Elle Candel : The Mystery of The Seer (Naruto fanfic)

Chapter 26: The Chunin Exams-Part 2

We were running around, adrenaline pumping in all of us like crazy. It was nerve wrecking hearing the screams that started as soon as the gates were open. You know what was more nerve wrecking though? FACING ORICHIMARU WITHOUT A PLAN. I was supposed to plant chakra on the girl's body before he possesses it and stop his chakra flow before he attacked but thanks to Anko triggering my anxiety, I couldn't do squat. Ok Elle, think. THINK! What do I do? Should I just fight him? that will never work. He will sense me from a mile away. I looked around at my teammates. They were jumping through the trees, oblivious to the dangers that are awaiting them. That's when another plan popped into my head. I stopped suddenly with a serious look on my face. The rest jerked to a stop too, looking over to me. Sasuke tensed and took a defensive stance. "Is there someone around?" I shook my head absent mindedly. I couldn't think, sense, and run at the same time so I had to stop. Naruto jumped over to the branch I was on. "Elle, you ok? You look like you're ready to kill someone." I snapped out of my trance with determination in my eyes. "I just about am Naruto. There has been a change in plans." Sakura turned, a questioning look on her face. "We had a plan?" I face palmed at her stupidity. "No, I just rushed into the forest of death with a group of people who want to kill me without a plan. OF COURSE WE HAD A PLAN!" She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "So, what's the new plan?" Sasuke said, pretending like he knew the old one. "I'm going to shadow behind you guys from now on." The three of them looked at me with hesitation. "Look, I need you to trust me. when the time comes, I promise to protect you with my life." Looking at their confused and scared faces only made the determination grow in me. "Ok, you go ahead. We don't have time to waste." Sasuke, being the only one seeing the sense in what I was saying, handed me our scroll and jumped ahead with Naruto and Sakura following behind him in a couple of seconds.

Now that I was alone, I had to start the actual plan. I had to get another scroll and rush to my team before Orochimaru got to them. I sat down, legs crossed sensing the chakras around me. there were 3 teams nearby. One of them was very familiar, and the other felt deadly so I just decided to go for the third team and hope for the best. I hid my chakra and approached their location, hiding in the trees. I looked down and it was the sound trio. Yes! This is perfect! I can hit 2 birds with one stone that way. I sneaked down my chakra tubes and connected them to the part people never notice, their feet. They seemed to be discussing something deeply too which certainly helped me out. If I drag this on, they will notice. I need to be fast and precise. With that, I sucked away at their chakra quickly. The girl was the first to fall unconscious and the two boys rushed to her, before one of them collapsed too. Just before the third one was down, he looked up in the trees and we made eye contact. A smirk was plastered on my face, knowing that it was already too late. With the three of them being unconscious, I jumped down, got their scroll and rushed back to where my team was.

I was still hiding in the trees looking down. Sasuke and Sakura were looking around standing on guard and Naruto was nowhere to be seen. A dark chakra was approaching quickly. It's now or never. I jumped down silently, hitting both of their necks. Their bodies fell limp just as Orochimaru jumped out. His aura was deadly and his chakra was overwhelming. I took a deep breath trying to ignore the pit in my stomach. "Ah, what an interesting predicament. Have you turned on your comrades?" He asked with a dangerous hiss in his voice. I was close to trembling but I couldn't show any weakness now. "You can think whatever you want." Ok, if I don't grab his attention, I will be dead in seconds. "I never thought I would meet one of the legendary Sanin here out of all places." His eyes widened a chilling smirk spreading on his face. "Well informed, aren't we?" I scoffed feigning confidence. "That would be an understatement. I know everything, what was, what is, and what will be." I said with a creepy tone. God, I really hope he's buying the whole 'evil witch of the west' thing I'm doing. His tongue shot out and he squinted slightly. "Is that so? Then I would assume you know why I'm here." I smirked, grabbing sasuke's body off the floor. I set him up to face Orochimaru and moved his head to give a clear view of his neck. "I told you, I know everything." He looked intrigued, amused at my behavior. "Interesting. You knew I was here yet you didn't inform the hokage. Where does your loyalty lie exactly?" He said walking closer. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. This is so fucking scary I can't breath. I splattered a sly smirk on my face " With whoever can benefit me." He came so close the only thing between us was sasuke's unconscious body. He towered over me, his tongue flickering. I looked straight back at him, challenging his gaze with one just as intense. Seeing that I won't back down, he smirked and took a step back. I smirked too and motioned for him to bite sasuke's neck. "I will give him your message." His smirk widened, he licked his lips, and his neck extended to give Sasuke his death hickey. Sasuke tensed in my arms, his face contorting in discomfort even in his unconscious state. "We will meet again little snake." He said in a creepy tone and disappeared to god knows where.

