Orange, Spirals and Everything Nice

Two: Recognized existence

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters or the setting of the story. They all exclusively belong to Mr. Masashi Kishimoto in all its rights.

The chuunin exams.

Once again, Naruto had proven to everyone that he was more than capable of earning his hitai-ate during the preliminary rounds. During the written exams, he incredibly outsmarted the renowned and feared interrogator, Morino Ibiki, when he slammed his palms on the exam table and shouted his deposition after everyone's will was questioned.

Thus, passing the written test with a clean sheet of paper.

He never doubted his contentions, his promise of becoming a Hokage despite all the overwhelming doubts that lingered around him.

During the second part of the chuunin exams, Hinata's team had efficiently garnered their required scroll through their growing teamwork. Hinata had been grateful to be teamed up with the quiet and stoic Aburame Shino and the loud and confident Inuzuka Kiba and his adorable white ninken, Akamaru.

Working on their first set of missions before the Chuunin exams led them to discover each other's strengths and capabilities. Their team, which is composed of three different sensory types of ninjas from distinguished clans of the Leaf Village, somehow created an invisible bond that made their combination techniques a lot easier to master.

Team 8 was just quietly watching from behind the thick bushes that roamed that dreadful forest on their way to the tower when they encountered for the first time, the group of ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village. Their small bodies froze as the stench of blood and the unmistakable shadow of death enveloped that specific perimeter of the forest.

The smallest of the group, the scary-looking redhead with a giant sand gourd on his back just savagely squished another ninja in front of them in perfect cold blood. Like he was so used to the activity. Hinata had never felt so terrified and she needn't look at her teammates to know that they were also completely aghast with the horrors displayed before them.

The scene was obviously a warning.

A prelude to the future challenges they'll be facing as shinobis.

Everyone has also been clearly warned that the Chuunin exams itself may bring forth uncertain deaths. But the scene that gruesomely appeared before them was definitely a result of incredible bloodlust and plain fun.

Shino, Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata helplessly held their breaths when the sand guy turned towards their direction with his dead eyes. Everyone probably gave in to their fears and welcomed death as their only escape. They could NEVER, even with their current best combination techniques, stand a chance against the guy.

However, they slowly turned towards each other and desperately clung to hope when the other ninjas accompanying the Sand guy stopped the latter who casually walked out with his team in response. Akamaru let out endless whimpers as Team 8 finally let out their own sighs of relief. That team was definitely bad news if they ever encounter them again.

A monster.

Was it really that terrifying to wield such power? Do all the strongest ninjas have to be that brutal and unemotional?

Team 8 managed to reach the tower later that day, only to discover that fate had blindly ignored their earlier prayers after inadvertently crossing paths with the fearful trio from the sand village again. The fear within each of them was still evident, something that might never go away for a certain amount of time.