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redvoid-40 · 4 years

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Chapter 10: Forest of Death

Hello everyone! I’m going with a new chapter of my Gaara fic today. Lately my attentions have shifted to the Tales of Arcadia fandom, but I already had this chapter ready so I thought it would be nice to post it. :)

Hope you all enjoy it! For more Gaara content check my masterlist in my profile. :D

Fanfic title: ??? Word count: 2800 Fandom: Naruto Pairing: eventual Gaara x OC, cannon pairings Genre: Friendship, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort Warnings: None

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Team Rashu were barely on their feet when kunais and shuriken flew their way. Aoni grabbed her brother by the collar and dropped to the ground with him as Shin took the kunai from her pouch and used it to defend herself from the attack before jumping down after her teammates.

“Shin?” Aoni called out, sword in hand.

“They’re coming. The three of them.”

And so they did. Three Genin from Takigakure landed right in front of them with eerie grins on their faces. They all were older boys - around 16 years old if Shin had to guess - and wore the same black overalls that covered them from neck to ankle. One of them had blonde hair and a mocking smile on his face, the other two had spiky black hair. One of the black-haired Nin was rather short for his age, and the second had a scar that ran from his nose to his left cheek.

“Who would’ve guessed? The mighty Meguyutas showed up to play! We were very surprised seeing you two at the inscriptions, you know? Not like your family to mingle with the riffraff.” The blonde Nin taunted.

“Don’t be absurd. We’d never mingle with trash like you.” Aoni answered with a haughty smile. “You’re just something we have to kick out of the way to keep going.”

Shin’s eyes widened at her friend’s poisonous reply. She knew Aoni wasn’t low on self-esteem in any way - some people would go as far as calling her arrogant, but Shin knew better; Hajii and her were raised to become the very best in everything, and that began with believing they were - but she had never expected such words from her. While the siblings might’ve grown in a world of luxuries and high-standards very unlike her own, they had always been nice to her and her family; never once making her feel less because of their different… incomes.

“You’re the trash here!” The short one exploded. “Always looking down on the rest of us because of your money!”

“It’s not because of the money.” Hajji replied cheerfully. “It’s because you’re all so incapable of being anything other than mediocre.”

Shin’s eyes widened even further. Their niceness, it seemed, didn’t extend to just anyone.

“We’ll show you mediocre!”

As one, the three Taki-Nin charged. The smaller one went for Aoni, most likely believing she’d be the weaker link just because she was “the rich girl”. It was clear he didn’t expect her to parry the blow with her sword as easily as she did, quickly taking the offensive.

The blonde one went after Shin, who dodged just in time to counter with a well-aimed kick to the stomach.

And the last one, the one with a scar who hadn’t said a word to them yet, went after Hajii. He didn’t begin small as his teammates did, though.

He performed hand signs so quickly Shin could barely pinpoint his Jutsu before he started spitting fireballs at Hajii, who barely dodged them all without losing an arm. Just as he was about to catch his bearings, the Taki-Nin cut through his Jutsu’s smoke and cornered the boy against a large tree.

Shin faltered and clumsily blocked a fist flying her way as she watched Hajii receive a knee to the stomach, making him cough out blood all over his adversary.

Now. It has to be now.

The girl turned her attention back to her adversary and barreled him with blow after blow after blow. She didn’t worry so much about making contact; she just needed to distract him enough to perform a Clone Jutsu combed with a Substitution Jutsu to get away to help Hajii.

Her opportunity came when the blonde had to use both arms to block a particular violent roundhouse kick to the face. When he had no sight of her Shin quickly summoned a poorly-made clone in her place before charging towards the scarred Taki-Nin.

That was the cue for Aoni and Hajii.

As clockwork, Team Rashu performed a dance of chairs with their enemies.

Hajii used the blood that was staining his adversary’s clothes to make one of his Chakra Creatures. In a moment’s notice, his blood took the shape of a dragonfly and flew towards the Taki-Nin’s face. While he was busy trying to shake off the creature, Hajii crouched and jumped towards his sister.

When Aoni saw Shin move she parried the short Ninja’s blow and sprinted away from him, towards the Ninja fighting against Shin’s clone. Just as the clone puffed out of existence she appeared. The muscles in her right arm grew in size and her skin turned a dark gray colour as she raised it in the air. The blonde Taki-Nin barely had the time to understand what had happened before Aoni slammed the pommel of her Dai sword against his cheekbone, making him fly across the clearing and promptly pass out.

