Dedication is the same as per normal!!!!!!

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Chapter 28

I looked myself in the mirror and I took a deep breath. I knew that whatever this next part of the exam was, it was going to be difficult and now that I definitely had three enemies ready to kill me… I was a bit worried. I had my speed over them at least, that’s something they don’t believe I have. I am also a bit sad; I almost had Rikku back, even for a second, if only she wasn’t so brain washed by Rin! Rin, the shy Rin was a liar. I don’t understand why she hates me but I will find out. No matter what because I can’t stand it if someone I was friends with is being lied to and manipulated by someone they think they can trust. Jashin no will I let it happen.

I finished putting my hair up and all out of my face. I sighed as I looked at my clay pouch on my hip in the mirror. I bit my lip and I put my hand in it. I had a feeling that if I got anywhere near the Iwa siblings I might lose my clay pouch. I sighed and I activated my hand mouths and created some C1’s. I made sure they weren’t animated and I grabbed the ten I made. Three flying type, three spiders, and four speedy ones. Just in case. Always be prepared. It’s possible for anything to happen. I put the clay creatures into my shuriken pouch and I headed out of my room and to the front door.

From there I headed to the meeting place where my team and I decided to meet up. Sasuke was the only one there. He looked at me in thought and I raised an eye brow at him.

“What? Un?” I asked and he looked away from me.

“What did they mean… the Iwa nin yesterday?” Sasuke muttered and my eyes widened.

My hands clenched and I looked towards the forest surrounding our meeting place. “They blame me for the death of their parents. Rin thinks that I killed them,” I retorted, my whole body tense at the thought.

Sasuke looked over to me. “Did you?” he asked and my eyes widened. I looked him in the eyes with shock on my face.

“No, that day… Dei-dei knocked me out. I didn’t have a chance to kill anyone. My first kill was when I was 7… not 6,” I explained and I crossed my arms. “I wouldn’t have killed Rikku’s parents. She was my friend… my only friend in Iwa.”

Sasuke looked at me carefully and then he sighed. “I believe you. Why would they believe that you would? Even your friend Rikku?” he asked and I gulped once. It still hurt to think that my friend doesn’t believe.

“I don’t know. Rin says she saw me do it… but how is that possible… Why would she lie about something like that? Does she want me dead?” I asked myself and I rubbed the back of my neck. “This is all so confusing!” I exclaimed and dropped my arms from there crossed position.

“Hn, so you’re getting blamed for the death your brother caused?” he asked and I nodded once. He smirked at me. “And knowing you… you’re not going to let the lie effect you.”

I smirked right back him. “Yep! No one lies about my art! That was my brother’s piece of work, not mine. I don’t take credit for others work,” I joked and he chuckled once.

“Emi…” I blinked at his sudden serous tone. “Don’t let them do anything to you… if they looked like they are going to kill you… you kill them before they get a chance. Use your E2,” he almost ordered me.

I sighed at Sasuke. “If it comes to that… then yes I will go all out against them. But I will first try and get them to see reason first, hmm,” I informed him and he nodded his head once.

After his nod, I saw Naruto and Sakura coming up to us. “Ready to go?” Sakura asked all of us and we nodded.

We all headed towards the 44th training area. On the way there I saw that Sakura trailing behind and I looked back at her. She looked really… put out. I sighed and dropped into step with her. She looked at me in surprise.

“Look Sakura… I know neither of us gets along all that well. I think you’re useless and you hate me for some reason. But here,” I put my hand out and she looked at it weirdly. “You’re supposed to shake it.”

Sakura blinked once before taking my hand. “Here, we are a team. And we need to work together as a team. No more bickering and fighting over petty things. That’s yours and Ino’s relationship not yours and mine,” I spoke and her face slowly morphed into shock. “So, from here on out Emiko Kin and Sakura Haruno are teammates. But please, for the team’s sake… train more! If an enemy sees a weak spot in the team they will go for it… go for you. I know there’s not much we can do right now, but when this exam is finished. Focus on your training,” I stressed to her, being the bigger person.

