Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Aforenotes: I'm tired of doing POVs. From here on out, it'll just be normal or Ritsuko's POV, because that's easier. Yay. But it'll mostly be normal.
I just realize, I only listed 8 rookies. Well, the last one is... Ahh... Um... Harutobi Kiashu.
And you know what? After reading through these chapters in the manga... I realized. ROCK LEE is actually cute in his own weird way. Okay, so Diana told me that. Deal with it.
PS sorry if this chapter is kind of suckish, I wanted to get to the RitsuKiba (Next chap, sorry fangirls.)
LeweL: YEAH! KIBA SR IS GONNA CRAP HIS PANTS! AHA!
Achillea: Thanks. I LOVE when I'm called clever! NOW! COME WITH ME TO KILL SOME ANNOYING LITTLE PEOPLE! WOOOOO!
Uzumaki Ritsuko and the Chuunin Exams
By Fleur de Anemone
Chapter three: Demon Child
Normal POV
Ritsuko looked up at the forest, shading her eyes. "Creepy..."
Celia shrugged and sighed. "It's not that bad."
Of course, Rufy paid no attention. He stared at them and heard It was the same damn thing, same ass excuses, boy you're useless, boy... From his 'phones.
"Creepy? The trees are nothing. Soon you'll know why it's called the Forest of Death." Anko replied.
Ritsuko grinned and struck a pose similar to Rock Lee and Maito Gai's Nice Guy one. "That doesn't scare me. I'm not gonna back down from a bunch of trees!"
"Haha! You're like your father!" Anko stood smiling for a moment, before a kunai flew from her hand and sliced Ritsuko's cheek. Ritsuko winced, but before she could reply, Anko was behind her, holding her stiffly by her shoulders. Her face was close to Ritsuko's, her tongue lapping up the fresh blood that oozed from the cut. "You're killed easily. And you always bleed a lot, and I love that."
"Don't touch her. And whatever you do, don't drink her blood. You want blood, get your own. Ritsuko's using her's right now. AND, unless you want to die, I suggest never, ever sneaking up on her again."
Anko turned. That freak kid with the headphones was glaring at her, speaking in a normal tone no less.
"So step back. She'll kill you. I'm not trying to protect her, I'm trying to protect you."
"Why would I..."
"Look at her."
Anko looked at Ritsuko. Ritsuko was trembling, her fingers hooking like talons, like claws. Her eyes were wide and insane, her pupils reduced to no more than slits.
Anko let go almost at once. She had no idea what Ritsuko was capable of at such a young age. I almost forgot what her father was. She thought, shivering slightly. But when demons are sealed up in humans and the human reproduces, they can make more of their kind?
That's bad.
"ANYWAY!" She said, as if nothing happened. She held up a packet of papers with a lot of writing on them. "I have to pass these out before we begin! You gotta sign these agreement forms!"
"Why?" Ritsuko asked, beginning to calm down. She wiped the blood off her cheek with the back of her hand and cleaned herself, licking her hand like a cat.
"Because if you die in there, it'll be my responsibility if you don't sign these!" Anko looked annoyingly cheerful. Celia could sense some bad news...
"I'll explain, then you can sign. Afterwards, check in at the booth behind me. Simply put... The second part is to test the ultimate survival."
"Survival..." Ulrio sniffed somewhere in the crowd of genin.
Ignoring this, Anko went on. "Around area 44, there are 44 locked gates. There's a tower in the center of the forest and a river that splits into two in the southeast part. From the gates and fence to the tower is about ten kilometers. During the survival in here, you will be asked to complete a certain task. Using your many weapons and jutsu, you will compete in..." She held up two rolled up scrolls. "A no-rules scroll battle."
"A scroll battle?" Kiba questioned.
"Yes. You will fight over these two scrolls, the 'heaven' and 'Earth.' There are sixty people here. That means 20 teams. Half, ten, will get the Earth scroll. The other ten will get the heaven scroll. To pass this test, you and your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls."
So ten teams won't make it. Celia thought. She's "cutting us in half."
"But there's a time limit." Anko continued. "You'll be in the forest for exactly 120 hours to the very second the test begins. That's five days."
"Five days?" Ritsuko was outraged. "What'll we do for food?"
"There's plenty of edible plants in the forest. Just watch out for man-eating things, poisonous stuff, et cetera. And ten teams passing is highly unlikely. As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther. And the time to rest will become shorter. And the area is crawling with enemies, so you won't get much sleep. You might die." She held up a finger. "Now I'm going to talk about stuff that will get you eliminated. First, those that don't make it to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit. Second, those who have a teammate killed or those who get to the tower without a teammate. As a rule, there is no quitting in the middle. You'll be in there for five days. And you must not open the scroll until you get to the tower."
"What if we do?" Celia asked.
"That's a surprise for anyone who does."
