The sun filtered through the towering trees of Training Ground Forty-Four, casting jagged shadows along the massive iron gate that separated the genin from their next test. Dubbed the "Forest of Death," the name alone had most teams shifting uncomfortably as they gathered.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Raiden," a man with jagged silver hair and a deep voice addressed the crowd. "I'll be your next proctor."

Someone in the back scoffed, "Forest of Death? That's dramatic."

Raiden grinned, sharp and amused. "Is it? You'll have five days to survive and escape. You start with one scroll—either heaven or earth. To pass, your team must collect the opposing scroll and reach the tower alive. If one of you dies or gets separated, you fail."

Another groan rippled through the crowd.

"Think of it as a real-world simulation," Raiden continued. "In actual missions, you may be tasked with delivering critical intel—intel that enemies will kill for. This test is about teamwork, survival, and restraint. Or lack of it."

Choza Akimichi stepped forward to distribute scrolls. Hana's team received the earth scroll.

The tension heightened as the massive gate groaned open.

"This is it," Rin said, adjusting her pack.

Hana nodded, butterflies storming her stomach. The moment they stepped past the gate, it slammed shut behind them with a deafening clang that echoed into the canopy.

"Jesus, that was loud," Hana muttered.

"Focus," Kakashi said coolly, already scanning their surroundings.

The group pressed forward cautiously, moving in formation. Kakashi took the lead, but it didn't last long.

"I should lead," Obito muttered.

"No, I should," Kakashi said flatly.

"I have better visual range!"

"You panic under pressure."

"Okay, that's not fair—"

"Both of you, enough!" Rin cut in. "We don't have time for this."

Hana chimed in too, arms crossed. "Seriously. Save the pissing contest for after we're not in mortal danger."

Kakashi relented first, though Obito looked annoyed. The group pushed deeper into the woods, navigating twisted roots and thick underbrush.

After nearly an hour of trekking, Hana called for a short break. They found a small clearing, relatively quiet, and sat for a few minutes. Hana leaned back against a tree, letting herself breathe.

And then it happened.

A kunai thunked into the trunk two inches from her face.

"Ambush!" Kakashi shouted, already drawing a kunai.

Three shinobi burst from the shadows—Hidden Grass headbands flashing—flanking from three sides. Their movements were quick, calculated.

Hana lunged left and slashed with a kunai, nearly clipping the arm of the first attacker. Kakashi blocked a blow aimed at Rin, and Obito tackled one from behind.

They scrambled, jutsu flying—nothing lethal yet, but the tempo was building fast.

One of the Grass ninja surged toward Hana, drawing a blade coated in a green-tinted liquid. Poison.

Hana parried but stumbled slightly as the opponent pressed in, pushing her toward the edge of the clearing. Her heart thundered. This wasn't a spar—this was real.

Just before her attacker could land a slash across her thigh, icy blue eyes watched from afar—a silent figure perched on a tree branch, hidden behind the dense foliage. He didn't move. He just observed.

The Mist ninja who had approached her yesterday.

His expression was unreadable. His gaze remained locked on her as she twisted her body mid-fall and struck back with a spinning kick that knocked her opponent back. Her breathing was ragged, and her grip was tight.

Hana's anger flared. Not panic—anger.

She didn't know why. The emotion buzzed beneath her skin, coiling like a spring.

He's going to slash you again. You're going to let him?

No. Hell no.

Her fingers weaved through hand signs rapidly.

"Water Style: Crushing Current!"

A blast of water surged forward from her palms, slamming into the Grass ninja's chest and knocking him straight into a tree trunk. The wind was knocked from his lungs, and he dropped.

The other two, now wary, began to retreat.

Kakashi, weapon in hand and body poised to intercept, narrowed his eyes but let them go as they bolted.

"You good?" he asked Hana.

She was panting, trembling slightly. "Yeah. I'm fine."

From the distance, the Mist ninja expression shifted slightly—a flicker of interest glinting behind his icy stare. Then, he disappeared without a sound.

Obito walked up beside her. "That water jutsu... you've been training hard."

She didn't answer right away. Her heart was still racing.

"Let's move," Kakashi said. "They'll be back with backup."

They picked a new direction, quieter now, more alert. The brush thickened as they pressed deeper into the jungle.

Eventually, they came to another small clearing where they set up camp.

