The Orange Reaper of Shadowed Blades

The Test

Naruto's legs felt like they were on fire. He was running through the thick underbrush of the Nara woods. Seriously, there were supposed to be deers in this place so how had the underbrush managed to grow so thick?

A huge scroll was clutched in his arms as he ran in a zig-zag pattern whilst trying to make minimal sound. Which was a chore because of the sheer density of the underbrush.

There was some rustling from behind him. The sudden sound made Naruto jolt as he stumbled, having almost tripped due to his blind panic.

'Please be a deer, please be a deer, please be a deer...', he chanted in his head, barely regaining his balance as he continued to run.

"You can't run or hide, you little shit!" Mizuki shouted from behind, "Now hand me my scroll, you runt!"

Sometimes...ninjas could be right bastards.

"Fuck no, you Iruka wannabe!" Naruto shouted over his shoulders, increasing his speed further to try and get away from the Chunin.

There was a pregnant pause.

Mizuki roared in rage, it was more animalistic than human.

"I'll kill you, you fox fucker!" He threw a plethora of kunai and shuriken at Naruto in rapid succession, aiming to maim rather than kill.

Naruto tried to dodge the projectiles that were thrown at his back as a shuriken whizzed past his right arm. In an effort to get away he dodged to the left.

"Ah!" He cried as a kunai embedded itself in his left calf. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.

The resulting tumble caused various cuts and scrapes all over his arms and face.

Naruto sucked in huge gulps of air to regain the air that had been knocked out of him. Big mistake.

He cried out in pain just as he did so, his chest felt like it had been set on fire. Naruto clawed at it, trying to fend off the pain. The scroll he had been holding lay beside his fallen form.

Naruto tried to muster the strength to get up, to no avail. His limbs felt like they were made of lead. His nose was burning as well, having accidentally snorted his nosebleed. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes due to the unexpected sensation.

Pebbles dug into his skin as he lay there, tired and defenceless. His breaths were erratic, causing even more pain. Most likely due to broken ribs.

He heard Mizuki coming closer as the leaves and branches on the ground shifted ever so slightly on the ground. Naruto merely closed his eyes and gathered the scroll in his arms, wincing, as he waited for the inevitable.

"What will you do now, brat?" He heard Mizuki whisper in his ear, his tone mocking.

He felt a rough kick land on his left calf, making the kunai that had been embedded there dig deeper into his leg, scraping the bone and protruding from his shin.

His eyes flew open, "AAHHH!"

Mizuki snatched away the scroll as the blond boy's grip on it loosened.

Mizuki smiled a sadistic smile as he saw the boy clutch at his left thigh, in excruciating pain.

"When I'm done with you, I'll blow you to bits," said Mizuki, smirking.

"Blow me, you sick bastard!" Naruto cried defiantly, tears in his eyes as he glared at his ex-academy teacher.

The smirk on Mizuki's face shrivelled up real quick.

He kicked Naruto straight in the face, breaking his nose, muttering about 'rebellious bastards'.

Naruto lay flat on the ground, the grass was covered in his blood and his eyes were glossy. He felt fear.