Sakura’s face slowly turned into a smile. “Alright… I understand Emiko. And I’ll try to be a better ninja… and you’ll be my rival in being the best Kunochi!” she exclaimed and I blinked at her before laughing.

“Ha! Naruto and Sasuke are rivals and now me and you? How is Kakashi-sensei going to cope with team rivalries everywhere, yah?” I asked and she chuckled.

“After this then Emiko… we need a girl’s day!” she exclaimed again. “You hang around the boys a lot of the time and you need a girl’s day.”

I pulled my hand out of hers and I leaned away. “No, no, no! That isn’t me Sakura. Please, no!” I shouted in fear and she grinned at me.

“Yep, and if you don’t agree... I’ll force you,” I tensed at the glint in her eyes.

Crap, what have I done?! I offered a truce between us and now I’ve got to have a girl’s day with Sakura?! My eyes darted to Naruto and Sasuke who had looked back at my yell.

“Save me!” I exclaimed and I ran to them. Sakura laughed at me.

“It won’t be too bad Emiko. You need a girl’s day and it will happen,” Sakura’s eyes turned to Naruto. “Don’t you think it’ll be nice if Emiko showed off her prettiness more for once?” Sakura asked him and Naruto grinned his Naruto way. He agreed with a nod.

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I have a feeling that that day the whole village will hear screams,” Sasuke muttered and I gulped once.

I am not looking forward to that one bit… not one bit. By this time, my team and I reached the 44th training area. I noticed that we were one of the last teams here… great.

We waited a few minutes here, looking at the forest… it wasn’t a nice forest as all. From where we stood, I could see bugs eating bugs and the aura coming off of it was immensely scary… not fun at all. Anko was standing in front of the place with a grin on her face… joy.

“This sure is a creepy place,” Sakura muttered quiet loudly.

Anko chuckled loudly at us. “This is where the second Exam will take place. The 44th training area…. the forest of death! You will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death,” I blinked at this women. She’s so a like Naruto… just creepier.

Naruto snorted and mimicked the lady with his hands on his hips, wagging his butt in the air “’you will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death.’ Heh! There’s no point in trying to scare us like that!” Naruto exclaimed. “I’m not scared at all! Right Emi?” Naruto looked over at me and I chuckled at him. Nodding my head.

I looked back at them and I watched Anko as she said. “Really? You sure are energetic,” Anko informed him with her eyes closed and with a smirk on her lips. Then she moved so quick, a kunai came at Naruto, nipping him on the check and then moved behind him at a great speed. I tensed, hand flying to my scope. “Boys like you die the fastest,” she muttered as she grabbed his head and swiped at the blood going down his face. “After spilling out that red blood I love all over the place.”

I twitched as air moved next to me and Anko moved, yanking out a kunai as the person who moved the air next to me was behind her, unrolling their long tongue over Anko’s shoulder with the thrown kunai in it. Anko had her kunai resting on the grass nin’s tongue.

“Here’s your knife,” they said, my eyes narrowed on this person… they moved fast.

“Thank you. But don’t stand behind me like that…” silence followed, before she said. “That is, unless you want to die young…”

Anko took the Kunai from the nin and the nin put their… tongue away, okay that’s just ew, and that’s coming from someone with hand mouths... “Well, I get itchy when I see blood. Also, my precious hair was cut, so I got a little excited,” the nin turned around and walked away from her. “I’m sorry.”

The person passed me and I looked right up at them as they passed.

“It looks like there are a lot of hot-headed people here today,” Anko called out. “This is going to be interesting.”

Anko walked away from Naruto and Naruto come back into step with Sakura, Sasuke and I. “Before we begin the Second exam,” Anko turned aroun and faced us. “I’m going to pass these out to everyone,” she waved some papers she got out of her coat at us. “these are consent forms. Those taking this exam must sign these.”

“Why?” Naruto asked and she smiled at us.