Obito went off to find fresh water while Rin pulled out supplies to build a basic shelter. Kakashi gathered firewood while Hana sat near the center, poking at the ground.

"You alright?" Rin asked, crouching beside her.

"I'm fine," Hana replied. Her tone was clipped.

Rin hesitated, trying to offer a smile. "That water jutsu was impressive."

"Thanks." Short. Distant.

A pause hung between them.

Rin didn't push it, but Hana's thoughts swirled. She didn't like how Rin was trying to play nice now. Not when she was always orbiting between Obito and Kakashi. Hana could feel her resentment bubbling—like Rin was catching everyone's attention, even without trying.

Especially Obito's.

And she hated that it bothered her.

She didn't want it to. She shouldn't care.

But the tension lived in her chest, heavy and unspoken.

By the time Obito returned, they had a small fire going. The camp felt tense but manageable. They cooked what little they had and ate quietly.

Later, as the moon rose overhead, the four of them took turns keeping watch.

Hana volunteered for second shift. She leaned back against the tree, staring up at the stars, her thoughts tangled.

She didn't know who that boy was—the one with the icy blue eyes—but something about him was haunting. She'd felt watched. Not in a hostile way. In a way that unsettled her more deeply.

Why did he step in? Why just watch?

And worse, why did she want to see him again?

The moonlight filtered softly through the canopy, casting thin beams of silver light across Hana's face. Her fingers absently fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve as she remained on watch, her teammates asleep in the crude camp behind her. She had been up all night, volunteering to take the shift to watch. 

A breeze stirred the leaves, and with it came that familiar prickle again—like eyes on her.

She turned her head, gaze searching the darkness, but there was nothing. No sound, no movement.

And yet... the feeling wouldn't leave.

That same feeling from earlier. The one she felt when she fought off the Grass ninja. When her anger surged and something deep inside her screamed to be let out. It was different from fear. It was sharper. Hungrier.

And it felt like someone had been watching the whole time.

Her eyes narrowed, scanning the treetops. A branch swayed gently.

Empty.

Still, a single thought threaded its way through her restless mind:

He was there.

That boy—the one with the ice-blue eyes.

He saw it all.

But why?

Why hadn't he helped? Why hadn't he introduced himself or attacked? What did he want?

Was he curious? Testing her? Or something else entirely?

Whatever it was, it made her chest feel tight.

She didn't realize she had been gripping her kunai until her fingers started to ache. She let out a slow breath and forced herself to relax, leaning her head back against the trunk behind her.

"You'll drive yourself insane like that."

The voice startled her.

Kakashi.

She hadn't heard him approach. He crouched down beside her, his face partially shadowed, hands tucked into the sleeves of his uniform.

"It's not your shift," she said, forcing her voice to stay even.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied simply. "Obito's snoring sounds like someone's strangling a bear."

That made her huff out a laugh. "True."

They sat in silence for a moment, the fire crackling softly behind them.

"You fought well today," Kakashi said finally, tone low. "That water jutsu had power behind it."

"Thanks," she said, though it felt like the praise caught her off guard.

"I mean it," he added. "You kept your head even when things got bad."

She turned to look at him, but he was already looking away, eyes on the stars above.

It felt... different, not like their usual sarcastic back-and-forth. He wasn't teasing her. Just speaking plainly. Sincerely.

"You okay?" he asked suddenly, without looking at her.

The question was simple, but it hit harder than she expected.

"I'm fine," she said, too fast.

He didn't respond, but the silence said enough.

She sighed. "I don't know. I just—" Her words trailed. "Something feels off lately. Like I'm stuck between two different versions of myself. One that's trying to be normal and calm and another that just wants to scream all the time."

Kakashi's eyes turned toward her again. She felt the weight of his gaze, sharp but not judging.

"You don't have to explain it to me," he said. "Just... don't ignore it. Whatever it is."

Her fingers curled around her knee. "I don't want it to control me."

"It won't," he said. "You won't let it."

The certainty in his voice made her chest ache. She looked at him again, and for a moment, they simply stared at each other—quiet, the distance between them barely a breath.

But before anything more could be said, the bushes nearby rustled.

They both stiffened.

Kakashi reached for a kunai. Hana silently stood, muscles tense.

