"Are there even any enemies left this late?" asked Sasuke as they were walking and jumping through trees "Lot's of 'em! If you were more alert, you 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...making the Tower and its vicinity...the likeliest place to find them" explained Kabuto "Oh! you're talking about...an ambush!!" said Sakura with a smile on her face.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Rokudo didn't say anything as they kept quiet "We make our target...someone who has captured both the Heaven and Earth scrolls and is taking them back to the Tower!" said Sakura "You're one-third right" said Kabuto "Huh?" Sakura asked, confused.
"First of all, you won't be the only ones who've figured that out...so there are going to be a lot of desperate characters setting snares for the unwary around that tower" explained Kabuto "I see, while we're waiting to ambush them...they'll be trying to ambush us" said Rokudo "This is gonna be sweet! it'll be worth a little sweat if we start to kick everyone's butts...and walk away with the other scroll we need to pass the Second Exam!!" said Naruto "Kabuto...what's the rest of the answer...?" asked Sakura.
"This type of Exam brings out another sort of enemy...I call them the collectors'' said Kabuto "Collectors?" asked Sakura confused "Even when you're standing at the Tower door...and you think you're home free, don't relax your guard for an instant. The conditions of this Exam are APT to give rise to them...bottom feeders. They're the ones who may not be good enough 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 they can't or won't face fairly. Some of them also want to have extra Scrolls to offer other teams from their home villages who may not have fared as well...because if those teams are on their second or third attempts at passing the Chunin Exams, the collectors can barter the surplus Scrolls for advance intelligence about the next stages of the test. And there are those two who aren't after your Scroll...they're after your life! they want to eliminate strong teams now...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...and the worst!!'' Kabuto explained, Naruto, Sakura, and Rokudo looked at him.
"So...that's why you didn't just take off after helping us. You're vulnerable, too!" said Sasuke "Safety in numbers?" asked Rokudo "Right" said Kabuto with a smile.
××××××××××
They were soon on top of a mountain as they could see the Tower "We're in view of the tower...here's where the fun really begins" said Kabuto "Then let's get to it!!" Naruto yells, everyone quickly turns around quickly "An enemy...so soon?!" asked Sakura, shocked. "Over there!!" Yelled Naruto as he threw a kunai stabbing a giant centipede.
"Aw, man! it was a centipede!" said Naruto disappointed "Wow!" said Kabuto surprised "A really big centipede..." said Sakura grossed out "That is so gross!!" said Sasuke "I never seen one so big" said Rokudo still looking at the giant centipede "Naruto..." said Kabuto "Huh?" asked Naruto as he looked at Kabuto confused "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 of 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 remain out of sight" said Kabuto "Gotcha!" said Naruto "Okay..." said Sakura "...right" said Sasuke, Rokudo nodded in agreement.
The five kept walking all night as the sun was raising "I'm sorry...I'm done..." said Sakura as she fell on her knees "Sakura...!!!" both Naruto and Rokudo yell as they ran to her worried "I-I don't know how far we've come...but the Tower never gets any closer" said Sakura tiredly, Rokudo looked to see the Tower and she was right, they were walking all night and the Tower was still in the same spot, not once has the Tower have gone closer "It's bizarre, it's right in front of us, plain as day..." said Naruto.
"Apparently...we're already enjoying some enemy's warm welcome! Look!" said Kabuto pointing at something, Rokudo looked and his eyes widened.
"Aw, man! no way!" said Naruto as they were all shocked except for Kabuto, there on the tree was the giant centipede, the same centipede that Naruto stabbed with his kunai "Wh-what is this crap?!" yells Naruto "A Genjutsu...?" said Sasuke.
"That's what it looks like! and we fell for it! we've been very, very cautious...running around in circles!" said Kabuto "And undoubtedly, being watched?" asked Sasuke "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 said, Naruto and Sakura looked shocked "Then they must realize our strength is fading" said Rokudo "So they'll make a move soon" said Kabuto fixing his glasses "Right..." said Sasuke with a smirk.
Soon ninja's came out from trees and from the ground as they surrounded the five of them, Rokudo looked at their headband to see they were from the Amegakure Village "Here they come..." Said Sasuke smirking "Yep! just about the perfect handicap!" said Naruto, smirking as well.
"Let the games begin!"