“From here on, people will die,” if it wasn’t tense before, it sure was now. My eyes looked around the place, everyone here is enemies. Even the other Konoha nin… great. I saw Rikku looking over at me and I smiled at her. She looked right away. I sighed mentally. It’s going to take a lot to make her see reason… “Therefore, we need people’s consent before we continue. Otherwise, I’d be held responsible.” She laughed at that. “Now, I will begin the explanations of the Second Exam. To be concise, you will all go through an extreme survival match,” As she said this, the consent forms were being passed out among us.

When everyone had one, Anko pulled out a map. “I’ll explain the training area’s geographical features. The 44th training area is a circular region surrounded by 44 locked gate entrances. There is a river, a forest, and a tower in the middle. The tower is approximately 10kms away from the gates. Inside this limited space, you will have to go through a certain survival program,” she explained and I narrowed my eyes in thought.  “The program consists of… A competition where anything goes… Over these scrolls!” she pulled out two scrolls, a black one and a white one.

“Scrolls?” Shikamaru questioned, and she nodded.

“Yes, the Scroll of heaven,” She waved the white scroll and then waved the black on. “And the Scroll of Earth. You will fight over these scrolls. 26 teams in total passed the First Exam. Half of those teams will get the Scroll of Heaven. The other half will get the Scroll of the Earth. Each team will get out of these Scrolls. Simple, you have to fight over these.”

Then what’s needed to pass? We can’t just run around fighting each other, there has to be a point. “And? What’s needed to pass?” Sasuke and I asked at the same time and she looked over at us with a smirk as Sasuke and I looked at each other in semi-shock that we both just spoke at the same time.

“Bring the Scrolls of Heaven and Earth to the tower with your teammates,” She explained to us.

Sakura nodded her head. “In other words, the 13 teams or half the people here, that get their scroll stolen will fail,” Sakura pointed out, looking around carefully. I caught her eye and I nodded once. She nodded right back.

“But it needs to be done within the time limit,” I narrowed my eyes. Time limit… I guess that makes more sense… “This second exam has a limit of 120 hours. Or exactly five days,” with that said, Anko put the two scrolls away in her coat.

“Five days?!” Ino screeched, and I rolled my eyes at her. Did she think this exam was going to be easy… gosh, I really feel bad for Shika and Chouji to have to deal with her.

“What about food?” and of course Chouji would be thinking of food at a time like this. I chuckled lightly so no one heard me.

“Scrounge it up yourself. The forest is a reassure box of nature. There should be plenty of food,” Anko pointed out like it was easy.

Kabuto spoke up. “However. There are a lot of man-eating beasts, poison bugs, and poisonous plants.”

“Oh no…” Chouji whined.

“Idiot, that’s why it’s called survival,” Ino snapped at him. I bit my lip to keep my comments to myself. She was complaining about how long we were going to be in here just before!

“Also,” my eyes darted towards Neji. “It is not possible for 13 teams, or 39 people, to pass,” my eyes narrowed. I coughed loudly and Neji looked over at me. “Pardon, around 40 people,” Neji stated and I nodded in approval.

“As time passes, you will be required to move more,” Lee spoke up as well. “So, the time to rest your body will become shorter. This seems quite rough.”

I moved my eyes back to Anko. Lee’s right, this is going to be rough. More than what a lot of the people here are used to. “And we’re surrounded by enemies. We won’t be able to sleep in peace,” Sasuke added.

“Yes. People will get hurt in the process of fighting over a scroll, and those who cannot bear this programs’ strictness will emerge, as well,” Anko explained, putting her hands on her hips with a smirk.

“Excuse me, can we quit in between?” Shikamaru called out. I blinked and Naruto snickered.

“Of course Shikamaru would ask that!” Naruto whispered into my ear and I chuckled with a nod.

Anko gave him a look that said. ‘Are you serious?’ “As a rule, you are not allowed to give up during the exam,” She stressed to him. “You will spend the five days in the forest.”

“Just as I thought,” Shika murmured and sighed loudly. “How troublesome.”

“While we’re on this topic, here are the conditions that will fail you. First, a team that cannot bring both scrolls to the tower with the three teammates will fail. Second, the team that loses a teammate or produces an unrecoverable teammate will fail. Also, just as a note…” She trailed off. “You are not allowed to look inside the scrolls until you reach the tower.”