But it was just Obito, groggily stumbling from the camp, muttering something about forgetting to mark a tree for their perimeter.

"God, you scared me," Hana said, exhaling.

Kakashi returned to his spot, though something about his posture had changed—stiffer, more guarded. The moment between them passed like mist.

Obito looked between them, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Everything good?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hana replied.

"Yep," Kakashi said flatly.

Obito didn't look convinced, but he shrugged it off, dropping beside her.

And just like that, the dynamic shifted again.

Hana sat there, in between the two boys—one quiet and distant, the other slowly growing harder to read.

And still, somewhere out in the trees, she could swear those ice-blue eyes were watching.

The night dragged on, every creak of the trees and rustle in the leaves sharpening Hana's nerves. Her second watch had long since passed, but sleep hadn't come—not really. Not with her mind so loud.

The soft sounds of Obito and Kakashi breathing near the fire grounded her somewhat. Rin's quiet shifting from inside the makeshift tent brought a sliver of normalcy. But her eyes kept returning to the forest. To the dark.

She could still feel it—that prickling heat on the back of her neck, like she was being studied.

And not just once.

Whoever was watching... it wasn't over.

A breeze passed again, and the forest shifted with the soft murmur of awakening. The horizon, still hidden behind layers of thick foliage, began to glow with a faint light—rosy orange bleeding through navy.

Dawn.

Birds began chirping in the distance, a stark contrast to the eerie silence of the night. The forest felt different now—alive in a way that was deceptive, like it wanted them to drop their guard just enough to get swallowed whole.

Hana finally stood and stretched, wincing at the stiffness in her muscles. Her gaze flicked toward Kakashi, who was now lying back against a rock, arms folded, mask still in place. His eyes were closed—but she knew better. He wasn't fully asleep.

Obito was curled in a ball near the fire, a blanket half-kicked off. His mouth moved slightly, like he was arguing with someone in his dream. Probably Kakashi.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Despite everything, this team was hers. Her chaotic, loud, sometimes annoying, but loyal-as-hell team.

Her moment of peace was short-lived.

Because the feeling was back.

Not the calm watchful gaze from earlier.

Something else.

Hungrier.

A different presence was watching now—somewhere out in the trees, deeper than she could see. It didn't feel like the quiet curiosity from the Mist boy. No. This was sharp. Tense. A pressure against her skin.

Eyes that didn't just study her—they judged her. Hated her.

Nozomi.

She didn't have to see her to know it. It was a gut feeling. That cold pulse behind her ribs. The unspoken promise of violence.

The girl hadn't shown herself again since the academy encounter, but Hana knew she would.

And soon.

She turned away from the trees, forcing herself not to look like she noticed. If Nozomi wanted to wait, then she'd wait. Hana would be ready.

Always ready.

"Morning already?" Rin's voice yawned behind her, groggy and muffled.

"Looks like it," Hana replied, rolling her shoulders. "We should wake the guys."

Rin emerged from the tent, stretching her arms over her head. Her hair was slightly messy, cheeks flushed from sleep.

Hana took one glance at her and quickly looked away. She hated how pretty Rin looked even when she didn't try.

Hana crossed her arms. "We need to eat something quick and move out. Staying in one place too long'll get us picked off."

"Agreed," Kakashi said, now fully alert as he stood.

Obito groaned, waking up and grumbling about how short the night felt.

Within minutes, the camp was broken down. Supplies were packed. The scroll was still secured.

They didn't speak much as they moved through the thick terrain again. Everyone was quiet, conserving energy and staying sharp.

But Hana's mind wasn't quiet.

She was thinking about the Mist ninja with the icy eyes who hadn't said his name.

She was thinking about how Kakashi's voice stayed in her head longer than she wanted.

She was thinking about the burning weight of Obito's gaze the moment he caught her and Kakashi talking alone. Kakashi's question regarding going to the festival with him.

She was thinking about Nozomi—the creeping hate she felt from the trees.
Quiet storms surrounded her.
But she was one too.

And something told her... the storm was only just beginning.

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So, I'm trying out third person because I'm noticing people like that style better, and honestly, I do, too. Please let me know how you guys like it. I previously edited the other chapters to third person. I used to do first all the time, but after being on AO3 and Tumblr, even I prefer third when reading a story. This is my first time doing third person so I apologize if it's hard to read.