𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐆𝐀 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍

The Start of the Second Exam

Team 10 made their way into the forest silently. Once Hanara thought they were far enough inside to be safe, she stopped them.

"Guys, listen, I have a plan," Hanara whispered.

"What is it?" Choji asked, munching on his chips.

"We have 4 members and unless someone was targeting us specifically, they wouldn't know that, so let's make the most of it. I can use my Byakugan and stay behind you so that you guys have an ace. You work better when it's just the three of you anyway so it shouldn't be a problem. Another thing, it seems like the scrolls were rigged. All the Mist ninja and Grass ninja have Earth scrolls while all the Leaf ninja and Sand ninja have the Heaven scrolls. Well, as far as I can see anyway, so you can just leave the rest of us Leaf ninja and those shady Sand ninja alone," Hanara said, finally relaying the info she'd gathered.

"That's actually a good plan," Ino said, "I would have wanted you to come with us but since you already told us who has what scroll you staying behind works best. You can stay further away but still keep us in sight."

"Does anyone else have a better plan?" Hanara asked.

There was silence.

"No? Okay, let's get moving Team 10!" Hanara said.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji took off into the woods while Hanara stayed back and turned on her Byakugan. Once they were halfway out of her sight, she started to move. After two hours of just running towards the center of the forest, Hanara noticed 3 Grass shinobi moving towards the majority of her team.

'Jackpot,' Hanara thought, 'Now if Shikamaru can get them in Shadow Possession, I can make 2 water clones and have them strike the shinobi a second after he lets them go. They'll be down and we can search them for a scroll! Until then, I have to find a way to sneak up on them.'

Hanara silenced her body using chakra and moved to the left of her team, staying 10 meters away from everyone as she slowly made her way behind the Grass ninja.

"Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu," Hanara whispered, creating 2 clones of herself.

The three of them closed in on the three Grass shinobi as Choji used his enlarged self to create a distraction which allowed Shikamaru to immobilize them.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu, complete," Shikamaru said, smirking as he knelt on the ground.

Once Hanara and her clones were right behind the Grass shinobi, whose complete attention was now on the fact that they were immobilized by shadows, Shikamaru released his jutsu and Hanara and her clones struck them with a killing Gentle Fist strike. Her chakra enhanced fingers released enough chakra to stop their hearts (not that her teammates knew). Years of living in this world had definitely affected her morales. She was no longer above killing an opponent if it gave her a better chance of reaching her goal. It sort of... scared her

"The girl has the Earth Scroll," Hanara informed her teammates as she pulled said scroll out of the dead girl's weapons pouch.

"Huh, that was easy, now we just have to make our way to the tower," Ino said.

"Hana, do you have any more chips?" Choji asked.

Hanara smiled as she took out a scroll from her backpack and unsealed it, "Yep! I have about 60 packets."

Choji took a packet from the pile that Hanara had left lying on the floor and started to munch.

"It's getting dark, we should set up camp. I don't think we should try to get to the tower now, we'll overuse Hanara's eyes and she might collapse," Shikamaru said.