A/N: This chapter is unintentionally late. It's been done for a number of days, I just was putting off making edits suggested by my beta penguiy1104, even though it takes me less than 5 minutes to fix said edits. Real short chapter here, I'm not gonna lie. It's mostly considered to be a "filler" chapter, designed to get rid of some characters to make way for the events that'll happen in the next few chapters. Next chapter should be up sooner, as this chapter only took forever to write because I detest filler immensely, and I've been waiting to write a major fight scene (that lasts for more than 500 words) for a number of chapters and I'll finally be able to show off some of Naruto (and other characters)'s skills. Review responses at the end of the chapter, as usual.

---

Shikamaru felt a strange warmth as he slowly sat up from his prone position on the hard ground, wondering when exactly he fell asleep last night and where, before remembering what had happened before he had fallen unconscious. The fight with the team from Ame, the rescue from the unknown team, Sakura bleeding....

His eyes widened as his mind registered the last thought, making him jump to his feet in a hurry and looking for any sign of pink-hair that would belong to his teammate. However, he was stopped by a head of red-hair, who pushed him with no effort, sending Shikamaru to the ground, earning a small grunt of pain in response.

"Do not worry, friend of Naruto. She is fine, or as fine as can be, at the moment," he stated in simple tone, earning a questioning glance from the lazy-genius. Ignoring his ninja instincts to attack the boy and demand answers, he went with the more peaceful-approach, which he considered the best course of action given his still-healing wounds from the battle with Ame.

"How do you know Naruto?" Shikamaru asked. He had spied the Suna headband around his neck before being pushed, and while he didn't immediately distrust the boy, he was understandably distant towards him given the circumstances.

"We met....under other circumstances. Circumstances that I will not explain either here or now," the red-head told him curtly, walking behind a bunch of trees, while Shikamaru sat on the ground for a minute before realizing he was supposed to follow the Suna ninja. When he got to his feet, he looked around instinctively at his surroundings, noting the fire slowly dying while the rest of the clearing seemed cloaked in darkness, though he didn't mention it.

Walking out from behind the trees, he spotted the familiar pink-hair of Sakura, with a blonde hovering over her body. At first he thought it was Naruto, though he wasn't sure why, but upon noting the satchel of needles, bandages and other assorted instruments he realized it wasn't him, as he never carried such instruments on his person. Sakura looked worse than she had the night before.

Despite the lack of blood covering her body, her skin was now a milky-white, and he could see that there wasn't much treatment that could be administered at the current moment. It made him sick that he couldn't do anything to help her, but he doubted he would be able to help her even if he could. He was sure he'd be too nervous to be of use, though he wouldn't admit it out-loud.

"How is she, Temari?" The red-head asked the blonde, either ignoring the pink-hairs girl lack of clothing or oblivious to it. Said girl looked lucid, not focusing on her teammates presence or the situation at hand.

"A lot worse than she looks, and that's saying a lot, she's lost a lot of blood and I'm not confident in my skills enough to to a transfusion. And that's given one of us is compatible, which I can't guarantee without the proper equipment," Temari said sadly, brushing some hair out of Sakura's eyes gently.

"So then what do you suggest we do?" Gaara asked, looking at Temari directly. It was clear they were out of their league when it dealt with administering care to other people in hostile territory, or at least that's what Shikamaru guessed from Gaara's tense movements and Temari's nervousness.

"Do you have someone on your team that can administer medical treatment?" Temari questioned, directing the question to Shikamaru, who stared at her blankly for a moment before it dawned on him that she was talking to him.

"Uhh, not really. Sakura is our main medic, and Naruto doesn't know many techniques," he answered dumbly, feeling even more inadequate due to not knowing medical techniques besides basic CPR. Internally he made a note to look up some useful techniques to be used in the field, to prevent this situation from repeating in the future.

"Where is Naruto?"

"Uhh, I don't know. We were separated shortly after this exam started, so I don't know where he is. I don't think he could help, even if he was here."