Hajii performed hand signs as he flew towards the short Ninja, and when his feet slammed the ground just behind his opponent’s back, so did his hands.

“Doton: Golem Technique!”

The ground behind the short Ninja’s parted as rocks pushed their way through it, taking the shape of a Golem. The creature had only its upper body formed, but it still stood taller than any of them.

The Golem encircled the enemy with large, heavy arms, trapping him with his arms by its side. The short Ninja could only watch helplessly as the pommel of Hajii’s kunai flew towards his face; once, twice, three times, until he was unconscious.

Shin closed in her own adversary quickly. The boy was still trying to wave off Hajii’s chakra creature, and she took that opportunity to deliver a low hook punch to his stomach. As soon as her fist hit him, the scarred Ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Shin was surprised for a moment, but recomposed herself when she felt the boy’s chakra move somewhere by her right. She quickly grabbed her kunai and raised in front of her face, just in time to block an attack. Their eyes met for a moment and Shin couldn’t help but smile when she felt his chakra brush against her own.

Without even realizing it, Shin reached out with her left hand and grabbed the boy’s wrist in a bone-crushing grip, eager to have his life energy as close as possible. Her movement was pure instinct, as fast as a reflex, so the boy could only widen his eyes in pain and surprise.

And when he felt something literally pull on his chakra, he felt fear. The scarred Ninja tried to pull his arm away, but Shin’s grip didn’t let go.

“Just a bit more, please.”

The girl seemed to plead with him in a whisper, and when his eyes flew to the girl’s face he found her pupils blown wide, darkening the hazel of her irises with hunger. That dazed expression made shivers run down his spine, but he was experienced enough to push down his fear and take advantage of the situation. The girl was in some high at the moment - high from sucking his life force right out of his body -; it was his chance to attack.

Without hesitation he drove his kunai into the girl’s left shoulder, driving it deep enough to hit her bone.

The boy smirked as a scream tore out of the girl’s mouth, and the pain made her fall to her knees. However, his satisfaction was short-lived when he felt her pull him down with her.

Despite having a kunai 3 inches deep into her flesh, Shin hadn’t let go of him and she hadn’t stopped draining his chakra. She was like a rabid dog who had got its diseased jaws into its prey and refused to let go.

When she glared up at him her eyes were no longer dark with that strange hunger. They were attentive, and her irises seemed lighter somehow, almost yellow.

“What the-”

Before he could say anything else, Shin raised the hand with her kunai high in the air, making him pull his kunai back to protect his face and neck from her attack.

However, there was no contact between their weapons. Instead, pain exploded on his left foot as the girl speared her weapon through it, until only the pommel remained free of his flesh.

The boy opened his mouth to scream, but before any sound could leave his lips Shin concentrated her chakra on her left leg and rotated her body as that leg shot out, delivering a powerful kick to the Ninja’s face with the back of her foot. If it wasn’t for the kunai spearing the Scarred Ninja’s foot into the ground, he would’ve flown across the clearing, much like his teammate had done some only moments before.

Still, despite lacking Aoni’s flourish, Shin had knocked out her opponent out cold with her kick.

Breathing hard, Shin laid her palms on her knees, taking a moment to regain her bearings. The remaining of the boy’s chakra quickly left her, returning her eyes to their usual hazel hue.

“I think you killed him, Shin-chan.” Hajii said, approaching her alongside his sister.

Breathing hard, Shin stared down at the unconscious Genin in front of her and couldn’t help but flinch at the large purple bruise already spreading out on his face. It looked bad, and Shin had no doubts she had broken the boy’s nose with that kick, and maybe left a crack on his skull. She just hoped there was no internal bleeding in there.

I didn’t mean to use so much chakra on that kick. His chakra flew inside me and then… there was so much extra energy. It was like a dam breaking. It overflew.

“It was an accident.” Shin spoke, feeling increasingly guilty the longer she stared at the beaten boy in front of her. “W-We need to get him medical attention.”

Hajii and Aoni exchanged a glance.

“I don’t think that’s possible, Shin-chan.” Aoni spoke. “Look, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Let’s tie them up and leave them somewhere safe so none of the creatures here get them, alright? I’m sure one of his teammates will wake up soon and get him help.”

“Yes.” Hajii agreed, raising a scroll in his hand. It was the Earth scroll, the one they needed. “Since we’re taking their scroll, there will be no reason for another team to attack them. They should be fine.”