Once I couldn't sense his chakra, my knees gave out and I fell to the floor still holding Sasuke. I looked at his obviously pained form and felt instant guilt. It's for your own good. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had to do it. I hugged his body close and tears started slipping from my eyes. No pull yourself together. I have to seal it. I got up and wiped my tears and started building up chakra. I did the hand signs and placed the seal on the curse mark, hoping to god that this will be enough. I fixed sasuke's body up and held him on my back. I then tried to carry sakura too, emphasis on tried. Like an angel sent to me, Naruto stumbled out of the trees rubbing his head. He looked at me and a concerned look spread on his face. "Elle, what the hell happened? Where were you? We just got attacked." He said rushing over to me. I smiled slightly at him, "Sorry it took me so long. Can you lend me a hand?" I asked sheepishly pointing at sakura with my head. He nodded and quickly carried her.

We set out running towards the tower. Naruto was asking endless questions and it was starting to get on my nerves. "Listen Naru, I would love to explain everything, but right now I am more drained than you can imagine. I'm literally running on adrenaline." Thankfully, after that, he stopped asking. We kept going ahead with me in the lead, steering Naruto away of any teams. It took us a couple of minutes, but we finally made it to the tower.

We walked in and set Sasuke and Sakura down. Once we did Naruto seemed to freeze, realizing something. "How the hell are we going to pass when we didn't get the scrolls and half of our team is unconscious?!" I laughed quietly and ruffled his hair. He is just too cute. "Calm your shit, will you? I'm on it." I crouched down next to Sakura. I put my hand on her forehead and it started glowing green. Within a couple of seconds she was coming to again. I did the same for Sasuke, but he took way more chakra. They both looked around confused. "What happened? Where are we?" Sasuke tensed still expecting danger. I looked over at him and smiled. "Don't worry, we're in the tower. We made it." Sakura's eyes almost bulged out of her head. "How? Last I remember we were ambushed in the forest." I grinned widely. "I told you I would be shadowing you, didn't I? I got you out of there. Oh and also," I reached over into my pouch and pulled out the scrolls tossing them over to her and Naruto. "I stumbled upon a team with an earth scroll." Both her and Naruto looked at me shocked. "Now that we're here, you guys should open these. I need to talk to Sasuke really quick." Sakura looked over at me mad that I'm taking away her Sasuke, but went on with Naruto to open the scrolls.

I pulled Sasuke to the side, and took a deep breath. "How are you feeling?" I asked genuinely concerned, but he shrugged. "weird. Now, care to explain what actually happened." I sighed and started talking. "I had stopped to get the earth scroll, and when I caught up with you guys again, you were both unconscious with a weird grass lady holding your body. I jumped down and was about to attack, when she just put you down and told me to deliver a message to you." He looked disturbed. "What did she want?" I looked down trying to make this as dramatic as possible. "Well, she said that she gave you a gift and that once you wanted power, you will seek her out." Sasuke sighed. "What was the gift?" I looked up at him and pointed to his neck. "a curse mark. Thankfully, I was able to seal it right away. That's when Naruto stumbled out of the bushes and we carried you two all the way here." He rubbed his temples sighing deeply. He seemed to not know how to take this. "Let's go back to the other two." With that he turned around and walked away.

Iruka was standing there with Naruto and sakura. "Oh good, you two are here. Now I can finally start. Congratulations on passing the second part of the chunin exams. You're actually the second team to finish! I can't tell you how proud I am of all of you." I smiled at his excitement. This has been so tiring. I can't wait to sleep. "You guys may rest in one of the rooms upstairs until the rest of the teams finish." Hearing that I thanked him and turned around, heading for the nearest bed possible. I really hope I did the right thing.