Chapter VI:The Chuunin Exams Part II
Forest of Death
The second phase of the Chunin Exams took place in Training Ground 44, ominously known as the Forest of Death. The massive wilderness area contained dangers that went far beyond its natural predators – ancient seals, experimental weapons from past wars, and creatures that had been warped by exposure to concentrated chakra over decades of use as a high-level training facility.
For the genin teams entering the forest, the objective was simple: survive for five days while obtaining both heaven and earth scrolls needed to advance to the final phase. For the mysterious observer watching from beyond the treeline, the objective was far more complex.
Kage stood motionless on a branch high above the forest canopy, his enhanced senses tracking multiple chakra signatures as they dispersed into the wilderness below. His particular attention remained focused on two specific energy patterns – the emerald fire that marked Houjin's location, and the dark aura that surrounded Eleryc whenever his control began to slip.
Both boys would be pushed to their limits in this environment, and when that happened, their true natures would begin to manifest in ways that could no longer be ignored or explained away. The question was whether they would be ready to accept the truth when it was finally revealed.
Team 6's First Encounter
Six hours into the examination, Team 6 had established a defensive position near a small stream in the forest's northeastern quadrant. Yugao had drilled into them the importance of securing water and defensible terrain before engaging in any aggressive scroll-hunting, and their current location provided both.
Hanabi used her Byakugan to scout their immediate surroundings while Kasumi worked on purifying their water supply. Kazuna and Akamaru maintained perimeter watch, their enhanced senses alert for any approaching threats. Houjin sat slightly apart from the group, his dark eyes reflecting an internal struggle that was becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
"Contact," Hanabi announced suddenly, her Byakugan detecting movement approximately two kilometers to the west. "Three chakra signatures, moving fast in our direction. Power levels... elevated beyond normal genin parameters."
"Enemy team?" Yugao asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"Hostile intent confirmed," Hanabi replied grimly. "And there's something wrong with their chakra patterns. They feel... artificial. Enhanced."
Kasumi felt the Nine-Tails' chakra stir within her at the mention of artificial enhancement, her inherited memories carrying warnings about techniques that warped natural energy flows. "Sound Village again?"
"Unknown village markings," Hanabi reported, her Byakugan tracking their approach. "But their technique signatures match the artificial patterns we detected during the first exam."
It was at that moment that Houjin stood up abruptly, his posture shifting into something more primal and alert. "They're not coming for the scrolls," he said quietly, his voice carrying undertones that hadn't been there moments before. "They're coming for me."
The statement sent chills through his teammates, not just because of its implications, but because of the way his power signature had suddenly spiked. The emerald energy that usually flickered subtly beneath his skin was now blazing openly, and his eyes had taken on a luminescent quality that spoke of forces beyond normal human limitations.
"How do you know that?" Yugao asked, though her hand was already moving toward her weapons.
"Because I can smell their intent," Houjin replied, and this time there was no mistaking the inhuman quality that had entered his voice. "They reek of artificial enhancement and foreign technology. And they carry scents that remind me of... of the pod I was found in."
The revelation that his mysterious origins might be connected to their current attackers added another layer of urgency to their situation. Before anyone could respond further, the enemy team burst through the treeline with speed that suggested significant physical enhancement.
The lead attacker was a girl who appeared to be around fifteen, but her chakra signature felt decades older. Her movements were too perfect, too calculated, lacking the natural flow that marked genuine human technique. Behind her came two boys whose power levels were clearly artificial – impressive in raw output, but unstable in a way that suggested they wouldn't last long in extended combat.
"Target acquired," the lead attacker announced, her voice carrying the same artificial quality they had encountered during the first exam. "Subject designation: Pod Child. Initiating retrieval protocol."
The casual use of terminology that related to Houjin's origins sent his power signature into overdrive. The emerald energy that had been blazing around him suddenly exploded outward in a column of light that reached toward the forest canopy, and when it faded, he had changed.
His hair, normally the odd flaming orange he was known for, had taken on a greenish tint that seemed to glow with its own light. His muscles had increased in definition, and there was something about his posture that spoke of barely restrained violence. Most dramatically, his eyes had become completely emerald, blazing with power that made the air around him shimmer with heat.
"You know what I am," he said, and his voice now carried harmonics that resonated with primal forces. "But do you understand what that means?"
The lead attacker smiled with artificial confidence. "It means you're valuable. It means certain parties are very interested in studying your unique physiology and power source." Her gaze flicked briefly to his teammates. "Unfortunately, witnesses create complications."