Suddenly the boy coughed and gagged as if he wasn’t able to breathe. Desperate, Shin dropped to her knees and turned his head to the side. Blood surged from his mouth, staining the grass beneath him.

When she looked up at her teammates, her eyes were pleading and full of tears.

“H-He’s choking on his own blood. Please Aoni, Hajii. Let’s just take them to one of the gates and make some noise. I’m sure there will be examiners close by. If we can get their attention then maybe-”

“Anko said there would be no leaving this site, Shin-chan.” Hajii pointed out. “Everyone here accepted the risks. Things like this happen when you’re a Shinobi. Do you think they would’ve given a second thought if you were in his place?”

Shin swallowed and lowered her gaze back to her enemy. If their roles were reversed, she didn’t think he’d try to help her, but still-

“From now on I’ll find my own Ninja way! A way that’s honest, righteous and without remorse. From now on, I’ll follow Naruto’s way, believe it!”

“I don’t care. That’s my Ninja Way.” Shin settled, pulling her kunai from the boy’s foot, flinching at finding the thing had almost cut his foot in half when she kicked him. She arranged the Taki-Nin in a piggy-back, doing the best to ignore the burning in her left arm where he had stabbed her. “I’m taking him to one of the gates. You guys wait for me at our spot. I promise I’ll be back soon.”

Hajji and Aoni opened their mouths, ready to yell at her no doubt. But before they had the chance, she jumped out of sight.

Both siblings exchanged a look, steam blowing out their ears at the risks their teammate was taking.

“We’re going to kill her.”

---

There was a gate less than 5 kilometers from where they were, so Shin got there in less than 30 minutes. However, to her dismay, there was no one in sight.

“Hello! Anyone there?! Anko-san! Please, anyone!”

There was no answer but the sounds of the forest behind her. Shin tried to reach out with her chakra, but she was exhausted and her reach couldn’t even cover the area of her field of vision.

Shin glanced at the boy’s beaten face and sighed. She knew what she was about to do was stupid, but she didn’t see anyway around it. So she set the boy in a sitting position against the fence and breathed in deep.

“HELLOOOOOOO! ANKOOOOOO!”

Birds shot out in the sky at her loud scream and Shin pulled a kunai out of her pouch as she settled in a defensive stance. She knew screaming like that could draw a lot of unwanted attention to her, but she didn’t see any way around it.

Moments passed, but nobody came. Shin was readying herself for a second scream when someone landed right in front of her. She jumped, not having felt or heard their approach, and for a moment she believed it was another Genin team, ready to end her.

To her relief, standing in front of her were three Shinobi with Anbu masks.

“What are you doing, girl?” One of them asked.

“I need help. Well, not me. He does.” Shin spoke quickly, putting away her kunai as she walked to the Taki-Nin. “He needs a doctor fast. I-I kicked him too hard and now he’s not breathing well. I don’t know if it’s the blood in his airways or the blow to the head, but his breathing is growing worse by the second. I know Anko-san told us there was no leaving once the Exam began, but he can’t wait five days. P-Please take him to a doctor.”

The Anbu exchanged a look.

“He isn’t your teammate?”

“No. We fought. I think he didn’t see my attack coming and wasn’t able to defend himself with chakra. And I-I… I really didn’t mean to kick him as hard as I did. Please help him. Please! I didn’t intend to kill him. I just wanted to knock him out.”

“Where are your teammates?”

“We’re here.”

Shin startled, turning wide, tear-filled eyes back to the forest. Aoni and Hajii were walking towards them leisurely.

“We apologize for her.” Aoni began, glaring at her. “We tried to tell her not to do this but…”

“She grabbed the guy and ran off.” Hajii completed. “She’s pretty damn fast.”

The scarred Taki-Nin suddenly coughed again, spilling more blood over himself.

“Please!” Shin tried again, staring at the Anbu with tears in her eyes. “Just take him to a doctor already!”

At last one of the Anbu nodded at her.

“You two go after Anko. I’ll take this kid to the hospital.”

“You sure about this?”

The woman Anbu nodded, crouching down to take the boy in her arms. “He is in no condition to keep going, and it’s not like his team would ever have a chance of finishing this stage without him.”

“Alright.”

“Be careful.”

With those parting words, the two Anbu jumped out of sight. The third one looked down at Shin.

