Closing Your Eyes Won't Make Me Disappear

"Are there even any enemies left this late?"Sasuke calls over to Kabuto as we ran through the forest."Lots of 'em!If you were more alert,you'd know it,too!It takes intelligence to win battles in territory like a jungle or forest...and do you know the intelligent thing to do?We all share a common goal..right?The tower in the center of the forest.So the closer we get to the end of the exam,the more people will be carrying scrolls to the finish line...makng the tower and its vicinity..the likeliest place to find them,"he explains to us and it started to make sense to me."Like an ambush?"I ask him and he grins corming my thoughts."We make our target...someone who has captured both the heaven and earth scrolls and is taking them back to the tower,"I explain over to Naruto who seemed confused about it."Oh!Cool!I get it!"
"You're one-third right,"Kabuto says over to us."Huh?"I ask slightly confused now."First of all,you won't be the only ones who've figures that out...so there are going to be a lot of desperate characters setting snares for the unwary around that tower,"he explains to us and I nod."I get it!While we're waiting to ambush them...they'll be trying to ambush us!Ha!I play my besy games with a handicap!This is gonna be sweet!It'll be worth a little sweat if we get to kick everyone else's butts...and walk away with the other scrolls we need to pass the second exam!"Naruto shouted determined and exited.
"What's the rest of the answer?"I ask over to Kabuto. who looks back."This type of exam brings out another sort of enemy....I call them the collectors.Even when you're standing at the tower door...and you think you're home fre,don't relax your guard for an instant.The conditions of this exam are apr to give rise to the...bottom feeders.They're theones who may not be good enought to beat every enemy they find..so they try to get their hands on as many extra sets of scrolls as they can to buy themselves safe passage from anyone who can't or won't face fairly.Some of them also want to have extra scrolls to offer other teams form their home villages who may not have fared as well...becasue if those teams are ontheir second of third attempts at passing the chunin exams the collectors can barter the surplus scrolls for advance intelligence about the nexy stages of the test.And there are those who aren't after your scroll...they're after your life!They want to eliminate strong teams no..just so they'll have less competition to deal with as they move on to the third exam and beyond.And as you can probably guess,most of these shrewd,ruthless teams never make the mistake of getting complacent or letting their own guard down.Those are the deadliest...adn the worst!"
I let out a sigh.That was just to much for me to handle right now."So..that's why you didn't just take off after helping us.You're vulnerable,to!Safety in numbers,eh?"Sasuke calls out over to Kabuto who grins at us."...Right."
I frowned slightly as I looked at Kabuto.Even though he was helping us out,there was something about him that buged me.
We stoped finally as the view of the tower came to us."We're in view of the tower...her's where the fun really begins."Kabuto says looking at is."The let's get to it!"NAruto shouts exitedly when suddenly we heard a soun behind us."So soon?!"I question as Naruto throws a kunai over to where he heard the sound."Over there!"
My eyes widen when I see a centipede there."Aw man!It was a centipeded!"Naruto complains about it."Wow!"Kabuto says looking at is."That's big..."I mutter looking at the thing.
"Naruto..."Kabuto says catching Naruto's attention."The idea here is not to attract any attention.Let me make this really simple for you.If we stomp through the forest like a herd fo wild elephants...we're basically trumpeting our arrival to everyone around and they'll throw us a welcome party but one that we'll surely not enjoy!So starting now...let's keep it quiet and remainout of sight,"he says over to us and we nod as we continued walking.
~~~
We had been walking for a long time now and I was becoing exauhxted and the pain in my stmoache had returned.It had kept on hurting over the past days ever since when I used the chakara.
"Guys...I can't...it hurts..."I mutter to them."Gina!"Naruto says looking at me."My stomache still hurts from the incident before...and the tower doens't seem to get any more closer,"I say looking at the tower tiredly."It's bizarre.It's right in front of us,plain as day..."Naruto says looking at it."Apparently..we're already enjoying some enemy's warm welcome!Look!"
We all looked where he pointed and our eyes widened."Aw,man!No way!"Naruto exclaims pointing at the same centipeded that he had killed."Wh-what is this crap?!"Naruto shouted again.
My eyes widen.What the hell is wrong with me?I could see an illusion miles away and this was right infront of my noes!!!
"A genjutsu,"I growl angrily that I hadn't sensed it before."That's what it looks like,and we fell for it!We've been very,very cautiously running around in circles!"Kabuto says noding glancing around."And undoubtly being watched?"Sasuke asks also glancing around.