It was Kasumi who moved first, the Nine-Tails' chakra responding to the threat against her friend by flooding her system with power that turned her usual red hair into a blazing crimson beacon. "You'll have to go through us first."
The battle that followed was unlike anything any of them had experienced during their training. The enemy team's artificial enhancements made them formidable opponents, but they lacked the natural instincts and adaptive capabilities that marked true shinobi. More importantly, they had clearly not anticipated facing multiple individuals with power sources that operated beyond conventional parameters.
Hanabi's Byakugan allowed her to identify weak points in their artificially enhanced chakra networks, while Kazuna's golden transformation gave him speed and strength that exceeded even their boosted capabilities. Kasumi's controlled use of the Nine-Tails' chakra provided devastating offensive capabilities, and Yugao's ANBU training let her coordinate their attacks with lethal precision.
But it was Houjin who dominated the battlefield.
In his transformed state, he moved with power and grace that seemed to bend the laws of physics. His strikes carried enough force to shatter trees, his speed created afterimages that confused even enhanced perception, and the emerald energy that surrounded him seemed to actively disrupt the artificial enhancements of their opponents.
The battle lasted less than ten minutes, but when it ended, three enhanced individuals lay unconscious among the shattered remains of what had been pristine forest. Houjin stood over them, his emerald aura gradually fading as he returned to his normal appearance.
"Well," Yugao said after a long moment of silence, "I think it's safe to say that your origins are no longer a village secret."
Revelations in the Aftermath
As Team 6 secured their prisoners and tended to their minor injuries, Hanabi found herself studying Houjin with new understanding. The transformation she had witnessed went far beyond anything she had expected, revealing capabilities that suggested he was not just non-human, but perhaps not even from this dimension.
"That power," she said carefully, "it didn't feel like chakra at all. It was something completely different."
Houjin nodded, his expression troubled. "I've always known I was different, but seeing those attackers... hearing them talk about 'retrieval protocols' and studying my physiology..." He looked at his hands as though they belonged to someone else. "I think I'm starting to understand that I'm not just adopted. I'm not even from this world, am I?"
Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice spoke from the shadows of the surrounding trees.
"No, you're not. But neither am I."
Kage stepped into their clearing, his presence immediately recognizable despite the fact that none of them had sensed his approach. The power radiating from him was even more intense than it had been during his intervention at the Academy, and both Houjin and Kasumi felt their own abilities responding to his energy signature.
"You," Yugao said, her voice carrying both wariness and recognition. "The one from the examination."
"Indeed. Though I believe the time for mysterious appearances has passed." Kage's dark eyes settled on Houjin with something that might have been paternal pride. "Your transformation was impressive. You're beginning to tap into your true potential."
"What am I?" Houjin asked directly, his voice carrying years of uncertainty and confusion. "Those attackers knew something about my origins, and your power feels... familiar. Like something I should recognize."
Kage smiled, and for the first time since his initial appearance, his expression carried genuine warmth. "You are what your people call a Saiyan – a member of a warrior race from a distant planet. Your power, that emerald transformation you just experienced, marks you as something even rarer than that."
The revelation hit Houjin like a physical blow. "Saiyan? Another planet?"
"The planet Vegeta, to be specific. Though it was destroyed many years ago, scattered survivors found their way to various worlds throughout the universe." Kage's expression grew more serious. "You are not just any Saiyan, however. That emerald energy, the way your power responds to emotional triggers – you carry the potential to become what legends called the Legendary Super Saiyan."
Hanabi felt her breath catch. The boy she had been training with, sharing meals with, learning to trust and care about – he was literally the last member of an alien warrior race, carrying power that existed only in legends.
"And you?" Kasumi asked, her own power still resonating with Kage's presence. "What are you?"
Kage's smile took on a more complex quality. "I am also a Saiyan, though from a different timeline entirely. I have been searching across dimensions for others like myself – like him." He gestured toward Houjin. "And I have found not one, but two individuals whose power could reshape the fate of multiple worlds."
The implication that there were two Saiyans present sent everyone's gaze toward Kazuna, who had been standing frozen since Kage's revelation about Houjin's origins.
"The golden transformation," Kage said gently, addressing Kazuna directly. "The way your power spikes in response to emotional stimuli. You are Saiyan as well, though your potential follows a different path than his."
Kazuna's legs gave out, and he sat heavily on the ground as the weight of the revelation hit him. "That's impossible. I'm an Inuzuka. I've always been an Inuzuka."
"Adoption can create bonds stronger than blood," Kage replied with understanding. "But it cannot change what you fundamentally are. Your Saiyan nature has been dormant, suppressed by the peaceful life you've lived. But as you grow stronger, as you face greater challenges, it will continue to manifest."