I blinked as Naruto spoke up. “What happens if you look?”

Anko looked at him with a semi-hopeful look. “That’s a surprise you’ll see when you look at it,” I tensed when I realised that she was implying at she thought he would open it. Not on my watch he will! I’ll go into mother hen mode if he tries… or I’ll go into an art rant, he hates those… “If you become a Chuunin, you will be handling top secret documents. It’s to determine your reliability. That is it for the explanation. We will exchange three consent forms for one scroll at that hut,” She pointed toward the hut that that chuunin in it. “After picking your gate entrance, everyone will begin at the same time,” Anko then sighed as if this is all just an annoyance to her… “Here’s a last piece of advice. Don’t Die!”

My team and I looked at each other before we all broke off. I was about to walk away too, until an hand caught the top of my arm and I looked towards them. It was Sasuke.

“You really going to go around alone when three people here want to kill you?” he asked with a annoyed tone. I blinked at him and I sighed. I should have went with Naruto, but I he was already gone and I have a feeling that Sakura is going to bump into Ino and I don’t want to be there for that.

I waved a hand at him. “Lead the way then, my friend, un,” I retorted and he smirked. I furrowed my eye brows at the slight falter of it though… huh?

Sasuke let my arm go and headed towards a bolder and he sat down, leaning on it. I sat next to him and I got looked at my consent form. I saw Sasuke in the corner of my eyes looking over at something that was across from me. I turned my head to see what he was looking at and I saw the hut as they slide a curtain around it. To hide the teams when they get there scrolls so we don’t see who got what scroll.

I groaned at what that meant. Sasuke’s eye landed on me. “This test is intense. And they aren’t doing anything to help out,” I informed him of my thoughts as I thought that.

“It’s a test where knowledge is above all. Like Ibiki said,” Sasuke added to my thoughts and I nodded my head in agreement.

“In this exam, people will get killed,” I muttered. I sighed and I smiled at Sasuke. “Well, we’ll just have to not get killed,” why does that sound easier said than done?

Sasuke smirked at me. “With your loud explosions? Everyone will find us,” he informed me and I crossed my arms at him and stuck my tongue out at him.

He was right though… my explosives are loud… too loud. I love my art and the sounds it makes. I would feel so horrible if my explosives brought people down on us and Sakura, Naruto or Sasuke got killed because of it… but then I’d feel like I was betraying my art and brother if I tried to make silent ones…

I sighed and put my tongue back into my mouth. “I can’t not make them loud though… it’s like a big spit in my art’s face… if it had one,” I explained and Sasuke nodded once. I pulled out some of my clay and I rolled it into a ball. Putting no chakra into it so it wasn’t explosive. “Disrespectful to my art. But, if I lose any of my team…” I shook my head quickly to get the thoughts out of my head. “So I’ll work on a new near silent explosive. I can’t help it now though.”

Sasuke smirked at me and I grinned at him. “Anyway, I can set a trap and make an explosive go off away from us,” I shrugged once. “Explosives are distraction and destruction tool originally, and my type is great for covert operations,” I explained to him and I threw the clay ball in the air and I caught it between my fingers.

“Why do you think art is fleeting?” Sasuke asked out of nowhere. I blinked at him and then I smiled brightly at him. He seemed shocked at my sudden smile.

“I think art is fleeting because it’s there for a second and then gone the next. It’s like… it flashed bright and it was so alive, so great and lives a lasting impression on everyone around the blast. It doesn’t matter if the impression was good or not… it’s still an impression. People will remember the explosive for years to come, even though it was only there for a second,” I ranted and I looked at the clay ball in my fingers. “I could go on and on, I really could, un.”

Sasuke looked up at the sky. “It’s your way… to keep connected to your brother,” He muttered to me and I looked right over to him.

“Yeah, my Dei-dei…” I muttered right back to him.