"Then you'll have to forfeit the exam, because as it stands now, I can't help her. Her wounds are too numerous and she's lost too much blood. All I can do now is give her painkillers, and even those won't help her be able to move. She's got four fractured ribs, a broken leg, a sprained wrist, and numerous bruised organs. It's a miracle none of them were ruptured from the beating she took," Temari listed off her injuries as she gathered her supplies and stood slowly, leaning on Gaara for temporary support as she got her bearings.

Shikamaru was silent as he contemplated the situation. He knew that it was inevitable they would need to concede defeat in one shape or form, and Sakura's situation was something he wouldn't ignore for the sake of a promotion. One persons life was not worth less than a promotion, especially one who was his friend and teammate.

Without a word, he retrieved the scroll they were given at the start of the exam, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves and opened it, breaking the seal and forfeiting the exam by proxy. It didn't matter to him though, he would suffer torture to save Sakura's life, because without his teammates, his career as a ninja was pointless. What was the point of having power, when you have nothing to use it for?

Smoke filled the clearing as the seal implanted in the scroll unraveled and summoned a bored-looking Konan, who eyed Shikamaru suspiciously as well as their surroundings.

"What did you summon me for? You're not even remotely near the tower," she questioned, her eyes staring deep into Shikamaru's, trying to figure out why she was summoned without the tower nearby.

"I.....we forfeit. Sakura's hurt too badly, and Naruto was separated and hasn't shown up since yesterday," he confessed softly, shame filling him as he admitted they had failed. It wasn't often that he failed at something, but it made him realize he wasn't infallible, and that there was always someone stronger and more prepared than him. It also made him eager and determined enough to prevent such an act from happening in the future, though he would have to wait until Sakura was safe enough that he could spend time alone to train.

Konan looked around the clearing for signs of the pink-haired girl, before spotting her and walking to where she lay, kneeling next to her and inspecting her wounds while making a mental note on Temari's attempts to heal them, running her fingers over particularly nasty wounds. In the process, she earned a visible flinch from the still-lucid Sakura who appeared aware of her surroundings but not in a state of talking. Forming a quick string of seals, Konan placed her hands over the girls exposed torso, chakra seeping from her palms and encompassing a jagged bones pressing against her flesh, forcing it to set with an audible pop.

"That'll make it easier to escort her to the hospital. Fetch me her top, I won't have her going around Konoha with these wounds showing," she ordered, Temari quickly complying and handy her Sakura's bloody top. It looked as though some attempt to clean it was made, but was still soaked in it, though Konan ignored the blood.

Handing the pink-haired girl to Shikamaru, Konan did a longer string of seals, this time summoning a squad of ANBU, who looked at the trio before nodding slightly, two of the four ANBU taking Sakura while the other two positioned themselves both in front of and behind the other two members of Team 7.

Without a word, they left the clearing, leaving the Suna trio to stand around a smoldering fire before extinguishing it and leaving. It wouldn't do to stick around any place in the forest for an extended period of time, as they had learned the hard way.

---

Meanwhile

"On the 1st day, He said 'Turn your brother into your enemy, as they will aim to destroy all you have accomplished. As shall your sister. Your mother. Your father. I ask of nothing but the deaths of those who would cause my disciples pain and suffering, and give everything in return,' and many were slain in the name of the Lord. And as promised, He blessed those who obeyed his simple wishes beyond their imagination," a tall, thin man, sporting a black cloak with red clouds stitched in the material, chanted in a religious tone much to the annoyance of his partner, a shorter man covered in bandages but sporting the same cloak. He knew he should tell him to get back onto the mission, but after a few 'test' missions with him, he knew that it was required he recite the mantras before going into battle. Otherwise his powers would be weakened significantly.

"On the 2nd day, He said 'There are those who will entice you with false promises. Immaterial gods. Fame. Fortune. Those who do not believe I am real. Those who would sooner defile Me than kill their families. Their friends. Their false prophets. Do not harm them, children, as they cannot be shunned because of their fathers teachings. Their mothers. Instead they should be brought upon me. Face to face. I will show them the error of their ways, and they shall be blessed,' and indeed they embraced the Lord as I. And indeed they were blessed those who embraced Him," he continued. His face was one many females would find attractive. Clean-shaven, flawless, charismatic smile. The only alien feature were his eyes. They held untold amounts of fanatical knowledge, knowledge that dictated his every move, however unholy, however brutal.