As the group processed these earth-shattering revelations, none of them noticed the small device that had been hidden among the unconscious attackers' equipment – a recording device that had captured every word of Kage's explanation, and was now transmitting that information to parties unknown.
The secret was out, and the consequences of that revelation would soon spread far beyond the Forest of Death.
Team 7's Parallel Crisis
Meanwhile, deeper in the Forest of Death, Team 7 was facing their own deadly encounter. The peaceful atmosphere of their temporary camp was shattered when Naruto suddenly stood up, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Uh, guys, I really need to... you know..." he said, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Sakura's eye twitched with annoyance. "Seriously? Now? We're in the middle of a survival exercise!"
"I can't help it! I've been holding it for hours!"
With an exasperated sigh, Sakura pointed toward a cluster of dense bushes about fifty meters away. "Fine! But make it quick, and don't go too far. There could be enemy teams anywhere."
As Naruto hurried toward the designated area, Sasuke remained on high alert, his Sharingan occasionally activating to scan their surroundings. Something felt wrong about their current situation, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was troubling him.
When Naruto returned a few minutes later, his usual grin plastered across his face, Sasuke's unease crystallized into certainty.
"Hey guys, what did I miss?" the blonde asked cheerfully.
Instead of responding, Sasuke launched himself forward without warning, his fist connecting solidly with "Naruto's" jaw. The impact sent the imposter sprawling backward, his transformation flickering momentarily before stabilizing.
"Sasuke! What are you doing?" Sakura shouted, moving to intervene.
"Look at his face," Sasuke commanded coldly, his Sharingan spinning as he analyzed the fallen figure. "The real Naruto has whisker scars on his cheeks. This fake doesn't."
Sakura's eyes widened as she realized the truth. The person in front of them bore Naruto's appearance in every detail except for those distinctive facial markings that had been present since birth.
Realizing his disguise had been compromised, the impostor abandoned his transformation entirely. Where Naruto had been lying moments before, an Ame shinobi with distinctive breathing apparatus now crouched in a combat stance.
"Impressive observation skills," the ninja said, his voice muffled by his equipment. "But it won't save you."
The battle was swift and brutal. The Ame ninja possessed considerable skill, but he had underestimated Sasuke's analytical capabilities and raw power. Within minutes, he lay unconscious among the forest debris, his breathing apparatus cracked and leaking.
As Sasuke secured the defeated enemy, he spotted movement in the underbrush nearby. The real Naruto stumbled into view, bound and gagged, his eyes wide with relief at being discovered.
"That was too close," Sasuke muttered as he freed his teammate. "We need better security protocols."
Once Naruto was untied and had confirmed his identity by displaying his whisker scars, Sasuke gathered both of his teammates close.
"We're implementing a password system," he announced firmly. "From now on, if we get separated, we need a way to verify each other's identity."
"A password?" Naruto asked, still shaken from his captivity. "Like what?"
Sasuke's expression grew thoughtful as he considered options that would be difficult for enemies to replicate. "The password will be: 'When the leaves dance in autumn wind, the fire spirit ignites the shadows of tomorrow's dawn, and the fox remembers dreams of ramen under starlight while the snake coils around memories of vengeance.'"
Both Naruto and Sakura stared at him in stunned silence.
"Are you insane?" Sakura finally managed. "That's impossible to remember!"
"The point is to make it difficult for imposters," Sasuke replied coolly. "If someone can repeat that exactly, they're either one of us or they've had extensive time to memorize it."
Naruto's face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to process the lengthy phrase. "When the leaves... dance in... uh... fire spirit... shadows... fox dreams... ramen..." He threw up his hands in frustration. "I'll never remember all that!"
"You don't have to remember it perfectly," Sasuke explained. "The real test is whether someone tries to recite it word-for-word or responds naturally like you just did."
Before Naruto could protest further, a powerful gust of wind swept through their clearing. The force was so intense that it scattered their equipment and separated the three teammates, each blown in different directions by the unnatural weather phenomenon.
Into the Serpent's Maw
Naruto found himself alone in an unfamiliar section of the forest, his head spinning from the impact of being hurled against a tree trunk. As he struggled to regain his bearings, the ground beneath him began to tremble with rhythmic vibrations that suggested something massive approaching.
The giant snake that emerged from the underbrush was unlike anything he had encountered during training. Its scales were dark as midnight, its eyes glowed with predatory intelligence, and its mouth was large enough to swallow a grown man whole.
"Oh, come on!" Naruto shouted as the serpent's head descended toward him. "This day just keeps getting worse!"