“What’s your name?”

“Osasu Shin.”

“Hm… I’ve heard of you. You were part of Kakashi’s Team, right? Now, go back to your Exam. I’ll take care of this.”

Shin smiled and bowed at the waist. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you so, so, so much. Thank you.”

“Kakashi will be proud.”

Startled, Shin looked up at the Anbu, but she was already gone. And with her went the last rays of sunshine of the day.

“Shin-chan, we need to talk.”

Swallowing her fear, Shin turned around to face her teammates. The twins had never looked more alike to her as they were now, with the same murderous expression on both of their faces.

Shin chuckled. “I guess I owe you two an apology, no?”

Hajii and Aoni smiled at her, and at the moment Shin knew she would’ve been safer if another enemy team had found her instead.

I’m dead.

#gaara #gaara x oc #naruto #shin #osasu shin #fanfic #forest of death

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premimtimes · 3 years

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Women: It Is Time To Do Too Much, By Osasu Igbinedion

Keep investing in your spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing. Keep growing, keep inventing, keep breaking cement ceilings, keep defying cultural stereotypes, all in the face of stiff opposition. WORK HARD, WORK SMART… THE WORLD IS YOURS TO DOMINATE… and always remember to DO TOO MUCH! As women’s history month comes to an end, I can’t help but reflect on a list of…

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#Osasu Igbinedion #Women&039;s History Month 2021

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thesportsbay · 2 years

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Why we paid protesting Super Falcons $1000 - NFF

It will be noted that Super Falcons were paid a paltry $1,000 each out of $10,000 by the Nigeria Football Federation.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified the $1000 paid to the protesting Super Falcons at the ongoing Africa Women Cup of Nations in Cameroon. It will be noted that Super Falcons were paid a paltry $1,000 each out of $10,000 by the Nigeria Football Federation. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Football Correspondent and former NFF Reforms Committee Member, Osasu…

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zambianobserver · 2 years

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CAF MAINTAINS: ZAMBIA NEVER SUBMITTED BARBARA BANDA’S NAME TO CAF AS A MEMBER OF TeamZambia for the WAFCON

Morocco British-Nigerian reporter Osasu Obayiuwana has zeroed in on the Barbara Banda situation with direct communication with CAF and this is how it went: Kamanga: “All the players had to undergo gender verification, a CAF requirement and unfortunately, she did not meet the criteria set by CAF.” How does this sit with the statement of Football Association of Zambia President Andrew Kamanga,…

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soikeobongdainfo · 2 years

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Soikeo.info cập nhật: Bác sĩ FIFA bất ngờ qua đời, nguyên nhân do vụ bạo loạn đáng xấu hổ của CĐV Nigeria?

Xem thêm: https://soikeoso1.org/tay-ban-nha

Một bác sĩ đã thiệt mạng ở trận đấu giữa Nigeria và Ghana tại vòng loại World Cup 2022. Đây cũng là nơi xảy ra vụ bạo loạn do các CĐV Nigeria gây ra.

Báo Trung Quốc: “Lịch sử liên tục gọi tên ĐT Việt Nam, họ chính là ngựa ô khó chịu nhất”

HLV Park Hang-seo trải qua khoảnh khắc xúc động khi trở về Hà Nội sau trận hòa Nhật Bản

Vận đen đeo bám, sao M.U lần thứ 5 chấn thương

Bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo được xác định rằng đã qua đời khi làm nhiệm vụ tại sân Abuja, nơi diễn ra trận đấu giữa đội tuyển Nigeria và Ghana tại vòng loại World Cup 2022.

Ghana đã hòa 1-1 ở trận này và giành vé tới World Cup nhờ luật bàn thắng sân khách. Trong khi đó, chủ nhà Nigeria đã lỡ hẹn với Qatar. Quá thất vọng trước kết quả nói trên, các CĐV Nigeria đã tràn xuống sân vận động đập phá sau khi trận đấu kết thúc. Đám đông CĐV khiến các trang thiết bị của SVĐ Abuja bị hư hại nặng nề. Cảnh sát đã phải sử dụng hơi cay để giải tán đám đông CĐV gây bạo loạn.

Bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo của cơ quan phòng chống doping của LĐBĐ châu Phi đã làm nhiệm vụ ở trận đấu nói trên và không may qua đời. Vị bác sĩ người Zambia từng làm việc cho đội tuyển quốc gia tại quê nhà từ 2003 đến 2016. Mới đây, LĐBĐ Zambia đã xác nhận cái chết của bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo.