Sasuke’s eye connected with mine. I could see that he was having a mental conflict with himself. It confused me a little. “Promise… when you do find a way to get to your brother… that you’ll say goodbye and not just run off. People would miss you,” he mumbled to me and I saw a bit of red on his checks.

I snickered at him and pushed his shoulder light, playfully. “People meaning you?” I asked and his face went redder and he glared at me. I chuckled and I looked away from him, putting the clay ball away and I felt my face go a little red. “Maybe… I’d miss you too, Sasuke. Your one of my most important people now…”

I heard an intake of breath and I looked over at Sasuke. His glare was gone and his face was no longer red. “Hn, I’m not the only one who’ll miss you.”

I laughed at him and I nodded. “I know. yah,” I agreed with him, resting my head on the bolder. “Well, we better sign these things,” I waved the consent form and he nodded his head.

In silence, we signed the consent forms and by that time, Sakura and Naruto wandered back over to us as someone called from the hut. “It’s time to trade your forms for a scroll.”

When Sakura and Naruto reached us, I put my hand out towards Naruto and he grabbed my hand and helped me up. Before he let go, I made my hand mouths appear and lick his hand. He yelped and ripped his hand out of mine. I laughed loudly at his yelp and I ran away from him as he chased me.

“Emiko!” He exclaimed, trying to get me back as I ran towards the hut. I got in line and I turned to see Naruto launching himself at me, trying to grab me. I dodged and he hit the ground on his stomach, sliding along it as he it did.

I laughed at him as Sasuke and Sakura walked up to me in the line for the scrolls. Sasuke shook his head at Naruto and Sakura sighed and face palmed.

Naruto slowly got up and looked at me. He glared at me and I smirked before I pulled the pout. “Awe, I’m sorry Naruto!” I cooed and he froze. “I didn’t mean it. You’re my bestest friend in the whole wide world!” I exclaimed with the pout still in full effect.

Nauto scrambled off of the ground and I opened my arms for a hug. He chuckled and gave me a hug. “Your forgiven Emi!” he exclaimed and I grinned. “You’re my best friend too!” Was someone close glaring at… Naruto? (AN Sasuke!!)

We stopped hugging and we all stood in line quietly. Well, Naruto was bouncing on the heels of his feet. I chuckled at him and pet his head once.

When it was our turn to get our scrolls, Naruto was the one to get all of our consent forms and he hand them over to the chuunin. In return we got a Heaven Scroll. Naruto took the scroll and hid it in his jacket and we walked out of the hut. A Chuunin then directed us to a gate after Anko announced that we’ve got 30 minutes until the exams.

We stood there, waiting for the 30 minutes to go…

Third pov!!!

As team seven waited at gate 12, team eight waited as well at gate 16. Kiba, being the most vocal of the team shouted. “Yeah! Survival is our specialty,” Kiba, knowing of his teammate eversion to hurting people looked over at Hinata. “Hinata,” she looked at him. “You better not go easy on anyone.”

Hinata looked down at the ground. She didn’t want to let her team down… she wasn’t going to let her team down. She will prove herself.

White team eight was at gate 16; team ten was at gate 27 just staring at the gate.

Shikamaru, the lazy member groaned. “We have to put our life on the line for this. It’s troublesome, but we have to do it. We’ll go after Naruto,” Shikamaru thought that Naruto would be an easy target. Being the dead last of their year after all… but people do improve and change. Something he hasn’t put into consideration.

Chouji ignored him and checked threw his food, seeing if there was enough for himself. Ino was embarrassed to be around the two and she expressed that just by looked at them in annoyance.

At gate 20, the Oto nin looked at the gate. Dosu, the little leader of the team was set on the mission given to them by their leader.

“The chance has finally arrived… to accomplish our task,” what that task was… no one knows… yet.

Gate number 30 was before Kabuto and his team. Number 6 was before the Suna team, Gaara wasn’t worried about the exam… he wanted to fight and to kill anyone and anything that get in his way. His mother was thirsty for blood. Partially the Uchiha and that girl who threatened him.

His siblings were afraid of Gaara, they didn’t want to be with him in the forest for five days. They were scared!