His protests were cut short as the snake's jaws closed around him, and the world disappeared into humid darkness. The sensation of being swallowed was horrifying and disorienting, but it also triggered something within Naruto that he had been struggling to control – his connection to the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Inside the serpent's gullet, Naruto's anger and determination combined with the fox demon's power to create dozens of shadow clones. The snake's internal anatomy was suddenly filled with copies of the young shinobi, all working together to fight their way back toward freedom.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto roared, his voice echoing strangely in the confined space. "Let's see how you like being stuffed full of angry ninjas!"
The coordinated assault from within proved too much for even the giant snake to handle. With a sound like tearing fabric, Naruto and his clones burst from the creature's throat in an explosion of orange jumpsuits and determination.
The Test of Identity
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura had managed to regroup at a predetermined rally point they had established earlier in the exam. Both were battered and concerned about their missing teammate, but their attention was immediately captured when a familiar figure approached their position.
"Hey guys!" the figure called out cheerfully. "Thank goodness I found you. That wind really scattered us, didn't it?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he studied the approaching form. Everything about the person's appearance and mannerisms matched Naruto perfectly, but something felt wrong about the encounter.
"Password," Sasuke demanded coldly.
Without hesitation, the figure replied: "When the leaves dance in autumn wind, the fire spirit ignites the shadows of tomorrow's dawn, and the fox remembers dreams of ramen under starlight while the snake coils around memories of vengeance."
The perfect recitation sent alarm bells ringing in Sasuke's mind. "You're not Naruto."
"What? Of course I'm Naruto! I just gave you the password!"
"That's exactly the problem," Sasuke replied, his Sharingan activating. "The real Naruto couldn't remember half of that password when I first told it to him. He would have stumbled through it or given up entirely. Only an imposter would recite it word-for-word."
The fake Naruto's expression shifted from confusion to cold calculation. The transformation dissolved, revealing a Kusagakure ninja with long dark hair and an unnaturally pale complexion.
"Shiore," the ninja identified herself, her voice now carrying a sinister quality that made both Sasuke and Sakura step back instinctively. "You're more perceptive than I anticipated."
Before either of them could react, Shiore swallowed something – presumably a scroll or drug of some kind – and her chakra signature exploded with malevolent energy. The very air around her seemed to thicken with killing intent so intense that both young shinobi felt their bodies freeze in terror.
Visions of their own deaths flooded their minds – Sasuke saw himself impaled by countless weapons while failing to protect his teammates, while Sakura witnessed her friends dying because of her weakness. The psychological assault was so overwhelming that both collapsed to their knees, unable to move or even think clearly.
It was only Sasuke's Uchiha training in mental resilience that allowed him to break free from the paralysis. Drawing on years of discipline and his natural resistance to genjutsu, he forced himself back to his feet and grabbed Sakura's arm.
"Move!" he shouted, half-carrying his still-paralyzed teammate away from Shiore's position. "We have to get out of range!"
They managed to put some distance between themselves and their attacker, but Shiore was already in pursuit, her movements unnaturally fluid and predatory. Just as it seemed they would be cornered again, a familiar voice rang out from above.
"Hey! Ugly snake lady! Pick on someone your own size!"
Naruto descended from the forest canopy like an orange meteor, his landing creating a small crater between his teammates and their pursuer. His clothes were torn and stained with what appeared to be digestive fluids, but his eyes blazed with determination and barely controlled fury.
"Sorry I'm late," he said without taking his eyes off Shiore. "I got held up by some oversized sushi ingredients. But I'm here now, and nobody messes with my friends!"
But even as Naruto prepared to engage their enemy, Sasuke noticed something troubling. "Where's Eleryc?" he asked, his Sharingan scanning the surrounding area for any sign of their fourth teammate.
The question sent a chill through both Naruto and Sakura. In the chaos of the wind separation and subsequent encounters, they had lost track of their newest team member entirely.
Eleryc's Solitary Battle
Several kilometers away, Eleryc was facing his own nightmare scenario. The powerful wind that had scattered Team 7 had deposited him in a section of the forest that felt wrong on a fundamental level – the trees were twisted and blackened, the air thick with an oppressive energy that made his skin crawl and his ancient memories stir uneasily.
He wasn't alone.
Three figures emerged from the corrupted foliage, their movements coordinated and predatory. Unlike the artificial enhancements that Team 6 had encountered, these attackers radiated genuine power – dark, malevolent energy that seemed to drink in the light around them.
"Target confirmed," the lead figure announced, his voice carrying undertones that suggested non-human origins. "The one who carries the divine essence. The heir to godlike power."