"Hôm nay chúng tôi xin bày tỏ lòng thương tiếc về cái chết của bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo, nhân viên y tế của LĐBĐ châu Phi và FIFA. Bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo đã làm nhiệm vụ ở trận đấu giữa Nigeria và Ghana. Chúng tôi xin gửi lời chia buồn chân thành tới gia đình và người thân của ông", LĐBĐ Zambia viết trên trang facebook chính thức của mình.

LĐBĐ Zambia cho biết vẫn chưa xác định nguyên nhân dẫn tới cái chết của bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo. Có nhiều nguồn thông tin cho rằng vị bác sĩ này đã bị đám đông CĐV cuồng loạn tấn công dẫn đến bất tỉnh. Sau đó, ông còn bị các CĐV giẫm đạp.

Trong khi đó, nhà báo Gary Al-Smith, người từng cộng tác với các tờ như The Guardian, CNN... cho biết cái chết của bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo là do ông lên cơn đau tim chứ không liên quan tới vụ bạo loạn ở sân vận động.

Tuy nhiên theo lời kể của nhà báo người Ghana, Collins Atta Poku, người có mặt ở sân vận động thì bác sĩ Joseph Kabungo bị tấn công và sau đó đã được đưa lên xe cấp cứu trong tình trạng bất tỉnh.

Bất chấp những nỗ lực của các bác sĩ tại bệnh viện gần đó, ông Joseph Kabungo đã không qua khỏi.

Nhà báo của BBC Sport, Osasu Obayiuwana viết trên Twitter: "Nếu cái chết của bác sĩ người Zambia, Joseph Kabungo ở SVĐ Abuja là do bị tấn công bởi các CĐV Nigeria, những người đã tràn xuống sân sau khi ĐT nước này không giành được vé dự World Cup, thì LĐBĐ Nigeria sẽ gặp rắc rối lớn với FIFA".

Phóng viên Trung Quốc: "ĐTVN đã làm tốt hơn Thái Lan, nếu may mắn còn tạo nên lịch sử!"

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redvoid-40 · 4 years

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Chapter 9 - First Phase

I know this fic isn’t as popular as my headcanons/one-shots but this chapter has been sitting in my Drive for a while now so I’ve decided to post it instead. =.=

Hope you all enjoy it! As always let me know your thoughts and if you have any requests! :)

Fanfic title: ??? Word count: 3097 Fandom: Naruto Pairing: eventual Gaara x OC, cannon pairings Genre: Friendship, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort Warnings: None

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No way. I thought the written exams would end with the Academy!

Shin was freaking out at the prospect of a written exam. Sure, she had gotten average scores when she graduated at the Academy, but it was mostly thanks to her Taijutsu. Her grades in written exams were nothing to be proud of.

“Don’t worry, Shin-chan.” Hajii reassured as they waited in line to get their numbers. He had his pinky wrapped around hers. “I’ll be able to carry us on this. Just do your best, all right? You too, Ao-nee.”

Aoni looked at her from her brother’s other side. “Hajii is a real nerd, Shin-chan. I’m sure his grades will make up for ours.”

“But what if they score our tests separately?” Shin asked.

“Then why would they demand that we take the Exams as teams of three?” Hajii pointed out. “At least in the beginning I believe they will only look at us as teams instead of individuals. It’s important to test teamwork, and it also makes it easier to cut down on the number of applicants.”

Shin hummed as she thought about Hajii’s words. It made sense.

“I guess you’re right.” She spoke as she pulled her seating number. “I’ll see you two later then. Let’s do our best and pass this!”

Aoni and Hajii nodded. “Good luck!”

---

There were actual tears streaking down Shin’s face as she looked down at her test in despair. Ibiki’s rules chanted in her mind like an anxiety-inducing mantra as a finger looped around strands of her hair.

“The teams will be qualified - or disqualified - in accordance to the total score achieved by its three members.”

“One more thing, if anyone in your team gets a zero, the whole team will be disqualified.”

Shin read and re-read the questions in her exams, not believing her eyes.

I can’t answer any of these questions. Am I really that dumb?

Shin couldn’t believe someone just out of the Academy like her could ever solve those questions. She might be nowhere near as brilliant as Sakura, but she wasn’t that unprepared either; she should be able to get at least a 5.0 from a written exam such as this. But not being able to answer any of the 10 questions was something else entirely.