The mantras were interrupted however, when a trio of young ninja, no doubt participants in the Chuunin Exam, stumbled into their clearing. Their existence was short-lived however, as the bandaged man slit their throats faster than they could comprehend, wiping the blood from a kunai on one of their shirts, not paying attention to what village they hailed from They were sent as a distraction, though they were permitted to kill anyone who got in their way, and as such the bandaged man took no pleasure from their deaths.

He wasn't a sadistic man, unlike his partner, and only took a life when he had too. Otherwise he avoided killing a person unless there was no other choices available. It was unheard of for a S-rank Missing-nin to have a conscience and a set of morals, but he paid no attention to what was said about him, or his rank. Neither did the leader of Akatsuki, when he approached him about joining their organization, after doing some menial tasks to prove their worth and loyalty. His partner, on the other hand, was a whole different story, though why he was approached to join Akatsuki eluded the man to this day, but he didn't ask. It was of no concern to him as it was, who was and wasn't accepted into the group.

"We're leaving," he spoke, interrupting his partners mantras, his tone assertive and commanding. It surprised the partner significantly, as it was the first time he'd been ordered by the man, but he knew to obey. It had been made clear that the bandaged man was the one who made orders in the duo, as specifically the leader had told him that he was to be obeyed.

Standing, he started to follow the bandaged man, but not before looking at the dead bodies of the Genin his partner had killed effortlessly, something telling him that the scene was off. The bodies reacted realistically when he tapped them with his foot, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't real. The bandaged man eyed his partner curiously, but didn't say a word, knowing the feeling. They had put up a strong Genjutsu to keep Genin from stumbling upon them before they were given the signal to attack, which meant either a rogue group of ANBU had stumbled across them, or they were illusions.

An incoming kick alerted him to the presence of someone else, hastily dodging the attack while his instincts scanned the area, looking for more attackers. It took a highly skilled ninja to sneak up on a S-Rank ninja, skills that were reserved for ANBU and Jounins, and even the Kages. Seeing as the Hokage was in Konoha however, he ruled out that possibility, as they would easily been killed by the Hokage if that had been the case.

A second attack forced him to dodge, this time it was easier due to the slower speed though he had to dodge a follow-up attack in the form of rocks flying towards him. His kunai made quick work of the rocks, though he had to drop his kunai as it had been mutilated from deflecting and destroying the rocks.

His partner was sitting back, hastily finishing his mantras so he could enter the fray and fight evenly with their attackers. The first attack was a tall boy, sporting dark-brown hair and a spiteful glare, while the second was a shorter female with red hair and a determined look.

"What's Akatsuki doing here?" the boy asked, seething at the two. His friend seemed shocked that they were fighting Akatsuki, but it faded quickly as she assessed the two, disappearing and reappearing near his partner, her fist covered in rocks and aimed at his mid-section.

Thinking quickly the bandaged man attempted to intercept her attack, but was distracted by the boys aggressive assault, a right cross that sent him off-balance, forcing him to acrobatically put distance between him and the boy. It was obvious that he was the stronger of the two, though that didn't mean the girl was weak, judging from the ease she displayed in parrying the partners counter-attacks.

"I'll ask this once more. What's Akatsuki doing here?" another punch was thrown, this time blocked by the bandaged man who again put distance between the two combatants. As the boy rushed towards the man, he extracted a small sickle from within his cloak, slipping into a defensive stance to combat the boy.

When he was close enough, the man swung at the boy's chest, intending to take off his head when he predictably ducked to avoid a fatal strike aimed at his head, but was shocked when the boy disappeared in a puff a smoke, making the Akatsuki trainee rethink his plan of action. He didn't expect the boy to use such advanced techniques and tactics, but knew he shouldn't be surprised. After all, he did manage to sneak up on two Akatsuki members without being discovered.

"How does a boy like you know about Akatsuki?" the man asked, trying to pinpoint his exact position and stall for time for his partner to finish his mantras so he could kill his own target. It was obvious the boy was skilled enough to fight the bandaged man evenly in Taijutsu, so it would take two to overpower him, he hoped.