"A chuunin will be asked to handle classified information. This is to test your trustworthiness. That's it for the explanation. When you fill out the forms turn them in for you scroll. Then choose a get and get ready to begin. A final word of advice... Don't die."
Kiba sat down at the base of a gate, signing his form. Everyone here is an enemy, except Shikara and Ulrio. He thought. Even the other six rookies. He looked at Ritsuko who was listening intently to Celia. People will die. I might die. The other rookies might die. He stood up, waving the form at Shikara and Ulrio. I won't let any of the other rookies die.
Gate 1: Ritsuko, Rufy, Celia
"We're so gonna get through this." Ritsuko punched the air enthusiastically. "Did you see how scared Anko was of me?"
"Ritsuko, we still have to be careful." Celia warned. "Grab Rufy and listen up. I have a plan."
Gate 36: Ulrio, Kiba, Shikara
"Survival's the nature of a dog! Akashi and me are ready!" Kiba grinned wolfishly. "But no matter what, guys, if any of the rookies are in trouble, we gotta help 'em."
Gate 15: Minako, Kiashu, Hiraku
"We're SO gonna OWN this!" Kiashi pumped his fist in the air. "We're like the strongest team here!"
"The test begins..." Anko shouted into her mouthpiece, that was connected to the chuunin that unlocked the gates. "NOW!"
And the genin sprang into the Forest of Death.
About five minutes into the exam, there was a loud, anguished scream.
Anko smirked and said outside the forest, "So it's begun."
In the forest, Ritsuko turned and blinked. "That was... A pretty damn loud scream...!"
The Grass nins watched them from the trees, glaring down with strange eyes. These weren't Grass nins, they couldn't be. One of them shot a glance to his teammate and said, "That's Uzumaki's kid."
"Yes, Orochimaru."
"Sasuke, why don't you try out that bite I taught you and give her a curse seal?"
Sasuke, the disguised Grass nin beside Orochimaru, shook his head. "I can't give her power. She's my rival's daughter. If I kill her, Naruto won't fight me."
"Naruto is an idiot, he'll still fight you."
"Not with Cerise. That Cerise woman is like his keeper. She'll do anything to keep him from fighting me. Anything."
"What do you mean?"
"If Cerise told him not to fight me, and he did, and he survived, she would never have sex with him again. I know how she thinks. Must I go on?"
"No."
"Then you do it."
"Fine!" Orochimaru snapped. He made a number of hand seals and summoned a small snake, giving it instructions to go bite Ritsuko. The snake knew what "bite" specefically meant. It slithered away.
Moments later, a high-pitched shriek was heard all the way in Sunagakure.
Ritsuko fell to her knees, crying, her hand clamped over the bite in her neck. Rufy just watching, oblivious, until Celia signaled to him and knelt next to Ritsuko, who was trembling, screaming, crying...
Celia dealt Ritsuko a quick blow to the neck, knocking her out cold.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR, CICADA?" Rufy shouted at her, outraged. "SHE'S OUR TEAMMATE! YOU STUPID..."
Shut up! Celia motioned. She would have given our position away, as you are now. The pain will subside when she comes to in a few hours.
"THEN YOU'VE JUST GIVEN EVERY SINGLE GENIN IN THIS GODDAMN FOREST PERMISSION TO ATTACK US!" Rufy went on. "NOW WE HAVE TO PROTECT RITSUKO UNTIL SHE'S WELL ENOUGH TO FIGHT FOR HERSELF! WE'LL BE WASTING OUR TIME! ALL THIS TIME I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE SMART ONE!"
I am the smart one. Celia replied. You're the idiot for screaming so much.
"Fine, I'll talk quieter. But now I can't head my own fucking voice."
Good for you. Come on, pick up Ritsuko and let's go find the river. We'll drink and grab some fish then keep moving. Let's try to get to the tower then wait for the other teams so we can ambush them.
Rufy repeated the instructions to himself to understand. "Fine. I'll carry Ritsuko, but from now on, no more hitting teammates."
A kunai whizzed from the trees, digging it's metal into Celia's shoulder. She tore it out with a small cry, pressing her hand to the wound as the crimson juices of life flowed. Rufy blinked and looked at the kunai, the handle, the insignia...
"Grass nins! Celia, get Ritsuko and run!"
But no Grass nins appeared. And when it was obvious they wouldn't appear, Rufy sighed and picked up Ritsuko, offering a hand to Celia. "Cellie, do you want me to carry you? I can handle both you and 'Suko."
Celia nodded. "Thanks, Rufy."
Rufy hefted her up onto his shoulder and took off through the woods, moving to the beat of a fast paced song on his 'phones.
It was night. Celia had passed out from blood loss. Rufy had bound the wound tightly, and the bleeding had slowed and stopped. Ritsuko was still asleep, and had a horrible fever. Rufy, once he reached the river, dipped a cloth in the water and put it on her forehead. But he didn't know how feverish Ritsuko was, and soon the water was all gone.