Wait-

Once again Ibiki’s words came to the forefront of her brain.

“The censors here will also keep an eye on you if you try to cheat. And at every seen incident they will discount 2 points from your total score. If they catch you five times, you’ll be disqualified and your test will not be graded. That’s right. Anyone who gets caught cheating doesn’t deserve to be a Chūnin.”

Shin’s hand stopped moving around her hair as her eyes widened in realization.

Anyone who gets caught, he said… Of course. They want us to cheat.

Shin swallowed and looked around her. Many of the candidates were frozen like her, having noticed how impossible those questions were to answer. But others were writing furiously on their exams.

Some people here already realized it.

“Excuse me!”

Shin startled, looking to the direction the voice had come from. Kankuro was a few rows in front of her, hand raised in the air and an apologetical smile on his face.

“I need to use the toilet.”

Shin watched the older boy be escorted outside the classroom with his wrists in shackles. As he passed her by he glanced down at her test and, seeing it completely blank, scoffed at her.

She pouted at him, turning her face to the side to hide her blush.

As she did that, her eyes crossed with Hajii’s green ones. The boy was on the other side of the room, but on the same row as her. It seemed he had been staring for some time now and, when their eyes met, he gave her a winning smile.

Despite her sad situation, Shin smiled back at him.

Then she almost leaped out of her chair at the feeling of something creeping up her ankles.

Shin’s hands flew to her mouth, pushing back the girlish squeal that threatened to escape her as the… thing continued climbing up her legs, leaving a trail of goosebumps on its wake. Swallowing hard, Shin dared to look down at herself and almost fainted at what she found.

Your Chakra Creatures are creepy, Hajii-chan.

There was a spider-like thing standing on Shin’s lap, with the black colour of clotted blood. The thing was almost as big as her fist and had four thin legs that connected to a small round black body, and on top of its body there was a human face smiling up at her.

“H-Hi?” Shin whispered, daring to reach down to it with an outstretched finger.

The creature straightened its legs, reaching up to her finger and nuzzling against it. Shin relaxed slightly, allowing a small smile to pull on the corners of her lips. So needy… there was no doubt it was one of Hajii’s creations.

It’s kind of cute.

Then, satisfied with the attention it received, the creature opened its smiling mouth at her and vomited a tiny scroll covered with blood onto her lap.

Shin’s entire body tensed and she felt a bit of bile rise in her throat.

What the-

The creature gurgled happily at her and with one last nuzzle against her frozen finger disappeared in a puff. Unbelieving of what she had witnessed, Shin turned to face Hajii once again. His smile was as bright as before as he winked at her.

With a sigh, Shin swallowed the bile in her throat and opened the scroll beneath the table with one of her hands, trying to ignore the blood staining her fingertips.

Immediately she copied the answers from the scroll onto her test.

---

Soon enough it was time for Ibiki to give them the Tenth Question. And with it, came new rules.

“You can take the Tenth Question or not. But if you choose not to do it, all your other questions will be discarded and your team will be eliminated. If you choose to answer this question and get it wrong, not only you’ll be eliminated but you’ll also be prohibited from ever taking the Chūnin exams again!”

Predictably, there was an uproar in the classroom as some candidates protested the rules, while others stood up and left to try again next year. But Shin didn’t pay them any mind. Her sole focus was Naruto. The boy was sitting a few rows in front of her and she could easily spot his orange suit and head of blonde hair.

Naruto-chan… you’re shaking.

Shin clenched her fists in her lap in tension. She didn’t want Naruto to give up now, not after everything they went through. She knew that, just like her, he wasn’t good with written exams, but she also knew that from everyone in this room, he was the one who could overcome any obstacle put in his path.

When he raised his hand in the air, she jumped to her feet.

“Don’t!” Shin yelled, making everyone look to her. And when Naruto’s wide, baby blues found her brown ones she continued. “You didn’t come all the way here to give up now, Naruto! So please put that hand down!”

Naruto’s eyes widened even further at her outburst and Shin could feel her cheeks heating, but refused to sit back down.

To her surprise the boy smiled at her. “As if you needed to tell me that, Shin-chan.”

Turning back to face Ibiki, Naruto slammed his hand on the table.

“Don’t underestimate me! I don’t give up! If you want to be though, go ahead. You won’t make me chicken out. I don’t care if I’ll be a Genin for the rest of my life! I’ll still become Hokage one day! Believe it!”

