundamental premise of this exam is elimination through competition."
"Time is running short," he continued, eyes locking onto Shikamaru. "We need to act quickly."
His stance shifted subtly, clearly preparing for renewed conflict. Though he had fallen into Shikamaru's trap initially, Sasuke had no intention of repeating that mistake.
Chiharu frowned slightly. She recognized Sasuke's pragmatic approach—in his own way, he was still honoring their alliance by including Team 7 in his calculations. Yet something about targeting their classmates felt fundamentally wrong.
"Sasuke-kun..." Ino whispered, her expression betraying hurt and confusion at his willingness to turn against them.
Naruto stepped forward, positioning himself between Sasuke and Shikamaru's team. "They're our comrades!" he declared adamantly. "We can't attack our own friends!"
"You're hopelessly naive," Sasuke scoffed. "Under this examination system, even ninja from the same village become adversaries. That's the reality of the shinobi world."
His voice took on a taunting edge. "Though I look forward to defeating you in the next phase, if you insist on this sentimental nonsense and get eliminated, that's hardly my concern. I can always teach you your lesson another time."
The provocative statement had its intended effect—Naruto's face flushed with anger, fists clenching at his sides. Yet beneath his indignation, he recognized the uncomfortable truth in Sasuke's words.
Chiharu searched desperately for a diplomatic solution. While personally indifferent to her own advancement in the Chunin Exams, she understood how much it meant to her brother. Before she could formulate a compromise, however, Shin's voice cut through the tension.
"Someone's coming!" he announced sharply, his senses extended through his ink creatures positioned throughout the surrounding area.
After a moment of concentration, his expression brightened. "It's a Sand team."
Chiharu seized the opportunity, turning to Sasuke with renewed purpose. "Sasuke, our target has arrived! Help us secure scrolls from them as promised, and our agreement will be fulfilled."
"Brother, let's go!" she urged, turning to Naruto.
Naruto, still glaring at Sasuke, reluctantly tore his gaze away and nodded, following Shin's directional gesture toward their new objective.
After a final evaluative glance at Shikamaru's team, Sasuke turned to follow, with Sakura immediately falling into step beside him. Sai offered a polite nod to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio before departing with his teammates.
"Shikamaru, what should we do now?" Choji asked once the others had vanished into the forest.
"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, noting Ino's evident distraction as she stared longingly after Sasuke.
"Well," he conceded reluctantly, "I suppose we should follow and observe."
Ino's expression immediately brightened at the prospect of seeing Sasuke in action. Without waiting for further discussion, she darted off in pursuit, leaving her teammates little choice but to follow.
Guided by Shin's reconnaissance, Naruto and Sasuke quickly located the Sand ninja team. Without need for verbal coordination, they launched a simultaneous attack.
Despite their perpetual rivalry, the two boys demonstrated remarkable synergy in combat. Their complementary fighting styles—Naruto's overwhelming force and Sasuke's precision—created a devastating combination that immediately put the Sand team on the defensive.
By the time Chiharu and the others arrived to join the fray, the outcome was practically determined. Within two minutes, the Sand ninjas lay defeated, their scroll secured.
"It's an Earth Scroll!" Naruto exclaimed triumphantly, holding the prize aloft for Chiharu and Shin to see. Their excited expressions mirrored his own—with both Heaven and Earth Scrolls now in their possession, the path to advancement was clear.
Naruto's smile faded as he turned to Sasuke. "You've fulfilled your promise to us. You can leave now," he stated, unable to completely mask his lingering resentment.
Sasuke remained characteristically indifferent to Naruto's attitude. His attention shifted briefly to the tree line where Shikamaru's team had reappeared, observing from a distance. Though he noted their presence, he made no hostile move toward them—having secured the scrolls his team needed, further conflict served no purpose.
"We have limited time remaining," Chiharu observed, addressing everyone present. "Since we've come this far together, why not continue to the central tower as a group?"
Her diplomatic suggestion highlighted the obvious truth—with all teams having secured their necessary scrolls, their competitive relationship had temporarily dissolved. Their shared objective now was simply to reach the tower safely before time expired.
Sasuke cast a sidelong glance at Naruto before responding. "Sakura, Sai, let's move," he stated simply, setting off along the most direct route to the central tower.
"Brother, let's go too," Chiharu urged. Though Sasuke hadn't explicitly agreed to her suggestion, his chosen path made his intentions clear enough. They would all travel the same route, if not precisely together.
Thus the nine genin—representing three distinct teams—made their way toward the examination's final checkpoint. While maintaining a degree of separation between groups, their collective presence served as mutual insurance against any remaining threats the forest might hold.
The remainder of their journey proceeded without incident. By this stage, most teams had either secured their scrolls or been eliminated, significantly reducing the likelihood of ambush.
Upon reaching the central tower, they discovered they weren't the first to arrive. A familiar bark greeted them as they entered.
"Woof! Woof!"
Akamaru bounded toward them, followed by his human partner Kiba, along with Hinata and Shino. Team 8 had evidently reached the checkpoint some time earlier—an unsurprising outcome given their specialized tracking abilities. Between Hinata's Byakugan, Kiba's acute sense of smell, and Shino's insect network, navigating the Forest of Death would have posed considerably fewer challenges for their team.
As they settled into the waiting area, another presence drew their attention. Standing apart from the Leaf genin, Gaara and his siblings observed the newcomers with varying expressions. While Temari and Kankuro appeared merely watchful, Gaara's gaze held something more intense—particularly when it landed on Naruto and Sasuke.
"As expected, they passed successfully," Sasuke thought, meeting Gaara's stare with equal intensity.
Another team entered the tower just then, presenting their Heaven and Earth Scrolls to the waiting examiner. Neji, Lee, and Tenten had completed the trial with what appeared to be minimal difficulty.
"They're our age, yet they all cleared this trial so easily," murmured a Konoha genin from an older team, watching with evident surprise as team after team of rookies successfully completed the notoriously difficult exam.
By the time the examination period officially concluded, a total of eight teams had successfully gathered both Heaven and Earth Scrolls—twenty-four candidates advancing to the next stage.
Remarkably, all the rookies from Naruto's graduating class had passed, along with Team Guy (one year their senior) and two additional teams—one from Konoha comprising older genin, and one from Sunagakure besides Gaara's group.
As the successful candidates gathered before the proctors, Anko Mitarashi appeared before them, surveying the assembled genin with a mixture of surprise and grudging respect.
"Even after all that," she remarked with a slight sigh, "we've still got so many of you left."
Her tone suggested that the real challenges were only just beginning.