"It would make sense.Whoever did this is waiting for us to wear ourselves out...so they can move in and take us down!"Kabuto says looking around cautiously as well."Then they must realize our strength is fading..."Sasuke says glaring at the ground."So they'll make their move soon,"Kabuto finishes noding.My eyes widen when I see many clones starting to appear.All looked the same."Right..."
"Here they come.."Sasuke says looking at tthem ready."Hah!Yep!Just about the perfect handicap!"Naruto says grining ."There are a lot of them...not to mention all the doppelganger,"Kabuto says over to us."Damn..."I say glancing at all of them as they walked closer to us."Heh heh...you're trapped like rats,"one of them says.I could tell they were Rain ninja thanks to their headband.This was still bad."Shut up!"Naruto shouts as he goes and punches the one that spoke.
My eyes widen when the body seems to disperse where Naruto hit him and then began to make it self again."Naruto!"I call out as another body forms on that body and was about to attack Naruto.Sasuke throws shuriken over stabing them into his hand which simply again disperse and the shuriken fly through.The hand regenerates itself and then throws the kunai over at Sasuke.
Instinct took over and I immedietly tackled him down but I felt pain flood on my shoulder."Idiot..."I say as Sasuke looks at me wide-eyed."Why didn't you move?!"I demand glaring at him but my eyes soften when I see the mark from earlier starting to get bigger like before.
"Are you all right?"I question him softly which he just grunts."Surrender your scroll!"
"Does the fact that they physically hurt Gina mean these guys are solid doppelgangersand not just illusions...?Even when doppelgangers have some substance,they usually fade away once you beat them...and these guys are still here.So is this genjutsu after all?Which is it?!"Naruto demands confused about it.It is an illusion.I can see through it.Even if I didn't before,know that I'm actually paying attention,it is.That means they must be close by."Blast it!"
"Wait!Naruto!They are illususionsmits genjutsu cast by the enemy!"I shout after him making him stop from attacking them."But his wound was real!"he points out to me."No...Gina's right.The illusionist is watching from somewhere cose by,synchronising a real,physical attack with the movements of the enemies we think we're seeing!It enhances our preception that the shadow shinobi we're fighting are real,"Kabuto explains to him.I held on to my shoulder as I stoof back up."So I'll hunt down the coward who's throwing kunai knives from behind the scenes and kick his butt!"Naruto declares determined.
"No...good as he is,he can convince us to believe the kunai are coming from any direction he wants us to.We'll never find him that way..but he's hopeing we'll try.Based on my experience..his kind are pretty much wimps when it comes to taijutsu.The actual,physical foe...won't come out and face us until we're completely worn out and helpless.Right now,our only choice is to keep moving and avoid their attacks,"Kabuto says to us but I kept glancing around trying to find where the user was."Okay..if that's how they want to play it,"Naruto declares geting out a kunai.I do the same just as kunai's start flying out.I blocked some while I dodged some."How long can they keep this up?"I demand trying to dodge.I was to busy dodging the attacks and making sure none of my teammates got injuried I wasn't looking for the direction our source that they were coming from."How long can we?"Naruto corrects as he does handsigsn."Naruto,no!Don't squander your chakra!A direct attack can't help us!"Kabuto says to him but of course Naruto doesn't listen.
"If we were to dissipate all of the illusions simultaneously,whoever;s casting them wouldn't be able to just hurl knives at us without us seeing where they're hiding!"he shouts as the makes many shadow clones.
I watched as many started to attack the other clones in bunches."Psst!"
I glanced back to see Naruto hiding in the bushes."What the-"
"C'mon!"he says gesturing us to come.All of us quickly go to him and I watched as he made another handsigns and three of his clones transform into us without being noticed."We'll just have to wait until they think 'we're' tired enough and then surprise them,"he explains to us and I nod as it made sense."I'm going back in,you all stay here,"he says grining before he jumps into the battle.
I glanced around until I found the spot where they were in."They hiding there,"I whisper over to them."Good,now we have to wait for them to lower their guards,plus,Naruto is using alot of Chakara so we can't risk attacking this instant,"Kabuto says over to us and we nod.
It only took a few minutes that our clones finally grew tired and the clones started to disapear and in their place appeared three rain ninja.I reconized one from back early in the exam when he impersonated Naruto.
"I know you...you're the one who maimed my stomache!And here you are again.."the one I had attacked says looking at my clone."Making us work hard all night.I'm so glad there's time for a little taste of payback!"he says over to us."Go."