Shin dropped back to her seat with a nervous laugh.

Of course.... You had to make a scene, Naruto-chan. Her eyes roamed the classroom again, and she couldn’t help but smile. You have no idea how infectious your words can be, huh? Everyone is looking up now. I bet no one is leaving after that.

There were a few more moments of tension as they all waited for the question. Then, to everyone’s surprise Ibiki’s next words were-

“You all pass!”

---

On the following morning all candidates met their new Censor, Mitarashi Anko, at the entrance of the place where Exam’s Second Phase would happen.

The Forest of Death.

—-

“Before we can begin the Second Phase I have something to hand out to you. It’s a consent letter.” Anko said. “You all need to read and sign this. Some of you might not return from this and I need your written consent that you’re willing to take the risk. Or else it would be my responsibility!”

Shin swallowed as Anko laughed out loud, as if she had just told some funny joke. This new Censor was kind of crazy, throwing kunais at Naruto and then laughing at the fact that some candidates might die in her exam.

“Here, Shin-chan.”

Shin thanked Naruto as she took the pile of forms from his hands, removing a single sheet of paper for herself before passing the rest along.

“Now, let me explain how this will work.” Anko continued. “This is a survival exercise-”

---

Shin listened to Anko’s explanation carefully, hands closed tightly around her consent form.

“Shin-chan…”

The girl blinked, turning her attention to Naruto. He was looking at her with a weird expression on his face, as if he didn’t quite recognize her.

“Is there something wrong, Naruto-chan?”

“It’s just… you look excited about this whole thing, believe it. It’s weird because you’re usually so, you know… the peacemaker.”

Shin pondered Naruto’s words. More often than not she kept herself neutral in conflicts involving her friends, always trying to de-escalate the arguments and fights that would every so often break out among them. She wasn’t someone who’d usually jump at the chance of an all-out fight with dozens of Genins just to win a survival exercise.

However, this wasn’t a fight amongst her friends; it was a competition, and everyone taking part in it knew exactly what they were getting into. And there was something to be said about winning things: it was satisfying.

“I guess the Ninja life is growing on me, Naruto-chan. I’m looking forward to see what everyone here is capable of.” Shin explained, smiling at her friend as her eyes focused on him. “You especially. I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with, Naruto. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m kinda hoping we’ll get to face one another soon. I know we’ve trained together countless times before, but it’s not the same as an actual battle, is it? You’ve grown so much, Naruto. I’m wondering how I compare.”

As Shin spoke she noticed Naruto wasn’t the only one staring at her with wide eyes. Sasuke and Sakura also had their gazes fixed on her, as did the rest of the Konoha Genins.

Her friend’s surprise was short lived. In a blink of an eye, Naruto had laid his hand on her shoulder as a cocky smile stretched on his lips.

“Heh, I’m glad you feel that way, Shin-chan. Ever since you told us you’d take part with another team, I’ve been thinking we’d have to fight each other. And every time I think about it, I get all excited. I’ve always thought you were one of the strongest in our class, and I can’t wait to see how I compare. Believe it.”

Shin nodded, clasping Naruto back on the shoulder.

The challenge was made and accepted.

---

After handing in their consent forms and receiving their scroll, Team Rashu awaited in front of gate 8. Shin was twirling her hair nervously as Hajii held onto her other hand and Aoni’s, moving their joined hands back and forth.

“You two are full of energy.” Aoni commented, smiling at them. “I’m glad you don’t seem scared about the whole thing, Hajii.”

“Why would I be?” Hajii asked.

“We will spend some nights in that forest. You hate the dark.”

The boy shrugged, but didn’t stop moving his hands. “I got you two with me. As long as I can hold on to you, I’m okay.”

As if to prove his point Hajii squeezed their hands one last time as the Jonin in front of them unlocked the lock of their gate. He let their hands go just as the lock fell to the ground and the Jonin pushed open the gates for them.

“Begin!”

Without hesitation, the trio charged inside the forest.

As soon as she stepped foot into the training grounds Shin joined her hands in front of her chest, her thumb and forefinger up in the air. Her eyes were closed as she focused on her chakra, but that didn’t slow her down.

She could feel exactly where she was going.

---

“This looks like a good place for our rendezvous.” Aoni stated.

Team Rashu stood together on top of a thick tree branch, the thick foliage around them providing for a flawless cover.