Number 15 held the worst of the Genin… because they weren’t not genin at all! It was the grass nin’s. That held the one and only Snake sannin, Orochimaru.

One of the Grass nin grinned like they were possessed. “So we’re going after the rookies first, right?” they asked Orochimaru in disguise.

Orochimaru lifted his hat a bit to look at the grass nin. “It seems we can kill them from here on, so it will be easier for us,” he lied to the grass nin. He didn’t want to kill the Genin, no he wanted one. One in particular, and to do something to someone else.

41 held Team Guy (AN does Team Guy even have a number like the other teams??) Lee was almost as pumped as Naruto, he wanted to prove to his sensei that he could do this and beat his rival Neji. Tenten and Neji were calm. Confidence in their skills. They knew they were ready for this.

Gate number 25 held the Iwa team, instead of talking. They all stood tense, they knew the plan of action. They knew that their chance for what they wanted was coming. And they were ready for it. They had it planned well, did everything they could to make sure that they got the result they wanted, they even have a certain someone one their side in return for their help with what the certain someone was planning, they got help in getting an upper hand against someone.

All of the teams were planning, blood thirsty, liars and ready. This exam isn’t going to be easy, and it is going to show the skilled and the true ninja’s from the ones that couldn’t handle the pressure. The question is… who can do this and who can’t? Only time will tell.

First Pov EMIKO!!!!!!!

At this moment in time… I think Naruto was a bit too excited as he started to punch the air as if it was an enemy.

“All right! I’m not going to lose!” Naruto shouted in glee. “We’ll beat those who get near us first!”

I chuckled. “Yeah! Naruto! You beat that air!” I shouted, fist pumping and Naruto’s head snapped over to me and then wined at me.

“EMI! I didn’t mean that!” he pouted at me and I chuckled at him.

Sakura chuckled as well and smiled determinedly. All of our head’s snapped over towards the chuunin when we saw him grab the padlock. My eyes widened. It is almost time!

The chuunin put a key into the padlock and turned. The padlock clicked open and the chain it was holding together dropped to the ground.

The Chuunin turned around and faced us with his arms crossed. He looked at each of us in the eyes before smirking to himself.

From a place away from us, Anko’s voice carried to us. “We will now begin the Second Chuunin Exam!”

With her words, all of the gates snapped open and the Chuunin stepped away from it. We walked into the forest and I looked around. My hand flew to my scope and I switched it on. ready for action. No one will get a surprise attack on us!

“All right, let’s go!” Naruto exclaimed and I nodded.

The Second Chuunin Exam… Here we come!

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And there we go the start of the forest of death. I wonder what’s going to happen… well I know what’s going to happen and it’s going to be a surprise to you all. Well, I hope so. I wonder if anyone of you saw the truce coming? Don’t worry, not everything is fine between Sakura and Emiko. but I think it would be a bad idea if Emiko and Sakura didn’t… they are going to be surrounded by enemy nin.

Please everyone read this next part!!!!

It’s has come to my attention by a fan/follower, that someone has copied my story… It really annoys me when someone does that. I don’t know if they knew they did it but the OC sounds a lot like mine. Their OC is Deidara’s little sister as well and has something akin in Emiko’s pout, and gets called Little Bomber by Dei-dei also. I have confronted them on this and will be finding out all I can about this. Copyrighting is not a good thing and it’s one of my pet peeves, even if it is a fanfic. If any of you find someone else copycatting my story and Emiko, please inform me. Its people who copy others work that stops the original writer from continuing their story. (Oh and if any of you are on fanfiction.net. Yes, I do have this story up there also, so no need to tell me about that hahaha)

Anyway, enough of that subject of copycatters (and no, not Kakashi hahaha) it is now…

QUESTION TIME!!!!

Would anyone read a Naruto Fanfic of Sasuke if he was a she? I have wrote one and I wasn’t too sure if I should upload it or not… hahaha.

I really am running out of questions for everyone… oh well hahaha.

Vote, comment and…. FOLLOW!!! Oh… and Art is Fleeting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!