Eleryc felt his carefully maintained control begin to slip as the ancient memories within him recognized these enemies. They weren't from this world – they were something far worse, entities that fed on divine ki and sought to claim the power of those who carried celestial bloodlines.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, though his hands were already beginning to glow with dark energy.
"Oh, but you do," the second attacker purred, her form shifting between human and something altogether more monstrous. "We can smell it on you – the scent of Kakarot's bloodline, mixed with something far more ancient. You are what legends call a Saiyan, but more than that... you carry the essence of a god."
The revelation hit Eleryc like a physical blow. The memories that had been stirring within him suddenly crystallized into horrible clarity – he was indeed a Saiyan, but not just any Saiyan. He was a being that had once transcended mortal limitations, achieved divine status, only to have that power sealed away by forces beyond his understanding.
And now these entities wanted to claim that sealed divinity for themselves.
"The power you carry doesn't belong in a mortal shell," the third attacker hissed, its form barely maintaining human appearance. "We will take it from you, and use it to reshape this pathetic world."
Eleryc's response was immediate and devastating. The dark aura that he had worked so hard to suppress exploded outward in a column of black and deep rose-colored energy that reached toward the sky. When it faded, he stood transformed – his hair had turned a brilliant pink-rose hue and stood on end, his eyes blazed with divine fire, and his entire being radiated power that made the very air around him hum with tension.
"If you want my power," he said, his voice now carrying harmonics that spoke of cosmic forces, "you'll have to take it from me."
The battle that followed was less a fight than a demonstration of the difference between borrowed power and true divinity. Eleryc moved with speed that created afterimages, struck with force that shattered the landscape, and wielded energy that seemed to bend reality around him. The entities that had thought to claim his essence found themselves facing something far beyond their ability to comprehend or control.
When the combat ended, three smoking craters marked where his attackers had been, and Eleryc stood alone among the devastation, his transformation gradually fading as he regained control of his emotions.
But the knowledge remained. He was a Saiyan – specifically, he was a being called Goku Black from an alternate timeline, his memories of godhood sealed but not destroyed. And now, in this world, those memories were beginning to resurface.
Convergence and Revelation
As Eleryc made his way back toward his teammates' last known position, the sound of combat reached his enhanced senses. He arrived at Team 7's location just as Naruto was launching himself at Shiore, his shadow clones creating a coordinated assault that had the enemy ninja on the defensive.
"Need a hand?" Eleryc called out as he dropped from the trees, his arrival immediately noticed by both allies and enemy.
Shiore's eyes widened as she sensed the residual divine energy still clinging to Eleryc's aura. "Another one," she hissed, her artificial confidence cracking. "How many monsters does this village hide?"
"Just the ones who protect their friends," Eleryc replied, his dark aura beginning to flicker around him again. "And we don't like bullies."
The combined assault from Naruto's shadow clones and Eleryc's overwhelming power proved too much for Shiore to handle. Within minutes, she was retreating deeper into the forest, her psychological warfare techniques useless against opponents who had faced far worse than mere killing intent.
As the immediate threat faded, Sasuke found himself studying Eleryc with new intensity. The power he had just witnessed was unlike anything he had seen during their training sessions – it felt ancient, divine, and completely separate from normal chakra-based techniques.
"What was that transformation?" Sasuke asked directly. "That wasn't any bloodline limit I've ever heard of."
Eleryc was quiet for a long moment, processing his own recent revelations. "I'm still figuring that out myself," he admitted. "But I think... I think I'm not entirely from this world either. There are memories in my head that belong to someone else, someone who had power that transcended mortal limitations."
The admission created a moment of profound silence among the team members. First the mysterious attacks on genin with unusual origins, now the revelation that their own teammate might be carrying divine power from another dimension.
"So what does that make us?" Naruto asked, his usual cheerfulness tinged with uncertainty. "A team of normal ninja, or something else entirely?"
"I think," Sakura said slowly, her analytical mind working through the implications, "it makes us exactly what we've always been – a team that protects each other, no matter what we turn out to be."
As Team 7 regrouped and continued their navigation through the Forest of Death, none of them noticed the small recording devices that had been scattered throughout the area during their various battles. Their secrets – Eleryc's divine transformation, the nature of the entities that had attacked him, and the growing realization that multiple team members carried otherworldly power – were all being transmitted to interested parties whose plans went far beyond the simple structure of a chunin examination.
The revelation that Kage had mentioned was coming to pass, but the consequences would extend far beyond what any of them had anticipated.
To be continued in Chapter 7: The Chuunin Exams part III