It was dark, in fact, nearly morning. Rufy was tired, cold, hungry and had to take care of two girls. And it didn't help when,
"Oh, so my kunai struck its target."
Rufy turned with a kunai, shielding the two girls. A team of Grass nins; two boys and a girl; had popped out of the night like... Cockroaches.
"WHO BIT RITSUKO?" Rufy demanded. "WHY DID YOU THROW A KUNAI AT CICADA? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SCROLL WE HAVE!"
"It doesn't matter." The female Grass nin said. "Wake up Ritsuko. We need to fight her, because those were our orders from our leader."
Something jumped in Rufy's mind. "Of course. Your leader is Orochimaru, one of the legendary three! Why did he sent a snake to bite Ritsuko? And why didn't a seal appear? Tell me!"
The Grass nins blinked and looked at each other. "What was he thinking... Well, now we know that you know, we have to kill you." One of the boys shrugged. "Sad, really."
The Grass nins leapt forward. Rufy viciously jabbed with his kunai, but his blade only met air.
"Hey, don't you know? Orochimaru is an old gay fag bent on raping little boys."
Rufy knew that voice...
"Kiba?"
"THE second and only." Kiba replied. "I'm not gonna stand by watching while my fellow rookies get the shit beat out of 'em." He turned and grinned, letting go of the Grass girl's wrist after snapping it.
"Who are you?" The Grass girl growled.
"Inuzuka Kiba the second. And you, my dear girl, are a hardassed ugly whore."
Kiba did several hand signs and muttered, "Double-headed wolf."
And in a puff of smoke, there stood an enormous two-headed dog.
Akashi and Kiba were each one head. Kiba barked something and the two dogs began to spin.
"DOUBLE WOLF FANG!" Was growled into the air.
It was Kiba's father's technique.
A direct hit was capable of tearing someone to pieces.
Unable to see their target, Kiba and Akashi had to move by scent. And they did. They smelled a Grass boy and went after him, spinning into him at the speed of sound. When they hit their target, they uttered a cry of alarm.
The two-headed wolf stumbled back, an enormous kunai jammed up into it's paw. One of the Grass nins had hidden Earth style underground and attacked once the wolf was above.
In another puff of smoke, Kiba and Akashi seperated, their left hand/paw shredded by the kunai. Wincing, Kiba tore off cloth from his sleeve and tied it around his arm to stop the bleeding. "Dammit..."
The Grass nin pulled his oversized kunai from the ground just as Kiba stumbled back onto the ground, clutching his wrist. The Grass nin spun his kunai and said through clenched teeth, "It's over."
"OH NO IT AIN'T!" Rufy replied, leaping in between him and knocking the kunai away with his foot. He threw a handful of shuriken at the Grass nin, but the Grass nin caught them and threw them down. The girl snuck around behind and grabbed Rufy's headphones, pulling his head back with them.
"What's your problem, kid? If you have time to listen to music, then train, you freak!" She looked up and smirked. "Hey, why don't you kill Ritsuko in front of this freak's face?"
"No!" Rufy cried. "Don't...! Ritsuko, wake up!" He started to cry and panic, the thought They're going to kill Ritsuko flashing through his mind. Ican'tletthathappen...
Rufy slowly lifted his hands to his ears. They're going to kill Ritsuko. I won't let them. They won't kill Ritsuko. Not while I'm alive. They can't kill Ritsuko. I won't hear it. No.
"What the Hell are you doing?"
"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M DOING, BITCHES?"
Rufy tore away his headphones.
People stared.
But Rufy wasted no time. He spun around and kicked the girl into a tree, pouncing on the boy Grass nin in front of him. He battered away with his fists, not using any specefic technique. When his fists began to hurt he clamped his teeth into the boy's hand, drawing blood. The boy sliced at his head with a kunai, cutting off clumps of hair and drawing LOTS of blood which dripped down Rufy's face and blurred his vision and...
"Hey."
The fighting stopped. Everyone looked into a tree, up at Ulrio and Shikara, but mostly Ulrio, who was speaking. Now Rufy wasn't listening, but Ulrio said, "See that guy with the, like, broken hand on the ground over there bleedin' to death?"
Everyone looked at Kiba and nodded.
"Were you Grass freaks the one that did that to him? Because, if so, that guy's our teammate, and you're going to die a horrible, painful death."
"GET DOWN HERE!" The in-tact Grass nin shouted angrily. "Face us if you want to kill us so bad!"
"I don't have to."
Rufy turned. "RITSUKO! YOU'RE AWAKE!"
But this was not the Ritsuko he knew.
Ritsuko stood up, the dropped back down,eyes mad and wide. Long claws sprouted from her fingers. All in all, she didn't look human. She was on all fours, her back arched, small fangs dripping inhuman saliva that looked like acid.
"Rufy... Your head... All that blood... Who did that to you?"