"Now who's the trapped rat?"Sasuke asks standing up first along with us."Nice work,Naruto!"I say giving him a smile."WH-what the-?!N-no way!When..?!How did they?!"
All the clones start to disapear exept Naruto himself."Suckers!Hey guys..you're showing your tails just like dirty,double-crossing demon-critters you are!"he shouts as the clones of us transform back into his clones."Pretty slick,eh?You were thinking the shadow doppelgangers were my whole act but they were just a distraction to keep you from noticing I was single-handedly impersonating my entire team!"he says smugly.
"And while he did that,we three sneaked up behind you...using genjutsu to beat you at your own game!"Sasuke says to them as Naruto's leg give out and he falls on his knees."You expened all your chakra,Naruto.I'll handle the rest,"Sasuke says over to him but he surprised us when he charged and punched one of them knowing the three of them on the ground.
"No way!I won't stand around and let you have all the fun!"he says grining and panting. "Naruto..."I mutter though a smirk formed on my face.He always ended up surprising us.
"You do have some skill,however that doens't mean we're completely out of luck!but we're almost out of time!So we're going to demonstrate our own ninja skills!"the ninja shout as the three of them do handisngs and suddenly many clones appeared."...Shadow clones?"Naruto questions panting."Not..just ordinary clones but there's got to be more to them than this...stay alert!"Sasuke says over to him."Hah!If most of them are illusions there there's just one solid body.I'll just plow right through them until I get to the real guy!"Naruto says looking over at them."That's a total waste of effort,bonehead!"Sasuke says over to him but Naruto barely listens as he starts charging."Who asked you?!Charge!!!"
"Naruto..."I say watching him charge but suddenly I notice Kabuto run up ahead after him.I glanced at Sasuke who looked to be struggling."What's wrong?"I ask making him look over to me."Everytime I try to use the sharingan power,my neck aches...I think I expened all my chakra..."he says to me and I frown."Rats!Another clone!"
I glance back to see Naruto punching the illusions."Naruto,stop!"I call out already knowing none of them were the real ones.Suddenly,Sasuke let out a scream as he fell to his knees."Sasuke!"I call out quickly going over to him and my eyes widen when I saw the mark was spreading like before."Don't use the sharingan anymore,"I say to him angrily.
"Kabuto!!"
My eyes snap over to where Kabuto was injuried on the ground with Naruto by him."All right you-"
"Don't bother Naruto!"Sasuke shouts over to him ignoring the pain."It's a waste of time.There are no real bodies among them for you to hit,"Sasuke says over to him panting slightly."But illusions can't punch and stab,you know!So where are the real attacks coming from?!"Naruto demands to him.
"If I knew that,we wouldn't have to go through any of this!The mystery is the esence of their attack!"Sasuke shouts back at him and Naruto falls on his kneees."Ow!"
"Suddenly I catch something down.I frown when I sense something underneath.I could see something there."Sasuke,look,"I say pointing over to where I could see it.He looks also seeing them on the ground."They hide using Doton:The Art of Earth,and used the clones to mask the real attacks,"I say as one of them cuts Kabuto.Kabuto looks up with a smirk on his face and then Naruto kicks the three of them again making them all fall down."Hah!Shame on you letting your guard down like that,sucker!"
"Phew!Thanks for the save,Naruto!"Kabuto says siting up and smiling at him."That was amazing Naruto!"I call out smiling at my teammate who chuckles.
Kabuto walks back over to us and notices Sasuke's neck."What happened..to your neck?!Are you wounded?That's one monster bruise!"Kabuto says leaning over it."It's nothing..."Sasuke says puting an arm over to it with narrow eyes at Kabuto."Hey!Over here!We got us a heaven scroll!"Naruto exclaims holding it up proudly."Good work!"Kabuto says over to him smiling.I couldn't help but smile as well though the presence of Kabuto still made me edgy."C'mon Sasuke,"I say taking his hand and puting it over my shoulder to help him up.He simply grunts standing up slightly leaning on me for support.Suddenly we heard people coming and two ninja come out."Huh?Oh,it's you guys...you're late Kabuto!"one of them says over at Kabuto."Sorry.I ran into a little trouble,"Kabuto says to them as he walks to them."But it's all good!Thanks to you,our group has a full set of scrolls,same as you do!"Naruto says grining at him."Don't thank me.You earned them.The way you came through in the end was amzing,Naruto,"Kabuto says smiling back at Naruto,"this is the door we enter through.Good luck,everyone.Give it your best!"
"Yeah!"Naruto says grining as he goes over and me and Sasuke walk after him as he opens the doors and we walk in.