“Shin-chan-” Aoni continued. “-anything?”

Shin shook her head. “Not yet. There’ are a lot of powerful lives in this forest though, so it’s hard to differentiate the animals’ chakras from the other candidates’. I don’t think anyone is onto us yet, but I might’ve missed something. Also, if they’re following us from a distance, I don’t think I can feel their chakra until they get closer.”

“That’s all right. Finding them before they find us isn’t pivotal to our strategy.” Hajii commented, green eyes roaming their surroundings. “As long as we all keep on our toes we can react to any attack. The key to our strategy is how we’ll engage our enemies. You must take the first step, Shin-chan, and we’ll follow your lead.”

Shin nodded, full of determination. “I’ll be ready.”

“Good. For now, let’s keep moving together in a 2 kilometer radius from this point. If we get separated, we meet back here as soon as possible. If there’s anyone missing by sundown, we’ll go out in a search.”

Aoni and Shin nodded, and as one the trio leaped off their spot.

---

“It’s taking too long.” Aoni complained as the trio jumped from tree branch to tree branch. “It must’ve been a couple of hours already and nothing. The sun will set down soon.”

Hajii hummed but offered nothing else as a response. His sister had always been on the impatient side; never one to be kept waiting by anyone, so he had expected her frustration at this point. Thankfully, he and Shin were there to help her keep her temper in check.

“Maybe everyone’s busy with something else.” Shin offered. “There are many powerful creatures in this forest, as well as every other candidate.”

“Still… I was sure it all would happen much quicker. I want to finish this and get to the tower as soon as possible. No one deserves to spend more than a day without a hot shower.” Aoni said, nose upturned as the corners of her mouth pulled down in disgust.

Shin chuckled. “If you guys want, I can try to reach out with my chakra again. See if I can expand my sensory area and pinpoint something.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Hajii, let’s stop for a moment.”

The boy hummed again. He didn’t want to stop moving. Even being careful, it was likely they had left little marks of their presence as they roamed their searching area, so if they stopped now they could just become a sitting target for anyone following those little signals.

However, it could help ease some of his sister’s anxiety and Hajii knew first-hand she tented to make bad calls when her rage-o-meter was reaching its peak.

“Okay.”

The trio jumped to a higher tree branch and stopped. All of them were breathing hard, with a thin layer of sweat covering their skin as Shin performed her hand sign and closed her eyes, allowing her chakra to spread out into the surrounding forest.

Aoni and Hajii’s vibrant energies were the first she felt, warm and taut besides her, ready to react at a moment’s notice. She took a moment to appreciate it before letting her own energy seep deep into the tree’s chakra flowing steadily beneath her feet and branch out as wide as possible, trying to feel any creature that passed by, allowing her chakra to touch theirs for a moment before moving on.

Shin’s radius was barely half a kilometer wide, and it missed a lot - there was too much chakra around her for her to discern every living creature that crossed paths with her - but it still gave her a good perspective of what was surrounding them. Rabbits and squirrels, insects as large as her skull, a couple of gigantic snakes, poisonous flowers…

There were so many types of chakra around her… It was overwhelming, but also a bit intoxicating.

More… I want to feel more, have more. So much chakra, all around me…

Shin inhaled sharply as those thoughts came to the forefront of her mind. It wasn’t the first time she thought of something like that. Ever since she learned how to control her chakra better, Shin found herself hungry for more of it, especially when training with Naruto.

His chakra is just so… plenty.

It was a mysterious train of thought, this one. Shin didn’t quite understand where it came from - she couldn’t just take others’ chakra for herself - and because of that it scared and intrigued her at the same time. Every time she tapped into someone - or something - else’s chakra, she dared to go further than before without even meaning to. It was instinctual for her and she worried sometime she might go a bit too far.

What would even happen if I did? I don’t want to hurt anyone, but… I’d love to feel more of this energy. It feels right. But is it?

Shin was pulled from her musings by a sudden burst of chakra just at the edge of her radius. It was violent, explosive… and going straight towards them.

“Get down!”

Shin grabbed the back of her teammates clothes and pushed them down to their stomachs just as a fireball flew over their heads.

Hajii glanced at the singed leaves above them and turned to smile at his sister.

“Well, Ao-nee. It’s happening.”

#gaara #gaara x oc #fanfic #shin #osasu shin #naruto #chuunin exams #forest of death

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