𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐨 [HEAVY EDITING]

𝟐𝟒 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐬: 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

My whole body... ah... aches. While it feels like everything inside me is broken, I know it's not, because I'm still able to move and stand up.

When I'd finally opened my eyes, I'd found my body trapped between some roots of a displaced tree. I'm able to slide my arm out easily, but my torso is a different story. I'm wedged in pretty good, my ribs caught by a knot of wood. I suck in a deep breath to tighten my stomach, while pressing on the part of my ribcage that doesn't feel like it's been used as a punching bag, enabling myself to slide right out of the tree. I accidentally let out a loud groan on my way down the tree to solid ground, and when I land, I end up collapsing onto a knee, the painful ache in my chest making me dizzy.

In the meanwhile, I look around, taking in my new surroundings and finding out my worst fear had come true: my team and I have been separated.

"Oh, man," I breathe, almost a little incredulously.

While I'm not quite sure exactly how to execute it, I'd found before that I can see chakra. Maybe it'd come out of my desperation to find Naruto that one terrible day, and since then, I haven't been able to do it again, but... it's definitely worth trying to see if it's possible. I think of all the possible ways to manifest that ability – it's a lot different than using a Ninjutsu, that's for sure – but it just doesn't work. Meaning, I'm left with no other choice.

"Hey, guys!!" I scream, my hands cupped tight around my mouth. "Where are you?!?"

I can practically see Sasuke's scowl, and hear Sakura's shouts of me to stay quiet, and I bet Naruto would've done the exact same thing – I just wish they were actually doing these things in front of me. I could've always tried to look for them, but in this strange and dangerous place, it likely isn't the grandest of ideas.

How far did I even go? And in which direction? Wouldn't the others have gone in the same direction as me? Shouldn't they be here, too?

I sniffle, a little overly emotional over everything that's happened so far. We've barely just begun, that's the crazy part about this. It hasn't even been one of the five days. And what if I can't find them? What if they're attacked again? What if I'm attacked and I'm still alone?

I carefully scan the area around me and the treeline above me before ducking under an uprooted tree to pull my backpack off my shoulders. I'd brought some simple supplies with me as permitted by the rules of the Chūnin Exams, one of them being the next scroll from Makara-sensei's gift. What I'd quickly learned from the first scroll was that they didn't teach all Fire Style techniques, rather, how to master any Fire Style technique you came across. It offered guidance and mastery, not a cheat sheet of all the techniques to exist. So, while I did learn how to use the Fireball Jutsu, that'd been simply for demonstration and instruction. The same has to be likely for the blue-tinted scroll I now hold in my hand.

I unroll it across my lap, legs tucked beneath me, and quickly discover that the contents of the second of nine scrolls teaches on Water Ninjutsu. Supposedly, they have some of the most complicated techniques to be able to learn, but this just makes me love the idea of learning them even more. I enjoy a good challenge.

In this scroll, it offers two Jutsu this time that "supplements the duality of Water Style Ninjutsu". Like Kakashi-sensei had done before, he'd used both a Water Clone Jutsu and that offensive style one that looked like a dragon. I can only assume that that's what the scroll means by "duality". The Fire Style Ninjutsu are really only offensive, but it looks like Water Style Ninjutsu is that, as well as defensive and support.

"Cool."

"To utilize the Jutsu," I begin to read, "you must be able to transform your chakra into a water source or use that of a source that already exists.

"It's probably too risky to leave at the moment," I say to myself, the image of that large river stretching through the Forest of Death dangling in front of my eyes. "Looks like I'll have to try transforming my chakra for now, then. Which... is a lot harder than having water."

I look around me, hoping for some kind of water source from the tree or any plants to use instead. They all have liquid inside them, but not nearly enough for the kind of chakra it takes to use Ninjutsu. It really does have to be either or.

I place my hands in the form for channelling chakra and shut my eyes. Surprisingly, despite my current situation and just how dangerous this place is, reading and practicing here is quite peaceful. I think I should consider finding somewhere other than my home to study, and our usual training spot to practice. A change of scenery will be nice, I think – no chance of falling asleep in my comfy bed, no worrying if another team will show up to commandeer the training grounds, no giant spiders to show up and scare the crap out of me—

"Ah."

My lips stay parted, my eyes wide at the realization of my words, only to confirm with my brain that what I'm currently seeing is real and not a hallucination, illusion, or the results of a concussion. Because there really is a me-sized spider currently blocking my only exit out of this tree.

I'm screaming as I weave my hand signs together for a Fireball Jutsu, but my hooting and hollering seems to do the trick. Somehow, I'm feeling bad that I'd scared this terrifying creature as it skitters away from the tree and back into the forest from the other side of this clearing, but I have to remind myself that this place is called the Forest of Death for a reason. And I don't plan on dying in here.

I decide that there's no time to learn a new Ninjutsu, as useful as it might be to learn how to use the Water Clone Jutsu in this place. It takes too much focus that I can't afford when I'm all by myself out here. So, I leave my hiding place, my scroll packed away, and in sticking close to the trees, I make my way toward... well, toward somewhere. I don't know where I am to be picky about the direction. I'm only hoping it'll take me toward where the river is, and from there, I'd be set.

However, when I round the one tree, I'm almost wholly convinced that I'd been concussed to the point of hallucinations as a beautiful woman with long black hair now stands before me. A familiar, beautiful woman, or at least, the younger version of the one I knew.

"... g-grandmother?"

Updated February 6th, 2022 | 1,118 words