"Your former member, Shino, told me about you, when I defeated him months ago," the boy answered, his voice coming from three different directions around the man, not giving a specific direction to attack in the process.

"So then you are that boy, Uzumaki Naruto," the man commented, his senses extending enough to detect three Narutos standing in the trees. No doubt two of them were clones, but he was unable to figure out which was real and which one wasn't, making him stall for more time.

"Yes, I am," Naruto confirmed, this time coming from two directions as one of the clones had disappeared though Naruto didn't comment on it.

"Well, I am Tetsuo of the clan of the Boar," the man introduced himself, hoping to get a comment from Naruto, but failing to. However he sensed that another clone had disappeared, and rushed towards the last Narutos position, hoping to catch him off guard and deal a fatal blow. He was surprised however, when the third Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, making him dash to the canopy of the trees to avoid an ambush.

The real Naruto however, landed softly on the ground, wondering where Tetsuo had gone when he heard a feminine cry of pain and witnessed Karin's bloody body soar into the clearing, her opponents face bleeding profusely and his eyes filled with intense hatred.

"You're dead brat. You and your little boyfriend are fucking dead!" he shouted, rushing Karin's prone body though she tried to get up and escape but couldn't get up fast enough to dodge. Instead she sat in horror as Naruto intercepted the punch aimed at her, grunting in pain as the fire-infused fist burned away the top layer of his skin though he didn't fall to the ground as expected.

"Heh, is that the best you got? I've gotten hit harder by toads," Naruto taunted, watching as the man reared his fist back for another attack, only to receive a stone-covered fist delivered by Naruto.

"Is that all you fucking got? Ha! I've been hit harder by fucking snakes!" the man mimicked Naruto's statement, forcing him to narrowly avoid a kunai aimed at his neck. Instead is connected solidly with his left shoulder, digging deep and earning a grunt of pain from the brown-haired boy.

"So you like to use illusions, do you? Well that's-" Naruto's comment was interrupted by another kunai, this time aimed at his stomach, forcing him to jump out of the way, but not before receiving a glancing cut from it as it sailed harmlessly underneath him.

"You're not blessed enough to speak to me, little boy. I'll show you the error of your ways and allow you to be blessed my the Lord," the man's previous demeanor melted into one of calm, calculating focus, forcing Naruto slip into a defensive stance and rework his battle plans. Whenever someone took Naruto serious, they had a tendency of putting him through the ringer, which he appreciated until he noticed he started to narrowly win due to some fluke. This didn't seem like one of those times, as the man showed skill comparable to Pein, and that was never a good thing. It had taken a squad of Jounin to kill Pein, and even then they lost most of the team to kill him.

And seeing as Naruto lacked a squad of Jounin, it seemed apparent that he would be showing some techniques he intended to be kept secret for a while, but he wasn't exactly going to complain. It would be fitting, to defeat the man the same way he defeated Pein.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Come and 'bless' me, unless you're too much of a pansy," Naruto taunted cheekily, hoping that Karin would be usable in the fight, otherwise he'd be taking a lot more damage than he intended. And that would just not do, as it always took him forever to get the blood out of his clothes.

---

A/N: Yay, chapter finished, and only a week later than it should have been. Oh well. Next chapter'll be up sooner than you think, and it'll compensate for this chapters shortness. Now for review responses.

Reechan37: Currently, Naruto and Karin are not an item. In the chapters following next chapters fight, you won't see them acting boyfriend/girlfriend in the typical sense, as they're both professional and won't let what happened in the forest continue. Mostly because at the current point in the story, they're way too young to have a serious relationship of any kind. And also because I have plans for those two, which will be unveiled in later (5+) chapters.

Hiroshima Namikazi: They're two completely original ninjas. More of them will be unveiled in the next chapter, since they'll be fighting the entirety of the Forest of Death once their position is given away.

To everyone else; thanks for the reviews. Even if it was a small amount (compared to the last few chapters at least), it's nice to know that someone out there reads my story. =)